Getting data off a dead old Mac Mini

[GanChan]

I have more than one old Intel Mac Mini that died on me over years, most likely due to power supply failure (I think --none of the standard resuscitation techniques ever managed to revive them). I'm not a technician, so I guess the easiest thing to do would be to buy an external enclosure, move the internal HD to the enclosure, and try to access the data through one my M2 Macs. But would kind of enclosure would I need, and will this idea even work?

 

[!!!]

They key to this question is what model Mac mini. Some have SATA disks (2006-2014), some have soldered SSDs (2018), the 2014s look like they also have a PCIe-based one, my guess is it's the same connection as the laptops from around that time.

 

[MacInTO]

If it is a simple power supply failure, you could buy a cheap used Mac mini and swap the power supply as they are mostly the same. I have a 2012 and 2014 mac mini and they have removable drives - SATA and NVMe depending on the year. The 2018 mm have soldered storage so that would be a power supply swap.

 

[Euroamerican]

Look up the model number and then you can see in Everymac or other places what's possible. Tell us the model number and I'm sure we will have more finely tuned opinions or break/fix or just data preservation/transfer.

 

[Fishrrman]

!!! provides the correct answer in reply 2 above.

OP:
Tell us WHICH YEAR the Minis in question are.
Tell us WHAT KIND of drives are inside.

Otherwise, you're not going to get the help you need.

 

[BradleyinDC]

the easiest thing to do would be to buy an external enclosure, move the internal HD to the enclosure, and try to access the data through one my M2 Macs. But would kind of enclosure would I need, and will this idea even work?

I've done this on lots of computers over the decades--the enclosure you would need would depend on the HD, etc. I've had good luck with the 2.5" with cheap ($4) USB 3.0 to SATA III Hard Drive Adapter.

 

[GanChan]

I'm having trouble tracking down the documentation, but here's my best info on two of them:
2007 Mac Mini - 80GB 2.5 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard drive
Early 2014 Mac Mini - MACMINI2.5DC/2X2G/500G/AP/BT-USA (also 2.5 5400 RPM; SATA?)

 

[4sallypat]

I'm having trouble tracking down the documentation, but here's my best info on two of them:
2007 Mac Mini - 80GB 2.5 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard drive
Early 2014 Mac Mini - MACMINI2.5DC/2X2G/500G/AP/BT-USA (also 2.5 5400 RPM; SATA?)

Both 2.5" drives are easy to remove and connect to a SATA to USB adapter which inexpensive.

 

[Fishrrman]

Open the Minis.
Take the drives OUT OF them.

Get an enclosure like this:

POSUGEAR 2.5'' External Hard Drive Enclosure, 6Gbps USB C 3.1 Gen 2 to SATA III Tool-Free External Hard Drive Case for 7mm/9.5mm 2.5 inch SSD HDD with UASP, Compatible with WD Toshiba Samsung PS4 Xbox

2.5 inch Hard Drive

www.amazon.com

TIP:
After you put the first drive in, don't push the cover "all the way closed". Leave it just slightly "ajar".
The drive should still work, and it will be easy to slip off the cover and then put the OTHER drive in and access it.

Here's another suggestion:
Get a USB3/SATA "docking station". They cost a little more, many available. But these are VERY useful to have around for older drives.

SABRENT USB 3.0 to SATA External Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5" or 3.5"' HDD, SSD [Support UASP] (EC-UBLB)

The Sabrent (EC-UBLB) SATA Hard Drive Docking Station enables you to access desktop or laptop hard drives, without the frustration of assembling hard drive enclosures. By inserting a 2.5"/3.5" SATA hard drive directly into this docking station, you can quickly access drive contents and transfer f...

www.amazon.com