2014 Mac Mini won't detect Dell monitor on startup

On a cold start or waking from sleep it is necessary to reset the PRAM in order for the Mini to recognize a Dell P2014H. Restarts are not a problem.
This was not an issue with an older MacBook Pro or an Air at the Genius Bar. I have resolved this by setting preferences to never turn the display off but don't consider this a permanent fix.
I'm running 10.10.1 and connected via VGA to a Thunderbolt port. The monitor is only 7 months old so I'm not inclined to replace it yet or add even more cables to my collection just to find that doesn't fix anything. In fact when another 2014 Mini was connected to my monitor at the Apple store it had the same problem.
On the other hand our 2012 Mini has never had issues with a Dell U2412M. So what's up Apple?

I just bought a Mac Mini with latest operating system 10.10.1 and had the same problem. I also used a monitor with HDMI cable. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with Apple Care tech but no solutions. I took it back to shop and they tested it but did not have a HDMI cable and used a thunderbolt adapter. It worked fine. Bought a Thunderbolt adapter for HDMI cable and problem solved. Both mouse and keyboard now wake up system. Perhaps a future update will solve this but for now I'm happy.
Cam

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Mac Mini does not detect DVI monitor on boot but does so on awake

Hi,
my Mac Mini fails to detect a monitor on the DVI port when it boots (monitor says no signal).
If I leave it a few minutes to boot, then put it to sleep and awake using the power button, then the display appears.
This problem does not occur with the DVI-to-VGA adapter, and I have tried with 2 separate DVI monitors (different brands) and cables (both monitors are fine with Windows PCs).
I have tried various resolutions and color depths, to no avail.
Any ideas about how to resolve this?

What brand and model of monitor do you have?

2014 Mac Mini connected to Samsung s22b310b monitor colors bad upon waking from sleep.

Occasionally when I wake the 2014 Mac mini from sleep the colors on the monitor are very bright. I go into systems preferences and then display. I click on the color button and it will change back to normal. I have tried both a DVI to mini displayport and VGA to mini displayport. Problem occurs with both. What else can I try to prevent this from happening?

Try resetting the SMC and PRAM
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
About NVRAM and PRAM

My Mac Mini won't get past the initial startup screen with the Apple logo. What can I do?

After a long distance move, my Mac Mini won't startup past the logo screen. What can I do?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
     a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, boot from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If you use a wireless keyboard, trackpad, or mouse, replace or recharge the batteries. The battery level shown in the Bluetooth menu item may not be accurate.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 10. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

My Mac mini no longer detects my monitor resolution

My Mac Mini has stopped being able to detect the resolution of my monitor, which is a 1680x1050 Acer widescreen. 1680x1050 is also no longer a choice of resolutions under 'Displays' in 'System Preferences' so I cannot select my monitor resolution manually. I suspect that there is a bug somewhere in a recent update which has broken support for my monitor. Is there an official channel by which I can report this bug? Has it been reported already? Is there an ETA on a fix? This renders my Mac more or less unusable.
Here's some info about what I'm running:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:          Mac mini
Model Identifier:          Macmini3,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.26 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MM31.0081.B06
SMC Version (system):          1.35f0
NVIDIA GeForce 9400:
Chipset Model:          NVIDIA GeForce 9400
Type:          GPU
Bus:          PCI
VRAM (Total):          256 MB
Vendor:          NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID:          0x0861
Revision ID:          0x00b1
ROM Revision:          3362
Displays:
VGA Display:
Resolution:          800 x 600 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Main Display:          Yes
Mirror:          Off
Online:          Yes
Rotation:          Supported
Display Connector:
Status:          No Display Connected (Ed: There is definitely a display connected. I'm using it to file this report.)
System Software Overview:
System Version:          Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549)
Kernel Version:          Darwin 10.8.0
Boot Volume:          Macintosh HD
Boot Mode:          Normal
Computer Name:          siracusa
User Name:          Christopher Rossi (chris)
Secure Virtual Memory:          Not Enabled
64-bit Kernel and Extensions:          No
Time since boot:          4:52

It's unlikely that the upgrades had anything to do with the problem, slim superdrives are just not all that reliable.
You might try a few tricks before taking it in for service or springing for a Mac compatable external DVD drive.
1. Reset the SMC > Resetting the System Management Controller
2. Reset the PRAM > Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
3. Clean it, for example with a > Memorex OptiDisc CD/DVD Laser Lens Cleaner

Do mac minis work with regular dell monitors?

