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Late 2018 Mac Mini Won’t Turn On

pilkyboids

pilkyboids

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 3, 2022
5
0
I hope that you can help me with my current predicament involving a late-2018 Mac Mini. It was working perfectly, then I started using a third party power cable from Amazon and now it won’t turn on. I have apple care on it and an upcoming meeting with the Genius bar, but I’m wondering about my hope for data recovery off of the internal SSD if it’s not a power supply issue.

My Mac mini’s stats are: 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation
Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to
4.6GHz)
32GB 2666MHZ DDR4
Intel UHD Graphics 630
1TB SSD storage.

My Mac Mini has stopped powering on, and SMC reset attempts aren’t helping. It shows no LED light and makes no fan sound. I have tried multiple outlets and power cables. It was showing no signs of issues before this (it was powering on earlier in the same day). I hope it may be a power supply replacement issue. Are these common issues with the 2018 Mac mini?

If this issue turns out to be a logic board issue, is it possible to keep my saved data while replacing the logic board? (Perhaps through transferring soldered components?) I am extremely invested in saving my data, and would like to pursue a method of reviving my Mac mini with the data intact (or worse comes to worse, transferring my data to a new Mac mini). Is it possible using this third party cable messed up my Mac mini?

Thank you very much!
 
Fishrrman said:
Do you still have the original power cord?
If so, have you tried that?

Ahem... don't you keep something called "a backup"...?
Click to expand...
I do have the original power cord, it doesn’t work as well. I have a time machine save but it’s going to be inaccessible as well if the machine won’t turn on at all.

If it’s something on the logic board, is it worth holding on to in the hopes that I can salvage the SSD?
 
pilkyboids said:
I do have the original power cord, it doesn’t work as well. I have a time machine save but it’s going to be inaccessible as well if the machine won’t turn on at all.

If it’s something on the logic board, is it worth holding on to in the hopes that I can salvage the SSD?
Click to expand...
The storage chips on the logic board are encrypted even if you don't have FileVault turned on, so that data will not be able to be recovered if the logic board needs to be replaced. If you have another Mac you will be able to access the Time Machine backup without an issue.
 
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chrfr said:
The storage chips on the logic board are encrypted even if you don't have FileVault turned on, so that data will not be able to be recovered if the logic board needs to be replaced. If you have another Mac you will be able to access the Time Machine backup without an issue.
Click to expand...
Thank you. To your last point, would I be able to access the storage through DFU mode / Apple Configurator? My main problem is the mini just won’t power on now, though. Does dfu mode or the apple conigurator have a way of bypassing that?
 
pilkyboids said:
Thank you. To your last point, would I be able to access the storage through DFU mode / Apple Configurator? My main problem is the mini just won’t power on now, though. Does dfu mode or the apple conigurator have a way of bypassing that?
Click to expand...
If you can get the computer to start up into DFU mode, you might try to revive the T2 through Configurator but you won't have access to the data on the computer that way.
 
If it is not powering on, then first step would be to check that the power supply is good. If a good power supply does not get you going again, THEN start thinking about getting access to the data. An Apple store can help with that, too. Everything soldered on makes that recovery less likely, but an Apple store has Apple factory tools that are supposed to help with recovery. Good luck!
 
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DeltaMac said:
If it is not powering on, then first step would be to check that the power supply is good. If a good power supply does not get you going again, THEN start thinking about getting access to the data. An Apple store can help with that, too. Everything soldered on makes that recovery less likely, but an Apple store has Apple factory tools that are supposed to help with recovery. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! I just got this machine in 2019 and think that the internal power supply HAS to be the issue; I mean I barely used the thing. I’m looking to have it replaced and then reassessed. Have you heard of power supplies failing on late2018 models?
 
pilkyboids said:
I do have the original power cord, it doesn’t work as well. I have a time machine save but it’s going to be inaccessible as well if the machine won’t turn on at all.
Click to expand...
pilkyboids said:
Thank you. To your last point, would I be able to access the storage through DFU mode / Apple Configurator? My main problem is the mini just won’t power on now, though. Does dfu mode or the apple conigurator have a way of bypassing that?
Click to expand...
I am confused a little by those statements. Your Time Machine backup is on an external drive (e.g., USB HDD, USB SSD, NAS), correct?

Because...
Fishrrman said:
Ahem... don't you keep something called "a backup"...?
Click to expand...

And...
chrfr said:
you will be able to access the Time Machine backup without an issue.
Click to expand...
Are referring to after your mini gets repaired (or if you have another Mac) you can:

Restore your Mac from a backup - Apple Support

Restore files from your backup.
support.apple.com
 
Why don't you just take out the SSD , I was about to ask but no this model has PCIe-based onboard storage which cannot be upgraded nor taken out. So this is not a computer at all. It's crap.
 
"Why don't you just take out the SSD"

It's a 2018 Mini -- the drive is non-removable.
 
Fishrrman said:
"Why don't you just take out the SSD"

It's a 2018 Mini -- the drive is non-removable.
Click to expand...
But don’t you think there must be some feasible method of retrieving the data from the SSD? Couldn’t I transplant the board or parts of it to a new machine or enclosure, provided it plays nice with the T2 chip?

