Mac Mini booting problems. Suggestions?

[silentbob007]

Hi all,

I've run into an issue with my new Mac Mini (Fall 2012). I've been using it for a couple of weeks without issue. Today I decided to install a Bootcamp partition. I used the Bootcamp Assistant, selected my partition, and it rebooted to install Windows from the USB drive created by the Assistant. The problem was, I let it sit, but Windows never installed ... it just sat on a black screen.

When I rebooted the computer, it goes to a grey screen, then comes up to say that a bootable drive cannot be found but hit any key once it has been added.

At this point, I plugged in a USB keyboard (which powered on) and tried to get it to boot via the Bootcamp Assistant drive. No dice.

I unplugged everything and rebooted. It still comes up that it cannot find a bootable drive. I used my Macbook Air to create a Mountain Lion bootable USB drive using ML disk maker and figured I'd just start from scratch.

When I put the ML USB drive into the mini, it still comes up with a "no bootable drive" error. When I try plugging in my keyboard, it is no longer powered when connected to USB. I'm not sure what's going on, but it seems screwy.

Any suggestions besides taking to Apple (more than an hour away)?

 

[Weaselboy]

That USB OS X installer you made will not work. The new Mini uses a special build of 10.8.2 and the one you got from the App Store on your Air will not work.

Can you do a command-r to boot to the Recovery HD then try to format and reinstall the OS from there?

 

[harvester32]

Wow, I had this same issue and had to call apple support. They said to bring it in as he couldn't figure out why none of the key combinations would work (ALT, or CMD-R) to force it to recover. It made me dread putting the bootcamp on the dang thing! While he was talking with his supervisor I thought, "I wonder if it is the keyboard?" I pulled the keyboard (a logitech) from my windows PC and replaced the Dynex aftermarket keyboard I had in the mini and voila. Alt brings up the boot menu and CMD-R would bring up the recovery. Swap in a quality keyboard as it's probably the timing on the cheap chips these aftermarket keyboards made in china have in them. Don't forget to go into system preferences and re-select your primary startup drive.

Hope this helps!

 

[silentbob007]

Thanks for the replies. I had everything boxed up to return the mini then decided to try the one thing I hadn't done yet ... hold option at the start and see if I could boot to my Mac partition. Of course, that worked without an issue. I remade the partition and didn't have an issue the second time and have Windows 7 installed without an issue.