I need to kno this because i am thinking of buying a mac and want to kno if it will work with my monitor i have for windows. And if so, will it be worth it?

Yes, Dell monitors work in perfect harmony with Mac Minis. I used to have an old Dell monitor (left over from our previous PC), and when I used the adapter that comes with the Mac Mini to convert it to the appropriate formate (DVI or VGA or something), it still looked sharp. So its definitely worth it. Plus you save money buying a new monitor.

New Mac mini won't connect with monitors stating 'unsupported Mode'

Hi I'm new to Mac and just purchased a Mac Mini.
The guy in store gave me an adapter so I can use my current screen.
However when I first tried it the screen was very large however I put this down to needing to change the settings on the screen. Although when I tried it didn't work.
Now it is sating it's 'unsupported' and is also very large and appears in an equivalent 'safe mode' as you would get on windows - if that's makes sense?
Please can someone help as I don't really have time to get to store, and need this for our business
Chris

Hi
The monitors are;
Optronix OP-158BS
Digix screen which does both tv and PC.
I believe it's a VGA connection and the apple store gave us an adapter for this.
Many thanks
Chris

Mac mini won't connect to monitor

My son's mac mini crashed. He had to reboot and now he can't connect to the monitor. It's saying he can't connect with the HDMI connection, which he doesn't connect with anyway. Where should we start looking? Thanks!

Gloworm, I'm having the same problem. If you are using a flat screen TV, you can reboot by turning on your Mac mini, then depress the following keys: Option+Command+P+R. Wait until you hear the second or third chime, then let the keys go. It will bring you back to the sign-in page.

Mac Mini does not detect DVI display on startup

Okay, I have a Pre 2009 Mac Mini 2Ghz Core 2 Duo. My monitor is a Westinghouse Digital LCM-22w3. The display is hooked up through DVI. When I start or restart the mac, it seems that it does not detect the display is plugged in. I have to wait for OS X to finish booting to either put the mac to sleep and bring it out of sleep or unplug the DVI cable and plug it back in to get the display on. If I hook the display via VGA using the VGA to DVI converter there is no problem. I have tried resetting the NVRAM but that does not fix the problem. I would like to get this fixed so I don't have to switch cables to be able to boot my boot camp windows install. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Following some investigations the problem appears to be with the power saving features of the monitor.
The MAC mini knows that the monitor is connected but the monitor puts itself to sleep.
The problem appears only when you use a single link DVI-D cable.
These are the ones with two blocks of nine pins with one large blade.
If you use a Dual link DVI-D cable (twenty four pins and one blade) the problem resolves itself and the display is active from power on.
It looks like the mini or the monitor is using one of the pins from the middle block of six for some reason.
Anyway, good look with this, I had a couple of spare DVI cables from when I was trying to get my original G4 mini working with my TV.
Regards
Gavin

Mac Mini won't get past the apple startup screen

Hi,
Just returned from the long weekend and tried to boot up my mac mini. It seems it doesn't want to get past the apple startup screen and the icon on the bottom just keeps spinning.
Any ideas?
Thanks

can you boot into _*safe mode*_ ?
( *click on image to enlarge* )
JGG

Can I use a VGA/DVI-D monitor to a new 2014 Mac Mini?

