Memory upgraded, but now no hard drive

[timw077]

I upgraded my mac mini to have 2 GB of memory.

When I powered it on, I got the folder icon with the question mark. I took it all apart again and double checked the connections. They seem fine.

I plugged it in and booted the install DVD and ran the system profile tool. It seems the memory just fine, but the only SATA connection in the DVD ROM.

Which connection is lose?

Thanks,
TimW

 

[BlueRevolution]

What model of Mac Mini are you using? Not all of them had SATA hard drives.

 

[timw077]

Model A1176

I put the SATA drive in my external HD enclosure and attached it to my laptop. It is detected and mounted just fine.

 

[Consultant]

When people ask for model, you say something like:

[processor type, i.e. g4, Core Duo], [processor speed]

By the way, bumping is against the rules.

 

[timw077]

Model

1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo


Thanks for the help and info.

 

[madog]

Did you do the installation yourself on the Mini? I do know that some cables need to be detached, and possibly the optical drive removed if memory serves me. Did you possibly forget to plug something back in or possibly detach something by accident in the process? If you did it, I would take your putty knife and crack it open again (carfeully) and check out the connections. Something could have just come loose.

 

[timw077]

Myself

I did do the installation myself.

Everything that I can see is plugged back in to the same spot. Everything is set up so that it only fits in one spot.

I was pretty careful to make sure everything for plugged back in.

I haven't closed it up yet. I even took the DVD player all the way off, and the hard drive isn't spinning up when the system attempts to boot.

I don't see anything lose. The only thing I can think is that the 820-1925-A (The interconnect that everything plugs into) somehow got borked when I lifted the drive assembly out.

Everything that plugs into the interconnect board - except the hard drive, shows up in the system profiler with the OS DVD boot.

[and the hard drive works fine in other computers.]

Thanks,
TimW

 

[BlueRevolution]

The interconnect board is called the logic board, and it is worth more than the computer at this point. You'd better hope it's not borked.

(At least, that holds true for laptops. I assume the Mini would have the same setup owing to its size.)

 

[timw077]

system boad

I dont think I screwwed the logic board. Just the board that attaches to it that the hard drive and DVD drive connect to.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&hs=4VF&q=mac+mini+interconnect++board&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title


Any ideas on how to test this or the logic board?

 

[BlueRevolution]

Have you run Apple Hardware Test? (Instructions on page 64 of the manual.)

 

[timw077]

Hardware tests

yes. I ran multiple passes, with the "extended testign" box checked.

The hardware profile listed all sorts of hardware showed up, but no hard drive.

I just ran it again to get the details:
Product:
Macintosh Name: Mac mini
Macintosh Model: Macmini2,1
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
Number of Cores: 2
CPU Speed 1.83 GHz
L2 CPU Cache: 2 MB
Boot Rom version: MM21.88z.009A.B00.0706281359
Serial number: something.
SMC version 1.19F2

Comunication:
Ethernet MAC:
Firewire MAC:
IR Receiver: 1.10

The Video and Memory information looks correct. Conspicuously missing is the hard drive information.

 

[BlueRevolution]

Mmm, well definitely sounds like there's some loose connection in there. If you can't find it, take it into the shop and have them look at it.

 

[timw077]

It was the interconnect

Replacing the interconnect board fixed the problem. Not as expensive as I thought.

It was still cheaper to buy the memory and install it myself, rather than buy it from Apple.

Of course that doesn't take int account lost time....