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Mac mini now will not bootup

S

Sossity

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 12, 2010
1,360
32
I am a bit desperate here, my mini I have been discussing in another thread, things have gone from bad to worse,

it shut down again, and now it will not boot, it does the chime sound and then just powers off, I have tried pressing command plus option, command plus r to try to get into disk utility and recovery modes, but it cannot get past the chime it shuts itself right off.

I also tried unplugging my Wacom, unplugging my usb hub before startup, same thing, it shuts down. Also tried plugging power cord into a different outlet, same thing happens.

I felt it after the shut down and I don't think it was very hot. It did not feel that hot to my hand.

I have time machine backups, and I keep most of my important data on external hard drives. But if the hard drive is dead, I would like to get some of my data off it before ditching it.

As I previously mentioned I cannot get the back off, I know it is supposed to come off easily with a twist, but mine is as if it is glued on.
 
I've seen the other thread you have.

To me, the temperatures you posted in the other thread were high, but not extremely so. The progression from random restarts to complete failure in a short amount of time - while it could be due to something slowly failing in the cooling system, it doesn't seem likely.

Can you clarify - you tried command+R. I don't see a command+option startup combination. While the suggestion that Fishrrman gives is a good one (but problematic if you don't already have a boot disk available), if you can't get to the point where pressing the option key gets you into the Startup Manager, I'm not sure that even that will work.

It sounds like you've removed all the devices - I presume you have a USB mouse and keyboard. If not, try it with only a USB mouse, keyboard and monitor connected. Also, if you've attempted multiple starts, you should try waiting a period of time with the machine unplugged before trying again.

Since you can't get the cover off, the best no-cost option would be to make an appointment with the Genius Bar at an Apple Store. Be aware that lot of stores don't have appointments available immediately although they may be able to see you if can wait for a cancelled/no-show appointment.

So how long have you had the Mini?
 
I bought the mini in April 2012, yes, I used command plus r and command plus option. I do not have a bootup disk, just time machine backups.

Could the power cord be the problem?

It seems pretty bad for this to only have lasted 4 years, I have an old Dell Windows box from 2003 though although very slow now, still functions.

I ran tech tool pro 6 on it about a week ago, and had smart monitoring with disk drill pro, both did not indicate an imminent hard drive failure. It is a dual drive, 240 gb mushkin solid state drive and a 500 gb hard drive, the mushkin is the bootup drive, and I had this for just apps, I placed all my other stuff on the 500gb and it was getting full.

Right before the first of shut does last night, disk drill had opened telling me of an update available don't know if this was a factor.


Yeah a Genius Bar trip might be in order, but am very low on funds, and need all I have now for tuition for school, so this might not be an option at the moment.

If I can get this working again, I may try to sell it as an as is, and am thinking of getting one of the many older Mac pros I see on eBay, I would think a real Mac desktop would have better cooling, and the parts are interchangeable I would put an add drive in it.
 
As I mentioned earlier, I don't see that command+option is a valid startup key combination. You need to try just the option key and see if the Startup Manager appears.

I don't think installing or not installing a Disk Drill update would cause the problems you're having now.

The Genius Bar won't charge you ... until they charge you. Seriously, though - they would be able to do some tests - including the power chord (I don't think that's the problem) at no cost. They have been also known to clean out dust buildup - not saying they would do so in your case but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind trying to open your computer to see if there's something there that shouldn't be there that's preventing you from opening the computer. If you're thinking of selling your computer, that in and of itself would probably be worth the time and effort because if you sell it, you're going to have to get access to the drives and it would be good to know what's going on with your case before figuring out your alternatives.
 
You may get full shutdowns when the drive has failed.
The boot process always checks the drives.
If the self test fails, it will try again. Three fails, and it will automatically shut off.

Looking at your other thread - I suspect that the hard drive is the culprit.
You could try disconnecting the hard drive (but leave the SSD connected), then try to boot.
That's not so simple in the mini, but still possible. I guess your next step, if you are still cautious about turning the bottom plate off, would be to take to a service shop.
 
I tried a command plus option upon startup, no dice, grey screen came, halfway thrugh progress bar, it shut down again.

finally got the back cover off, was hard, it seemed to be sort of attached with 3 screws, with the third bottom one being the hardest to get off.

there did not seem to be alot of dust, there was some. I am not sure where the hard drives are, I see the ram, it is corsair brand and the what looks like the fan.

I dont really have the tiny tools needed to unscrew stuff, I know there is a set some people get for macs.

I am thinking get some screw drivers or something and get the 500gb hard drive out, and trying a boot up again.

do I have to put the back cover on again to try another bootup? while I am experimenting with this? since it was so hard to get off.
 
treekram said:
Post # 3: I don't see a command+option startup combination.
Click to expand...
treekram said:
Post #5: As I mentioned earlier, I don't see that command+option is a valid startup key combination.
Click to expand...
Sossity said:
Post #7: I tried a command plus option upon startup, no dice, grey screen came, halfway thrugh progress bar, it shut down again.
Click to expand...
Good grief! YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD TWICE, that "command plus option" is NOT a valid startup key combination!
Check out the valid startup key combinations:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255

EDIT: BTW, my guess is that you may be having a hardware problem and it is time to go to a Apple certified service technician considering your resources.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all, I tried the right keyboard combo this time at start up, nothing, the power light goes on briefly, but it just turns off, it does not even get to the start up screen, I think my mini just died.

I looked at the fixit teardown, looks a little intimidating, will have to study it, should I get those torquxe screwdrivers for macs and try to get the hard drives out?
 
I told you what you needed in post 2.

You need a second external bootable drive, so you can try booting WITHOUT resorting to the internal drive.
 
Sometimes that won't work either. I have seen failed hard drives that somehow block the bus, so you can't boot to anything until you disconnect that drive. Would be good as a test, too.
 
I doubt that an external boot drive will work if the OP can't get to the Startup Manager.

As mentioned before, make an appointment and go to the Genius Bar. What they tell you will guide your future actions. In the 4 years that I've been observing this forum (a few months before I bought my 2012 Mini), this was the first time I can remember difficulty with removing the bottom cover (the 2011 and 2012 Mini's have the same bottom cover assembly). That's the easy part of replacing a drive in the Mini.

If the Genius Bar tells you that it's only a drive problem, in your situation, I would look for an authorized Apple service center and have them remove or replace it. A poster recently did that and it was $60 for the labor so hopefully you can find one who will do it for a similar or cheaper price. (Or maybe you can find somebody on your campus who has done this before who's willing to do it for some pizza.) If the Genius Bar tells you that it's the Radeon GPU or logic board, then you probably won't seriously degrade the value of the Mini if you try to remove the drives yourself.
 
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