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Mac Mini 2014 Won't Power On after SSD Upgrade

R

rbokajr

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 16, 2015
6
0
I replaced my Mac Mini 1TB drive by first cloning it and then running it via USB for a while (until the TR6 and Logic Board Removal Tool came in the mail.) Today, I went to install it internally... I took it all apart and put it back together... When I went to power it on, nothing happened, no power, the fan seems to try to spin when I hit the power button, but doesn't continue to spin and also nothing else comes on.

Anyone experience this or have suggestions? I've tried putting the stock drive back in, but still the same thing. Could I have fried the logic board somehow?
 
rbokajr said:
I replaced my Mac Mini 1TB drive by first cloning it and then running it via USB for a while (until the TR6 and Logic Board Removal Tool came in the mail.) Today, I went to install it internally... I took it all apart and put it back together... When I went to power it on, nothing happened, no power, the fan seems to try to spin when I hit the power button, but doesn't continue to spin and also nothing else comes on.

Anyone experience this or have suggestions? I've tried putting the stock drive back in, but still the same thing. Could I have fried the logic board somehow?
Click to expand...

You say the fan tries to spin. This indicates there is power. Check all connections. My immediate thought is that there is a loose connection and this is causing the Mini to shut down immediately to prevent damage. Are you sure the HDD or SDD is firmly connected to the SATA socket? Sometimes these can be very tight, so make sure you seat the drive firmly.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. I've checked and was pretty confident. I can take it apart again and try again.

There's one thing on the mini that has me wondering... On the carriage that holds the drive, there is a connector that looks to act as some kind of ground. I'm not sure if it should be touching the case or not, but I was wondering if anyone had a thought on this?
 
Take it apart again, and re-trace your steps. Make sure everything is seated snugly, paying particular attention to any cables around the areas you touched, and also make sure no cables are interfering with any fans when reassembled. You may have inadvertently dislodged a cable (there are some tiny cables/plugs which you may not notice at first glance).

I recently replaced a Fan in a Macbook Pro, which would not start up after reassembly. Turns out I had not reseated the memory modules fully. So check things like that, too.
 
iMac-Do-You? said:
Take it apart again, and re-trace your steps. Make sure everything is seated snugly, paying particular attention to any cables around the areas you touched, and also make sure no cables are interfering with any fans when reassembled. You may have inadvertently dislodged a cable (there are some tiny cables/plugs which you may not notice at first glance).

I recently replaced a Fan in a Macbook Pro, which would not start up after reassembly. Turns out I had not reseated the memory modules fully. So check things like that, too.
Click to expand...

I've done this. I guess my main question right now is, does the tab on the hard drive tray assembly need to be making contact with the case for it to boot properly? That's the only thing that has me questioning why it won't turn on. Is that some kind of ground or hard drive protection?
 
Attonine said:
Can't really help anymore. There are some small cables there, it is possible the connectors could have become damaged?
Click to expand...

I've inspected them all. They don't seem to have any kind of breaks, kinks, etc.
 
Attonine said:
Yes, but they are very fine and it's possible there;s something you can't see with the naked eye.

Do you have Applecare?
Click to expand...

I purchased it about 3 months ago, so I still have the initial warranty, but I'd think they wouldn't support it because I tried changing the drive myself?
 
rbokajr said:
I purchased it about 3 months ago, so I still have the initial warranty, but I'd think they wouldn't support it because I tried changing the drive myself?
Click to expand...

That wouldn't be too much of a problem if you just slipped the original back in. Can't remember if HDD are considered user replaceable on this model. Looks like you may need to visit Apple, or a service provider, unfortunately!
 
rbokajr said:
I purchased it about 3 months ago, so I still have the initial warranty, but I'd think they wouldn't support it because I tried changing the drive myself?
Click to expand...

if you put the original drive back in, does it boot up? if not, bring it into Apple.
 
Hi,
I have exactly the same thing with my mac mini : I opened it, changed the hard drive with an SSD one, and then nothing happens when i plug it in or when I hit the on/off button.
Yet the fan tries to spin. @rbokajr, have you solved your issue ?
 
I’m going to assume you guys plugged your power supply back into the logic board when rebuilding it right?

Also, when replacing the SSD, did you verify the SATA connector was plugged in correctly and the drive is secured and the ribbon cable connected? Was the fan cable and the other cable that attach to the logic board attached? Also try checking your logic board battery. On the 2014 mini I just rebuilt, it was reading 2.7v (reads 3.2v new) so I swapped out the BR2032 for a new one.

If you don’t have a BR2032 (yes it’s necessary and not the same as a CR2032) you can sub a CR2032 until you get the correct one to check. I’ve heard sometimes the system won’t boot if the voltage on the button battery is too low.
 
Thanks for the quick reply.
I took the mac mini appart again, checked the battery on the motherboard, checked all the connectors, everything seems fine. Yet it still won't power up.
I even plugged all the parts outside of the mac mini case and tried to turn it on. Nothing but the fan which randomly tries to spin. This operation has been done twice : once with the new SSD, once with the old hard drive.
 
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