Weird SSD/HDD problems

[Woyzeck]

I installed a second drive (Samsung 830 SSD/256 GB) in my Mac Mini (mid mode, 2.6 GHz, 16 GB RAM) using iFixIts second harddrive kit. Mechanical installation was without problems (except for that damned antenna...). The Mini runs ML 8.1.2 from the HDD.

Then a series of strange events started:

1. Upon regular boot from the HDD the new SSD was not visble in diskutil, so I bootet into recovery mode
2. Recovery mode showed the HDD, but it was marked as damaged and I could only select "Fix". After that the HDD's data was erased, so I deleted it and reinstalled ML. The SSD was not visible, though
3. After reboot the SSD was still not visible in ML, so I rebooted again in recovery mode and...
4. Voila ! The SSD was visible. So I installed ML on it with success but...
5. Unfortunately the SSD was not visible as a bootable device. So I reinstalled ML several times on it, but things didn't change. I could always install ML on it, but it was not marked as bootable.
6. Booting again in recovery mode showed a drive with 1.25GB which is the combined capacity of my HDD and my SSD. So it seemed that ML for some reason created a fusion drive from it (actually I was never asked to do so)
7. I booted again into recovery mode and used diskutil coreStorage to split the fusion drive. Since then my SSD is invisible and I can't revive it again.

Currently I'm lost. No idea how to proceed. I removed the HDD again, but the SSD is not visible any more. Checked and rechecked the plugs. Everything seems to be ok.
The SSD is not defective, as I put it into my old Thinkpad (which takes 1 minute on the notebook btw. compared to 30 minutes in the "desktop" Mini). The cable is ok, too, as the SSD has already been shown.

Any ideas before I kick that crappy little box out of the window ?

[MisterKeeks]

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

6. Booting again in recovery mode showed a drive with 1.25GB which is the combined capacity of my HDD and my SSD.?

I think you mean TB.
Are you using RAID0? Apple won't want you to use your own drives as Fusion drives- you have to pay Apple for that.

[edunon]

I remember reading something like this in this forum. OS X would recognize it as a Fusion Drive and would format the drives to work like that.

[Woyzeck]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

Are you using RAID0? Apple won't want you to use your own drives as Fusion drives- you have to pay Apple for that.

No, I'm not using RAID. Diskutil just created something weird from it.
Something similar is documented here: http://macperformanceguide.com/blog/...y-nasties.html

[MisterKeeks]

Ouch! I no idea why that would be happening. macperfomanceguide used another Mac to get the deed done, have you tried that, or do you not have another one available?

[Woyzeck]

Originally Posted by MisterKeeks

Ouch! I no idea why that would be happening. macperfomanceguide used another Mac to get the deed done, have you tried that, or do you not have another one available?

No, just my new Mini. The worst computer in 25 years.

[kdoug]

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

I installed a second drive (Samsung 830 SSD/256 GB) in my Mac Mini (mid mode, 2.6 GHz, 16 GB RAM) using iFixIts second harddrive kit. Mechanical installation was without problems (except for that damned antenna...). The Mini runs ML 8.1.2 from the HDD.

Then a series of strange events started:

1. Upon regular boot from the HDD the new SSD was not visble in diskutil, so I bootet into recovery mode
2. Recovery mode showed the HDD, but it was marked as damaged and I could only select "Fix". After that the HDD's data was erased, so I deleted it and reinstalled ML. The SSD was not visible, though
3. After reboot the SSD was still not visible in ML, so I rebooted again in recovery mode and...
4. Voila ! The SSD was visible. So I installed ML on it with success but...
5. Unfortunately the SSD was not visible as a bootable device. So I reinstalled ML several times on it, but things didn't change. I could always install ML on it, but it was not marked as bootable.
6. Booting again in recovery mode showed a drive with 1.25GB which is the combined capacity of my HDD and my SSD. So it seemed that ML for some reason created a fusion drive from it (actually I was never asked to do so)
7. I booted again into recovery mode and used diskutil coreStorage to split the fusion drive. Since then my SSD is invisible and I can't revive it again.

Currently I'm lost. No idea how to proceed. I removed the HDD again, but the SSD is not visible any more. Checked and rechecked the plugs. Everything seems to be ok.
The SSD is not defective, as I put it into my old Thinkpad (which takes 1 minute on the notebook btw. compared to 30 minutes in the "desktop" Mini). The cable is ok, too, as the SSD has already been shown.

Any ideas before I kick that crappy little box out of the window ?

It's Fusioned, you need to split it in Terminal before it'll be recognized, (Disk Utilities will not work for this). I'll provide a link for just how to do it using Terminal. You probably should've formatted it first before launching Disk Utility in the Recovery Partition if you didn't want a fusion drive. I'll link OWC's directions for external and internal formatting which I received today with my Data Doubler kit. I'm using Fusion on both of my computers, I'm not sure why you wouldn't.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2015...ion-drive.html

[Woyzeck]

It was fusioned I guess. But diskutil cs list shows no fusion drives. So currently it's in a very strange state.

[Woyzeck]

Finally I found the problem: the SATA cable that connects the SSD with the second SATA connector on the logic board is broken at the bend that is closest to the mother board.
It seems that I installed the HDD too tight (because the cable next to the power unit prevented me from placing it right).

So anyone replacing the HDD be aware: the HDD must slide without force into its position. The same applies to the WIFI antenna...

[Darby67]

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

No, just my new Mini. The worst computer in 25 years.

Originally Posted by Woyzeck

Finally I found the problem: the SATA cable that connects the SSD with the second SATA connector on the logic board is broken at the bend that is closest to the mother board.
It seems that I installed the HDD too tight (because the cable next to the power unit prevented me from placing it right).

So anyone replacing the HDD be aware: the HDD must slide without force into its position. The same applies to the WIFI antenna...

Still the worst computer in 25 years due to an user install error?

[dasx]

Originally Posted by Darby67

Still the worst computer in 25 years due to an user install error?

Worst hardware upgrade in 25 years I'd say.

[philipma1957]

Originally Posted by Darby67

Still the worst computer in 25 years due to an user install error?

Originally Posted by dasx

Worst hardware upgrade in 25 years I'd say.

cut him a bit of slack. it is a tight fit and many posts are written on how the op killed a mini. At least he told us.

to the op I do not add a second hdd or ssd to any mini made since 2010. I will do 2x 7mm ssds if a buyer wants the mod. the difficulty is more then people think it is. if you add standard size 9.5mm ssd or hdd to have 2 drives the fit is tight and some 9.5mm drives are bigger then others making the fit even tighter.
also the cables sold have been defective about 1 in 15 are bad.

If I am going to make a 2 drive mini I use the second cable only and put in 1 ssd keep the mini open and boot. I then know the cable is good. I then add the second matching ssd with the oem cable and boot. I know know both are good.

I then put it together and boot with it fully assembled with the exception of the black circle plate. I know all is good I put the plate on turn it correctly and boot. PITA I have found that using an external t-bolt is easy and sooo much faster then an hdd I don't mind that it is a tiny bit slower then having the ssd in the mini. For some power users this may be too slow but if they use the machine to make money they should consider a good external thunderbolt product such as a promise pegasus.