kernal panic and won't boot from CD

[aalysia]

I just restored my mac mini from an image and when I restarted it I got the kernal panic message. The apple showed up for a few seconds and then it went straight to kernal panic.

Also, the mini won't boot from the leopard install disk. I've tried holding C and I've tried holding Option on reboot. I also tried resetting the PRAM. I'm pretty sure the keyboard doesn't even work until the computer is fully booted because when I try to reset the PRAM it never makes the second startup sound. This problem existed before I started getting kernal panic. The only way I could get the mini to boot from the disk was go to to system preferences and change the startup disk to the CD.

Also, I've tried two other keyboards so it isn't the keyboard.

Is there any way I can get this computer to start up?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Sounds like your Mac has a hardware problem preventing it from booting normally. At this point you can either try to run the hardware diagnostics, or if that fails to run, KPs, or yields no useful information, take it in for service.

 

[aalysia]

is it even possible to run hardware diagnostics since I'm not able to boot to the CD?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

There should be no harm in trying. Insert your Mac OS X install disc, and hold the Alt/Option key when you boot your Mac. If your Mac actually gets that far, a boot selection screen will appear. Select the hardware test partition.

 

[Fishtalk]

Try moving your RAM about.... pull out one and see if it'll reboot...then try the other one.... etc. I have two Major crashes in 10 years, Both were RAM.
When you exchange the bottom RAM make sure your really push home the chip plaque.... i didn't and thought my computer had died ie. Nothing.
But maybe its a different RAM set up with a Mini...I have a G3 Pismo
Good luck
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/07/18/mac-mini-ram-upgrade-tutorial/