HT1338 My mac Mini shows full hard disk when it is not really full. Shows some free space upon start up that gradually disappears without doing anything with the Mac.

My Mac shows a full hard disk even though the disk is not full. There are several GB of unused space if I add the sizes of all the folders in the disk. Under the disk info window the free space shrinks to zero after a short period of time. It shows more space upon restart, but then it shrinks eventually to zero space available. is there a way to solve this?

OmniDisksweeper can help you find what's hogging your disk space.

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I have to run Windows for work, which is best Parallels, Fusion, or Boot Camp? I won't need to share anything with the Mac Side.

I have to run Windows for work, yuk! Which is best Parallels, Fusion, or Boot Camp? I will not need to share anything with my Mac side as I will just be running one program to chat on the web and send Emails.

Parallels, Fusion and VirtualBox are all virtualization applications, they 'virtualize' (create) a Windows environment on your Macs OSX operating system.
Boot Camp makes a compatible partition on your hard drive so you may install windows on it directly.

Mac mini mid 2010 hard disk keeps ejecting itself

My mac mini is set up with two sata disks installed, one is a 128 ssd and the other a 1tb hdd. Since installing mountain lion, the hdd keeps ejecting itself, and i get a message saying - this hard disk was not properly ejected. then i wont find the disk in finder, or disk utility!. I then have to remove the hdd from the mac mini and plug it into a usb caddy, which finds it no problem, and then when i put it back in the mac mini, it works again!! so the disk is not faulty i dont think. It then works for a period as random as a few hours, to a few weeks and then i will randomly get the "this disk was not ejected properly" message and it has again dissapeared. I use the mac mini as a media centre and it isnt really being pushed hard when the failure happens.
Anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong?

Hello, Sorry for the late reply.
When i open console after the ejection i get the message:
01/11/2012 22:32:42.000 kernel[0]: Failed to issue COM RESET successfully after 3 attempts. Failing...
01/11/2012 22:32:42.000 kernel[0]: disk1s2: no such device.
Hope this gives a clue, i'm tearing my hair out over it. there is absolutely nothing wrong with the disk itself.
If i do a full shutdown and restart, it finds the disk again no problems, but if i simply choose to restart from the menu, it does not find the disk again.
Thanks for any help you can give on this. I have only been experiencing this issue since i upgraded to mountain lion.
Drive information:
SAMSUNG HN-M101MBB:
Capacity:          1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)
Model:          SAMSUNG HN-M101MBB
Revision:          2AR10001
Serial Number:          S2R8J90B815515
Native Command Queuing:          Yes
Queue Depth:          32
Removable Media:          No
Detachable Drive:          No
BSD Name:          disk1
Rotational Rate:          5400
Medium Type:          Rotational
Bay Name:          Lower
Partition Map Type:          GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status:          Verified
Volumes:
disk1s1:
Capacity:          209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
BSD Name:          disk1s1
Content:          EFI
living room:
Capacity:          999.86 GB (999,860,912,128 bytes)
Available:          648.66 GB (648,662,093,824 bytes)
Writable:          Yes
File System:          Journaled HFS+
BSD Name:          disk1s2
Mount Point:          /Volumes/living room
Content:          Apple_HFS
Volume UUID:          D6125397-BAE7-3496-9B9C-6534EEE0B660

Mac mini late 2012 hard disk upgrade

I would like to update the slow hard drive on my mac mini late 2012, potentially to a seagate SSHD, should i pick those that are 2.5"? or is 3.5" also work?

2.5" in addition see > https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Mini_Late_2012

Mac Mini disconnects USB2 hard drives when in stop

Hi,
I am having a problem with my mac mini Core Duo 1.66.
I have some hard disks connected.
The firewire works just fine, while the usb2 raid0 stripe is disconnected every time the mac mini goes to into sleep mode.
So the mini goes into sleep mode. Then I wake the mini from sleep and the drives are disconnected (Device removal info window appears).
Also the reliability of usb2 is not at pair as the ppc machine I've had in the past ...
This is very annoying, since all the links in the finder bar are lost ..
It was doing it with 10.4.6 and now 10.4.7 too.
But suddenly this problem started with 10.4.6. It wasn't always present.
The drives uses Oxfor 912 chipset, also they've been working great on any previous mac since 2 years ..
Any idea how to solve it?

Connect the drives to a USB Hub?
It happens that the mouse and keyboard no longer work.
It happens that I have to unplug them and then to unplug and re-plug the keyboard and mouse to make them work again.
One of the drive is not showing in the disk utility (The usb2 is a software raid0)
It used to work in USB2, and then it progressively went worst and worst and now it no longer works.
But it works perfect in firewire. But the performance drops in firewire to 25-22Mb/s
Also USB2 memories sometimes are unplugged, disappear from the desktop.
I have a sandisk memory, not just the cheapest.
Maybe I bring the mini to apple.

