Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

Mac desktops forum: Mac Mini

by: mushroom62 March 4, 2012 11:25 PM PST

Like this

0 people like this thread

Staff pick

Mac Mini

by mushroom62 - 3/4/12 11:25 PM

I'm a newbie with Macs. I want to learn more than just Windows.

I bought a Mac Mini that needs repair. I'm using a Microsoft Keyboard and mouse. When I bootup the Mini, I press the Alt key to get a boot menu. Mine shows nothing, so I'm assuming that I don't have a hard drive. I formatted a 50 GB bootable (GUID) partition that has Snow Leopard in the partition. The rest of the 500GB external hard drive is FAT32. The boot menu doesn't even show the partition. Am I doing something wrong that prevents the partition from showing?


Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

You say you formatted

by Jimmy Greystone - 3/5/12 5:58 AM

In Reply to: Mac Mini by mushroom62

You say you formatted the drive, so are you sure that you reinstalled the OS after that?

Also, do you know if this is a PPC Mini or an x86/Intel Mini? The former will not boot from an external USB HDD, so that could also explain your problem.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

You say you foramtted

by mushroom62 - 3/5/12 9:12 AM

In Reply to: You say you formatted by Jimmy Greystone

I don't have an OS installed. the boot menu during startup shows no devices to boot from, not even the external hard drive(FAT32) with the bootable partition(GUID). I want to boot from the partition on the external hard drive so i can install Snow Leopard because the optical doesn't work. The Mini is an Intel.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Why not tell a bit more

by Jimmy Greystone - 3/5/12 9:36 AM

In Reply to: You say you foramtted by mushroom62

Why not tell a bit more about both the 10.6 install and what model Mini this is. You sure the only thing wrong is it needs a new optical drive? If the HDD is bad, I have seen that cause significant delays in the EFI boot selector picking up on external media. Usually I just go in and disconnect the HDD in such cases, save myself some time, but if you're not sure how to do that, then give it 5-10 minutes and see if anything pops up.


Was this reply helpful? (2)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Forum Icon Legend

  • UnreadUnread
  • ReadRead
  • Locked threadLocked thread
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  • ModeratorModerator
  • CNET StaffCNET Staff
  • Samsung StaffSamsung Staff
  • Norton Authorized Support TeamNorton Authorized Support Team
  • AVG StaffAVG Staff
  • avast! Staffavast! Staff
  • Webroot Support TeamWebroot Support Team
  • Acer Customer Experience TeamAcer Customer Experience Team
  • Windows Outreach TeamWindows Outreach Team
  • DISH staffDISH staff
  • Dell StaffDell Staff
  • Intel StaffIntel Staff
  • QuestionQuestion
  • Resolved questionResolved question
  • General discussionGeneral discussion
  • TipTip
  • Alert or warningAlert or warning
  • PraisePraise
  • RantRant

You are e-mailing the following post: Post Subject

Your e-mail address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the e-mail and in case of transmission error. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.

Sorry, there was a problem emailing this post. Please try again.

Submit Email Cancel

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

You are reporting the following post: Post Subject

If you believe this post is offensive or violates the CNET Forums' Usage policies, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the post). Once reported, our moderators will be notified and the post will be reviewed.

Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language

Spam: Advertisements or commercial links

Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users

Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Submit Report Cancel

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

You are posting a reply to: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Duplicate posts are not allowed in the forums. Please edit your post and submit again.

Submit Reply Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close