I’m going to the Genius Bar tomorrow and I’m really hoping that they’re a) proficient with Mac mini’s as they seem to be the red headed step child of this company and b) put effort towards repairing and fixing this machine rather than just replacing it. Replacing it will be a tall order anyway as I sprang for a 1TB SSD (!!! A lot of good that did me). I refuse to get rid of this SSD. There has to be a way to get data off of it (provided this isn’t just a power supply problem).
 
pilkyboids said:
But don’t you think there must be some feasible method of retrieving the data from the SSD? Couldn’t I transplant the board or parts of it to a new machine or enclosure, provided it plays nice with the T2 chip?
Click to expand...
Again, the storage chips are soldered onto the board and are paired with the specific T2 in your computer. The data is encrypted and is unreadable in any other computer even if you were able to successfully remove and resolder the storage onto another board.
Nonetheless, you said you have a Time Machine backup. Your data is there so why worry about this? You do not need this exact Mac to read the backup.
 
pilkyboids said:
But don’t you think there must be some feasible method of retrieving the data from the SSD? Couldn’t I transplant the board or parts of it to a new machine or enclosure, provided it plays nice with the T2 chip?
Click to expand...
As chrfr said above, you cannot do this. You can find lots of discussions on this here and elsewhere - with strong opinions. Here is my best understanding - do not bother arguing about it, it is not worth the effort :

Apple went after security beyond what most users even consider. The system is designed in such way, that if you steal the system, it is pretty much useless for thief who wants the data. You cannot read the data from the system, if they are encrypted using FileVault (this is user soft security) and you cannot even read them if you unsolder the chips and put them anywhere else (system hard security). Same as with iPhone SSD, Apple enforced this security to protect their customers. Users may not expect or even want this, but it is what it is. This needs to be considered with these systems.

You bought the system and have warranty on it. If needed, Apple will swap the system board with different one (new or refurbished, you cannot tell) with the same size SSD soldered on it. You can then transfer data from backup and be in business within hour or two after you get the system back. I have done this already few times, it is amazingly painless...

If you do not have backup which you can use, Apple may try to get your data off the SSD, if they can revive the system enough that T2 chip will read the SSD. At least some systems - not sure if this specific mini - supposedly have connector on the board which should be for this purpose (this is bit unclear offically). If they cannot do it, your data are toast.
Having safe and tested backups (Time Machine or other) is critical with these systems.

Hopefully your problem is simple power source failure. Sounds like that with no lights at all coming up.
 
aurora proclaims:
"If the storage is non-removable than it is no longer a computer. It is bullcrap."

Well, then by next year ALL Macs will have become "bullcrap", because by then NONE of them will have an internal boot drive that is "removable".

Most of them are that way NOW...
 
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The 2018 mini’s T2 chip is horrible. If the ssd dies and you try to recover, it will switch the ability to boot externally to off if you had it set on. Better hope nothing happens to that SSD!
 
harriska2 said:
The 2018 mini’s T2 chip is horrible. If the ssd dies and you try to recover, it will switch the ability to boot externally to off if you had it set on. Better hope nothing happens to that SSD!
Click to expand...
It is guaranteed something will (eventually) happen to the SSD, SSDs are the most likely to fail parts now when there are no spinning drives in these machines. And they have limited lifetime anyway. I had two failures on my 2017 MBP, one charging system and one SSD. Both required mainboard replacement.
You do NOT hope, you have backup. Working, tested, routine backup. TimeMachine, iCloud, CCC, anything which back up the SSD as routinely as you need. And then you are fine.
 
Honza1 said:
It is guaranteed something will (eventually) happen to the SSD, SSDs are the most likely to fail parts now when there are no spinning drives in these machines. And they have limited lifetime anyway. I had two failures on my 2017 MBP, one charging system and one SSD. Both required mainboard replacement.
You do NOT hope, you have backup. Working, tested, routine backup. TimeMachine, iCloud, CCC, anything which back up the SSD as routinely as you need. And then you are fine.
Click to expand...
I don’t put data on my internal ssd. I do use ccc to back up and have off site backups. But if the internal ssd dies it is likely a totaling offense (if it were a car). I’d be better off buying a new mini than purchasing parts to repair.
 
I will start worrying about this when the forum is filled with posts from people who lost all their data from the SSD dying. I agree, it's an issue to be aware of and wish that Apple would still let us replace our own SSD's. But this just doesn't keep me awake at night. I have a 2tb internal SSD on my Mini, it's continously backed up to a network drive with Time Machine, I do regular CCC clones and it's also continously backed up to BackBlaze.

I have a 2013 MacBook Air that has seen very heavy use. No problems with its 512gb SSD. Also a 2012 quad Mini server with original Apple 256gb SSD that I bought used. It's fine too. To each his own, but I have more important things to worry about. ;)
 
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harriska2 said:
I don’t put data on my internal ssd. I do use ccc to back up and have off site backups. But if the internal ssd dies it is likely a totaling offense (if it were a car). I’d be better off buying a new mini than purchasing parts to repair.
Click to expand...
I am afraid, that the time we could repair minis is gone. Anything is totaling today. Well, except power source and may be wifi card. Anything else and it is mainboard replacement. You need to accept this, there is no arguing with Apple ;-)
On the other hand, these things are - overall - quite reliable.
 
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