Full hard disk test Error

Hello.
my notebook has recently some startup problems, either during bios startup (led blinks twice) or while loading Windows. The problem seems to happen especially the first time I switch it on during the day, when I have to try 6-10 times before it starts correctly.
I have reinstalled the operating system and nothing changed. I have performed System diagnostic and I had an error on the Full Hard Disk Test:
9AM66W-53S7G3-XD0021-61EC03
all other tests have passed.
Thanks
This question was solved.
View Solution.

means the drive is failing and should be replaced....
I am a Volunteer to help others on here-not a HP employee.
Replies aren't online 24/7 because of Time Zone differences.
Remember in this Day and Age of Computing the Internet is Knowledge at your fingertips if you choose understand it. -2015-

Is there a USB 3.0 Hub that really works with the Mac Mini?

My Mac Mini's four USB 3.0 ports work fine with my four USB Seagate GoFlex 3.0 hard drives. The drives mount at startup, and perform at expected USB 3.0 speeds. But, when I connect the drives to a USB 3.0 HUB to free up the Mac's USB ports for other devices, typically two of the USB Seagate drives will mount at startup, but two won't. There's a fix for this: after startup, I simply disconnect AC power from the drives that didn't mount, and reconnect the power a few seconds later. Now all my drives are mounted, they perform properly, and other USB devices connected to other Mac Mini USB ports (a mouse, a USB midi interface) work just fine as well. It's annoying, though, to have to perform this extra disconnect-reconnect step every time. I've tried two different USB 3.0 HUBs -- one from Uspeed and one from Satechi -- and I have exactly the same problem with both. Question: Is anybody else experiencing the same thing with a late 2012 Mac Mini and a USB 3.0 Hub? Has anybody found a 3.0 Hub that doesn't have this issue with the Mac Mini?

The USB 3.0 hub instability problems extend beyond the Mac-Mini, as addressed below.
At long last we're seeing progress in getting 2012 Macs to work with USB 3.0 hubs. As discussed on this and other discussion groups I've had a horrible time with my MacBook Pro Retina being unstable with USB 3.0 hubs. I know many of you have also or you wouldn't be reading this posting.
In June 2012 I bought one of the first 2012 MacBook Pro's with a Retina display. It's been a battle since with Apple selling what appears to be an incompatible or unstable system to effectively communicate with the USB 3.0 hubs. You'll see vendors now making comments that Apple is the source of the problem.
I've been through USB 3.0 issues with two MacBook Pro Retina laptops. I've also tested a Uspeed hub, with 3 portable USB 3.0 drives connected, at the Apple Store. This was on a newer model MacBook Pro Retina, and also on a 27" iMac. All had instances where drives failed to mount during the short period allowed for testing. (Because of time constraints, we were unable to test at the Store for spontaneous and unprovoked unmounting of drives connected to the hub. These problems have existed since the beginning on my rMBP.)
I am now on my 20th hub that has been purchased, or provided for testing. They varied from 4-Port to 10-Port powered hubs and involved 11 brand names. Comments were posted on Amazon, Tiger, and others for most of the ones purchased, and some that were tested. Some, like the HooToo specifically warned against use with Macs in the manufacturer's manual and, as I learned, for good reason. That was reflected in my comments for the drive on Amazon.
The Plugable 7-Port USB 3.0 powered aluminum-finish hub that I have been testing since October 13 was provided by Plugable after the first one, purchased through Amazon, was returned as unreliable. This 3rd, and newer generation Plugable hub uses the VIA VL812 chipset with the new version 90.81 firmware. My experience over the last 4+ weeks with this hub has been solid. While there have been problems with Eject errors, none were traced to the hub electronics. (Problems with intermittent connections at the cable connectors appeared to be the cause of the disconnect errors. Almost all of the failures were traced to intermittent Micro-B connectors, but that's another story.)
In addition to the greatly improved reliability of this hub, I find several features of this Plugable to be a plus including:
The plug engages fully to the "hilt" when plugged into the hub giving a solid connection, as occurs on the MacBook Pro Retina USB 3.0 ports. Others hubs typically had a gap between the "hilt" of the connecting end, and the hub allowing for lateral movement. With some hubs this allowed for intermittent connections if the cable was disturbed.
The on/off switch on the hub allows the hub to be powered down when not in use.
The full size Type-B connectors on the cable at the hub end engage solidly. Hubs with Micro-B connectors have presented intermittent connections in the cable connector.
The aluminum case looks attractive with Macs, IMO, but not a reason to buy.
Overall, Plugable's support is the best I've encountered. I've found their response to questions to be prompt and thorough. This, coupled with their online support articles has put them at the top of my list. They provide news and information that I've not found with other hub vendors.
The article titled "Plugable USB 3.0 7 Port Hub Firmware History" at the below link gives insight into the history of the problems that we've been having with the USB 3.0 hubs on Macs and the firmware updates, regardless of the brand of hub you have. Apparently, if you have the VIA VL 812 chipset, firmware version 85.81, you're in safe territory.
http://plugable.com/2013/10/30/plugable-usb-3-0-hub-firmware-upgrades2
(One of the Plugable hubs appears identical to the black 7-Port Uspeed hub, and both use the VIA VL 812 chipset. They appear to be from the same manufacturer with the real difference appearing to be in the VL812 version of the firmware in the hub.)
Some of the firmware can be upgraded, and some can't. Contact Plugable or Anker if you're affected.
Uspeed has made improvements, but they were still unstable as of the last one I received for testing. In her last reply on 10/13/13 Sunnie with AnkerDirect Customer Support stated:
Unfortunately, the new Firmware version (908x) does not work with the model "68UNHUB-B7U" you have. The hub bellow has much less complaints about Mac issue. We suggest that you order this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009Z9M3DY
AnkerDirect Customer Support
Note that the above hub recommended by Anker has an 8th port just for charging iOS devices. Some will see this as a plus. However, the lack of such a port is not seen as a big problem. It's easy and relatively inexpensive to purchase extra 5V power adapters for charging, which is my preference. Plugging and unplugging devices on a hub that is powered "On" presents the potential for movement of the cables. This could interrupt a cable connection and disconnect a drive during data transfer resulting in corrupted files. With 7 and 10 port hubs, and all the cables needed, this gets risky.
I believe the USB 3.0 hub issues we're having are the result of poor design of the Mac's USB 3.0 implementation at the start. Unstable hubs that I've had a friend with Windows 7 test, said they "performed like a dream" on his PCs. This indicates the problem is with Macs, not the (twenty) hubs I've used.
A statement from a support person dealing with USB 3.0 hubs tells what's I've long suspected: " -- the evidence is pointing to something specific to the Apple design (perhaps external to the chipset, like the signal re-driver….."
If you're having USB 3.0 problems, be sure to let Apple know by sending in a Feedback comment to Apple at:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/
I'm told they read and treat the feedback seriously (although the duration of this USB 3.0 problem makes me wonder if Mavericks and iOS 7 haven't had a higher priority and distracted from this. Microsoft got USB 3.0 right, how about it Apple?)