My wife's PC just died (it was a cheap 300 pc that lasted probably 5 years.
She basically emails, web surfs, looks at pictures and plays candy crush on Facebook so she doesn't need anything too high end.
I was thinking of getting her the basic 2014 mac mini but I have a VGA/DVI-D monitor (an older Dell) and it fits perfectly on her desk.
Can I somehow hook up a new mac mini to either the DVI-D or VGA input?
If not, what is the best monitor to get HDMI or should I look into a thunderbolt monitor?
Thanks,

Yes. You will have to purchase one of the following adopter:
- HDMI to DVI and use the Minis HDMI output
- Mini displayport to DVI adopter and use one of the Minis Thunderbolt ports
- Mini displayport to VGA adopter and use one of the Minis Thunderbolt ports
I would use the monitor's DVI input over the VGA input

2014 Mac mini doesn't scale the entire HP Envy 32 monitor screen

I recently purchased a HP Envy 32 monitor for use with my 2014 Mac mini with the Iris display. I get 2560x1440 resolution at 60 Hz on both the DP (1.2) as well as the HDMI ports (using the auto-detected HP Envy 32 color profile) but the display doesn't scale the entire screen of the monitor. Is anyone else using this configuration successfully? If so, what have you done to make full use of the 32" monitor real-estate? I simply cannot find any options in Display preferences (Yosemite) to change underscan options or for that matter within the monitor itself. Is there a particular display profile or driver I can use to fix this issue?

I'm using a 4K compatible DP cable connected to the Thunderbolt port and getting to the max resolution of the monitor. So I don't think the issue lies there. I was able to use SwitchResX trial mode to discover an underscan option that allowed me to scale to the entire monitor screen. Assuming SwitchResX is manipulating core OSX functions, I'd assume there is some display related configuration within OSX that I should be able to tweak in order to scale the monitor screen natively in OSX without requiring any 3rd party software. Any thoughts for how to go about tweaking the display natively?
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My Mac Mini won't start. The Power light blinks continusly (not pulses)

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Welcome to the Apple discussions.
No video with the power light blinking once per second means either bad or no memory. See this Apple note: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303083 . Specifically, below is from that note:
If the computer detects no SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory, also referred to as RAM) or the RAM installed does not meet the appropriate specifications, the screen will remain black but the power LED on the front of the computer will blink once per second to signal the error. This error condition may be due to physically damaged RAM, installing the incorrect type of RAM, or not having RAM installed.
Has it ever worked since you got it? If not, you should call J&R and tell them they sent a dead on arrival system, and ask for a replacement (ask them to send a will call tag or prepaid label to send the non-working machine back).

Mac Mini won't start and constantly makes disc ejecting noise

My Mac Mini won't start. It was working fine, then just locked up and won't start again. When I push the start button it just makes this repeated disc ejecting noise from the DVD drive. It doesn't make the chime noise or display anything on the monitor. I've disconnected the optical drive, but it didn't help. Then it just doesn't start at all. I thought that if I would disconnect the optical drive, that it would ignore it and just boot off the hard drive, but nothing happened. The power light comes on. Then, if I hold down the power button for 10 seconds it shuts down. The fan operates. It just never attempts to boot up. I can't put in a system DVD because the optical drive is just in eternal eject mode.
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I have the same situation.
I think the drive thinks it has a disc to eject or part of the mechanism is stuck and can't return to it's resting position. I was going to disconnect as you tried but now I think I'll try to disassemble the drive to see if there might be some debris jamming things up.
Please let me know if you solve the problem.

2010 Mac Mini won't sleep

Hello, everything was working fine until I accessed my mac mini from my old iMac G4 to share some files. Now my new Mac Mini won't sleep. Here is what I have done. Ejected the Mac Mini on the iMac. Turned off the iMac, stopped sharing everything on the Mac Mini including files, my printer and iTunes media and reset the PRAM. Still the Mac Mini won't sleep. It's set to it's defaults of 10 minutes to sleep the monitor and itself but only the monitor goes to sleep after the 10 minutes. Very frustrated...

Hello Euchre and thank you for replying. I have unchecked all the boxes within the "Sharing" options that I checked some time ago. When I did that, sharing was automatically turned off. Still I am having the issue. I'll try putting the monitor at 9 minutes and the computer at 10 to see if that works. I'll be back. Thanks again, Ed

2014 Mac Mini won't detect Dell monitor on startup

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