Mac Mini 2012 Won't Boot From USB Mountain Lion Install Disk

nicholaseb · Nov 20, 2012, 12:56 PM

I just got my new Mac Mini 2012 2.6ghz quad core. I just finished installing a 128GB Samsung SSD, and I put my 1tb hard drive in the other available slot. I installed 16gb of RAM, and I am planning to create a fusion drive. The Mini turns on, and will boot into the OS. (I'm using the Mini right now to write this). BUT, when I try to boot from a Mountain Lion Install USB I get a "white no smoking sign." I created the disk on my family macbook pro, (with instructions from tldtoday on YouTube) and I tested it on my brother's macbook pro, and it works as it should, so I know it is not a problem with the USB drive.

I decided to make a new USB install drive on my Mac Mini incase there was some drivers issue... or something. But the App Store won't let me download the copy of Mountain Lion I had bought previously! "We could not complete your purchase. OSX Mountain Lion is not compatible with your computer."

I'm really stuck, does anyone know what I should do??
Thanks!

Squeak825 · 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholaseb

I just got my new Mac Mini 2012 2.6ghz quad core. I just finished installing a 128GB Samsung SSD, and I put my 1tb hard drive in the other available slot. I installed 16gb of RAM, and I am planning to create a fusion drive. The Mini turns on, and will boot into the OS. (I'm using the Mini right now to write this). BUT, when I try to boot from a Mountain Lion Install USB I get a "white no smoking sign." I created the disk on my family macbook pro, (with instructions from tldtoday on YouTube) and I tested it on my brother's macbook pro, and it works as it should, so I know it is not a problem with the USB drive.

I decided to make a new USB install drive on my Mac Mini incase there was some drivers issue... or something. But the App Store won't let me download the copy of Mountain Lion I had bought previously! "We could not complete your purchase. OSX Mountain Lion is not compatible with your computer."

I'm really stuck, does anyone know what I should do??
Thanks!

Mac Mini ships with a different version of 10.8.2 that has specific drivers for its hardware. You can't use another version of 10.8.2.

10.8.3 should reconcile these changes, and allow you to great boot drives like you did.

In the meantime, have you tried Internet Recovery (via Command+R at boot time)?

nicholaseb · Nov 20, 2012, 01:04 PM

Thanks for the quick reply, and that's good to know, but disappointing for me right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4NqbGEJpN4
^^ This is my goal, so could you explain the internet recovery idea to me? I assume you couldn't use the recovery partition already on the 1tb drive to reinstall the way I would like to, because it would erase that very recovery partition in the process...

Squeak825 · Nov 20, 2012, 01:19 PM

I don't think it will, since it is already a separate partition.

- Boot into Recovery mode (learn more about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718)
- Use Terminal to perform the Fusion changes
- Then use Internet Recovery to have it download ML (which will get the Mac Mini specific version).

nicholaseb · Nov 20, 2012, 05:11 PM

For anyone else with this problem I found this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPw5Wgfflco

At 4:32 it shows that after a user created fusion drive, the Recovery partition is gone.

nicholaseb · Nov 20, 2012, 08:17 PM

So there was just a new release of ML. A supplemental 10.8.2. I will make another USB Recovery drive and see if this fixed the issue.

Input is always appreciated!

nicholaseb · Nov 20, 2012, 09:50 PM

Update: The new OSX supplemental update does not create a USB Recovery drive that works....

Squeak825 · Nov 20, 2012, 10:20 PM

What happens when you boot holding down Command-R?

nicholaseb · Nov 21, 2012, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeak825

What happens when you boot holding down Command-R?

Thanks for your help, I've asked around, and the guys who did the fusion tweak say that you need some sort of USB recovery disk to do it. The other recovery's are destroyed.

BUT, is there a way that I could clone the Recovery HD partition on my mac to a USB? I would then have the same version of OSX, and it should boot from it. Thanks!

nicholaseb · Nov 21, 2012, 10:02 PM

I just booted my 2012 Mac Mini with Command + R. (I gave it a shot anyway) I went to disk utility.... and it asked me to fix my drives! (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1486384) I had a Samsung 830 128gb and the stock 1tb. It took a couple of seconds, and then it finished. I'm downloading and installing Mountain Lion right now. I'm so pumped.

Thanks for the help!

Nov 20, 2012, 12:56 PM	#1
nicholaseb macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	Mac Mini 2012 Won't Boot From USB Mountain Lion Install Disk I just got my new Mac Mini 2012 2.6ghz quad core. I just finished installing a 128GB Samsung SSD, and I put my 1tb hard drive in the other available slot. I installed 16gb of RAM, and I am planning to create a fusion drive. The Mini turns on, and will boot into the OS. (I'm using the Mini right now to write this). BUT, when I try to boot from a Mountain Lion Install USB I get a "white no smoking sign." I created the disk on my family macbook pro, (with instructions from tldtoday on YouTube) and I tested it on my brother's macbook pro, and it works as it should, so I know it is not a problem with the USB drive. I decided to make a new USB install drive on my Mac Mini incase there was some drivers issue... or something. But the App Store won't let me download the copy of Mountain Lion I had bought previously! "We could not complete your purchase. OSX Mountain Lion is not compatible with your computer." I'm really stuck, does anyone know what I should do?? Thanks!
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Nov 20, 2012, 01:04 PM	#3
nicholaseb Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	Thanks for the quick reply, and that's good to know, but disappointing for me right now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4NqbGEJpN4 ^^ This is my goal, so could you explain the internet recovery idea to me? I assume you couldn't use the recovery partition already on the 1tb drive to reinstall the way I would like to, because it would erase that very recovery partition in the process...
	0

Nov 20, 2012, 01:19 PM	#4
Squeak825 macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2007	I don't think it will, since it is already a separate partition. - Boot into Recovery mode (learn more about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718) - Use Terminal to perform the Fusion changes - Then use Internet Recovery to have it download ML (which will get the Mac Mini specific version).
	0

Nov 20, 2012, 05:11 PM	#5
nicholaseb Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	For anyone else with this problem I found this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPw5Wgfflco At 4:32 it shows that after a user created fusion drive, the Recovery partition is gone.
	0

Nov 20, 2012, 08:17 PM	#6
nicholaseb Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	So there was just a new release of ML. A supplemental 10.8.2. I will make another USB Recovery drive and see if this fixed the issue. Input is always appreciated!
	0

Nov 20, 2012, 09:50 PM	#7
nicholaseb Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	Update: The new OSX supplemental update does not create a USB Recovery drive that works....
	0

Nov 20, 2012, 10:20 PM	#8
Squeak825 macrumors regular Join Date: Sep 2007	What happens when you boot holding down Command-R?
	0

Nov 21, 2012, 10:02 PM	#10
nicholaseb Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Nov 2012	I just booted my 2012 Mac Mini with Command + R. (I gave it a shot anyway) I went to disk utility.... and it asked me to fix my drives! (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1486384) I had a Samsung 830 128gb and the stock 1tb. It took a couple of seconds, and then it finished. I'm downloading and installing Mountain Lion right now. I'm so pumped. Thanks for the help!
	0