Does the Travel Kit work with the Mac mini?

Hey guys,
I wanted to know if the Travel Kit that Apple sells would be compatible with the Mac Mini. I am thinking of buying one in the US for money's sake, and I live in the UK. I just wanted to make sure that if I did get it, it wouldnt be a waste of money.
Thanks.

Hello,
It doesn't appear so...
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB974ZM/B
This accessory is compatible with the following:
iPhone 4S
iPhone 4
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 3G
iPhone
iPod touch
4th generation
iPod touch
3rd generation
iPod touch
2nd generation
iPod touch
1st generation
iPod classic
120GB 160GB (2009)
iPod classic
160GB (2007)
iPod classic 80GB
iPod nano
6th generation
iPod nano
5th generation (video camera)
iPod nano
4th generation (video)
iPod nano
3rd generation (video)
iPod nano
2nd generation (aluminum)
iPod nano
1st generation
iPod shuffle
4th generation
iPod shuffle
3rd generation
iPod mini
iPod
5th generation (video)
iPod
4th generation (color display)
iPod
4th generation
iPod
3rd generation
iPod
1st + 2nd generation
iPad
1st generation
iPad 2
2nd generation
iPad
3rd generation

What's the easiest way to add storage to a mac mini. (1TB hard drive but only 32G of real storage). External device, internal or partitioning?

What's the easiest way to add storage to a mac mini. (1TB hard drive but only 32G of real storage). External device, internal or is there some way to partition? I tried doing so but received a message that there wasn't enough free space to partition. Seems like a 1TB drive should have more storage than my Ipad

Its worth confirming what free space you have on your drive:
go to: Apple Menu > About this Mac > More Info > Storage
The bar chart shows how much free space there is on the drive:
Please realise that partitioning does not create extra space so this wont help you.
If your free space is less than 20 % you should get extra storage with an external USB or Firewire drive, any make or model will work.

HT1338 I bought a new Mac Mini and tried to pair my keyboard with the Mac Mini. They will not pair via Bluetooth. What is wrong?

I have recently bought a Mac Mini and tried to pair the new apple wireless keyboard with the Mac but after trying 6 times no luck. What can I do about this?

try this method:
You need at least a USB mouse. If you don't get any option to pair a keyboard, click through the setup until you get to the "Create Your Computer Account" screen, right click in any of the text fields and select Substitutions --> Show Substitutions. From there click on text preferences. The preferences pane will popup and from there you can just click the back button (next to show all) to get to the full preferences menu. Next click on keyboard, then select setup bluetooth keyboard and you're golden.

