2011 Mac Mini-SSD

[gsmornot]

I'm waiting for a 2011 Mac Mini to arrive with 500GB HD and 4GB RAM.
I have ordered a 120GB SSD, doubler kit, and 8GB or RAM.

My plan from reading what I could find is to setup the drives as a DIY Fusion. Is this the way to go? I have nothing to restore or preserve in the process.

Once I have the drives installed and everything back together, I need to load an OS again. Is the process to just power on while holding Command R then selecting restore and following prompts for an internet recovery? All new to me but I have been trying to research and I learn quickly.

I plan to reuse an older USB hard drive from my PC as a Time Machine backup once I have everything setup an working. This will only require that I connect and format the drive to use it, correct?

I have more questions but I will leave this here as a starting point to at least get the conversation going. If you prefer, you can point me to threads already in place with a lot of this info. I have been around here a while but all my time is iOS devices, Apple Watch, etc but its come time to have a MAC now too. Older but should work for me.

 

[Celerondon]

Yes gsmornot. The DIY Fusion Drive (FD) and RAM upgrade should boost that 2011 up to impressive performance. Do more research before you start and you should be fine.

Rather than Command-R the Command-Option-R boot sequence appears to be the way you should proceed. Which operating system version do you plan to install? If you want El Capitan, then current information indicates that you should definitely use the Command-Option-R to reach Internet recovery mode. I have not created a FD with the newest OS X version but my search found plenty of reports that El Capitan is different from Yosemite and the prior versions when it comes to FD creation.

See this thread: Who has split their Fusion drives up?

And this current one: HELP! HD locked on reinstall!

 

[gsmornot]

Yes gsmornot. The DIY Fusion Drive (FD) and RAM upgrade should boost that 2011 up to impressive performance. Do more research before you start and you should be fine.

Rather than Command-R the Command-Option-R boot sequence appears to be the way you should proceed. Which operating system version do you plan to install? If you want El Capitan, then current information indicates that you should definitely use the Command-Option-R to reach Internet recovery mode. I have not created a FD with the newest OS X version but my search found plenty of reports that El Capitan is different from Yosemite and the prior versions when it comes to FD creation.

See this thread: Who has split their Fusion drives up?

And this current one: HELP! HD locked on reinstall!

I feel pretty good about the hardware install and the Internet recovery process. The question I have now is once I replace the drives, setup fusion via terminal, then reinstall OSX, will I be allowed to complete the install. I am not the original owner so my Apple ID did not purchase a copy of the OS. I have read in several places the recovery will ask for an Apple ID to access the App Store download.

 

[Celerondon]

...will I be allowed to complete the install. I am not the original owner so my Apple ID did not purchase a copy of the OS. I have read in several places the recovery will ask for an Apple ID to access the App Store download.

Ah, that is another question entirely. I have provided an ID (for proof of prior purchase/download) when downloading software for a bootable USB installation drive but Internet recovery mode should be a different matter. On a Mac your operating system license should be linked to the hardware rather than the original purchaser. Also, the three newest versions of OS X were and are free!

Here is one site where they discussed this issue. http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/76955/os-x-license-on-used-mac

Perhaps some other forum users have experience with this issue?

 

[gsmornot]

Ah, that is another question entirely. I have provided an ID (for proof of prior purchase/download) when downloading software for a bootable USB installation drive but Internet recovery mode should be a different matter. On a Mac your operating system license should be linked to the hardware rather than the original purchaser. Also, the three newest versions of OS X were and are free!

Here is one site where they discussed this issue. http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/76955/os-x-license-on-used-mac

Perhaps some other forum users have experience with this issue?

Hey, thanks for the link. I'm not sure what might happen but I'm OK with the process. Starting with a blank machine and getting it going at least I don't have to restore any data. All hardware should be here by Monday so sometime next week I will try to get it going.

I was planning to get the MAC, replace the hardware (install RAM and add SSD to existing HD) and go from there. Should I turn it on first and do an initial setup, login with my ID or anything? Adding the SSD and creating the Fusion drive will erase anything on the drives so I thought I would start right off with that process before going through the work of initial setup.

 

[Celerondon]

...I was planning to get the MAC, replace the hardware (install RAM and add SSD to existing HD) and go from there. Should I turn it on first and do an initial setup, login with my ID or anything? Adding the SSD and creating the Fusion drive will erase anything on the drives so I thought I would start right off with that process before going through the work of initial setup.

Although there are reasons to go either way I suggest that you start it first. Why?

Because you are "waiting" for a mini that you obtained from somewhere else. If you crack the case open and start swapping and installing components, you will not know the as delivered condition of the computer.

Others may recommend that you start installing immediately but I think that it would be prudent to prove that the computer works properly first.

 

[gsmornot]

Although there are reasons to go either way I suggest that you start it first. Why?

Because you are "waiting" for a mini that you obtained from somewhere else. If you crack the case open and start swapping and installing components, you will not know the as delivered condition of the computer.

Others may recommend that you start installing immediately but I think that it would be prudent to prove that the computer works properly first.

Good point, thank you.