Three Pieces of Advice When Setting Up a Mac mini

[F-Train]

1. Make sure that you have a monitor that you can plug directly into the mini. In particular, forget about running a Thunderbolt cable to a MacBook Pro or an iMac. If you insist on doing this, have one of those "ahh" moments when you realise that the mini's Operating System isn't set up, it isn't on your network and your Bluetooth keyboard hasn't been paired.

2. Don't put the light, diminutive mini on a table and walk away while catching the power cord with your foot. If you insist on doing this, make sure that the table top is only two feet off the ground and the mini tumbles to a carpet.

3. Take event #2 as a sign that purchasing AppleCare+ wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

Just speaking from personal experience.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

You can’t connect via target disk mode and select the mini by option booting?

 

[F-Train]

You can’t connect via target disk mode and select the mini by option booting?

I tried it, both from the MacBook Pro and the iMac. Nope. They didn't even see the mini.

I did not try an Ethernet cable, which might or might not work. By the time I thought of that, I'd accomplished event #2, and had decided that a glass of wine was a better idea than messing with the computer.

My solution was to borrow a monitor this morning. I'm purchasing one for the mini on Monday or Tuesday, so this was a temporary problem, initially frustrating, now amusing.

 

[gigatoaster]

In 2014, I remember I had issue to setup the Mac mini with a BT keyboard. I am afraid it will happen when I receive my new mini. Are there any recommendations?

Maybe if I pug via USB the Magic Keyboard 2, will it work?

In 2014, it was with external batteries.

 

[Dr. Stealth]

Congrats on your new Mini ! RAM upgraded yet ?

 

[tpivette89]

In 2014, I remember I had issue to setup the Mac mini with a BT keyboard. I am afraid it will happen when I receive my new mini. Are there any recommendations?

Maybe if I pug via USB the Magic Keyboard 2, will it work?

In 2014, it was with external batteries.

I would plug the bluetooth keyboard into the mini’s USB port as though you were charging it. Should make things easier for it to recognize hopefully.

Of course, if you’re like me, I always keep a few old wired Apple keyboards around just in case for moments like this.

 

[F-Train]

Congrats on your new Mini ! RAM upgraded yet ?

I have an i5 with another 13 days to decide whether to exchange it for an i7. Given tests that I want to run (practical, not theoretical), I'd like to get the mini to 32GB of RAM. However, I'm not quite there when it comes to deciding to install RAM on a mini that I may exchange

 

[gigatoaster]

Thanks. Hopefully I won't have to steal a wired keyboard from work. I might ask them to do the setup when I retrieve the mini at the Apple Store.

 

[grandM]

In 2014, I remember I had issue to setup the Mac mini with a BT keyboard. I am afraid it will happen when I receive my new mini. Are there any recommendations?

Maybe if I pug via USB the Magic Keyboard 2, will it work?

In 2014, it was with external batteries.

I'm having that exact problem with my 2012 mini since Mojave. Each time I boot no mouse. Connecting the USB solves it. Really distressing...