Using a Mac mini as a target disk for a G4 Powerbook

Hello,
I saw a post that dealt with the above issue but i would like to get a bit more specific. I bought my Powerbook in 2005 and by now it's a bit dated. I use it to run Logic Pro, but also love games... So would it be possible to get a Mac mini Intel Duo 2Ghz, connect it to my Powerbook G4 and run games or other applications on the Mac mini but using the display and controls of my Powerbook? So in a few words, play on the Powerbook but run the game from the Mac mini. It sounds possible, but i am no computer genie! What do you think?
Or should i just spend an extra £200 and a get a Macbook...?
Thanks for your time,
Dimitris
Message was edited by: dimis
Message was edited by: dimis

When you run a computer in Target Disk Mode, the primary unit is what utilizes the processor, and the secondary unit in Target Disk Mode is only serving as the boot volume.
What does this mean?
Let's use two "equal" machines. At least, ones I've worked with. An iMac G3 400MHz and a 12-inch PowerBook G4 1.5GHz.
If you connect your PowerBook in Target Disk Mode to the iMac G3, your iMac will not run faster and things that work with your PowerBook, say, Pages or iWork '05, won't run on your iMac. The primary unit is the iMac and all it is doing is accessing the PowerBook for the startup volume and any files. But it still runs at G3 speed and won't take advantage of the G4 speed since it is not the machine being used. All the iMac is doing is accessing the PowerBook as if it were a bare external drive. (Well, not bare in that sense).
Vice versa, if you were to connect your iMac G3 in Target Disk Mode to your 12-inch PowerBook, things you saw that were slow at 400MHz, will fly at 1.5GHz and in G4 speeds, since the PowerBook is now your primary unit.
To put it in your terms, what you want to do is really use an Intel Mac mini as your primary unit and connect your PowerBook to it in Target Disk Mode so that you will see speed increases there. What you outlined in your post will not be possible.
If you connect an Intel Mac mini in Target Disk Mode to your PowerBook, the G4 processor will be the one being utilized, and in that case, you won't be able to run things like, say, Tiger Woods PGA Tour from EA (Electronic Arts) because while that runs and only runs on Intel-based Macs, with the Mac mini in Target Disk Mode, it will not use the Intel processor.
Vice versa, if you were to connect your PowerBook in Target Disk Mode to your Intel Mac mini, things like OS9 apps in Classic mode wouldn't run on the Mac mini since it's accessing the files on the PowerBook, but the processor being utilized is the Intel one, and Classic is not compatible with Intel-based Macs.
However, Logic Pro, as long as it was the Universal version, would fly on the Mac mini if using your PowerBook in Target Disk Mode.
So, after all that, the best thing to do would be to buy a MacBook, or in an "apples to apples" comparison, the professional equivalent in the MacBook Pro.

I want to install Snow Leopard Server on our MacPro (2.66) using Mac Mini Snow Leopard Server disks? I kept getting an error for backwards compatibility. Is this possible or do I need to purchase another copy of Snow Leopard Server?

I want to install Snow Leopard Server on our MacPro(2.66) using Mac Mini Snow Leopard Server disks? I kept getting an error for backwards compatibility. Is this possible or do I need topurchase another copy of Snow Leopard Server?

The OS disks that are shipped with a particular product
are set up so that tey will only install on that product.
It will install on any Mini of that exact vintage, but that
is all.
This is to prevent people from doing exactly what you
are trying to do. The license for OSX shipped with any
is only valid for that product. Also, Snow Leopard,
including Server, is only permitted to be run on one
computer at a time. Bottom line, unlike Lion, legally
you cannot install the same copy on multiple
computers unless some "family pack" or site license
is purchased.
Yes, you need to purchase another copy.
The copy of Snow Leopard license is here:
http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/macosx_snowleopard.pdf

HT5945 maverick make my mac can't detect hard disk

after I've installed maverick, my mac cannot detect my hard disk. what should i do to allow my mac to be able to use the hard disk? My hard disk is TRANSCEND

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Mac mini solid state hard drive does that replace the 2 by 1T hard drive

mac mini solid state hard drive does that replace the 2 by 1T hard drive

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My mac mini wont boot from disk

My 2010 Unibody Mac Mini wont boot from disk, i need to open disk utility to repair my drive but it wont boot, any ideas?

it started yesterday, and nope, not changed anything apart from the apple update for S.L. a week or two ago, and its stuck at the spinning gear, this has never happened before

HT1338 My mac Mini shows full hard disk when it is not really full. Shows some free space upon start up that gradually disappears without doing anything with the Mac.

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