Mac Mini Intel 1.83 HDD doing a clicking sound ever 15 seconds

Hello Chaps,
My mini's hdd seems to be dying? It is doin that usual sound when the reading head kicks to the side every now and then.
Smart reports verified status, Disk Util also says the mac partition is all ok (I have it bootcamped, have not checked the win partition yet tho..)
Has anyone else had this yet? Can that be that the disk is dying?? I only bought it a month ago... :((
DanZi

If you are concerned about the noises, and particularly if you experience any system behavior problems associated with them such as if the computer hangs momentarily when the noises occur, the it would be wise to ensure you have good backups of your data if you continue to use it.
However, since noises are far more commonplace with 2.5 inch hard drives than the larger models found in traditional desktop systems, the fact you can hear something that perhaps you may not be used to from larger drives is not in itself a sign of any problem, and in fact there are many, many Mac minis in use that make noises users would normally associate with probable faults, but which have not resulted in failures.
If the noises are more significant than usual, or you see any sign of performance problems associated with them, I would suggest you return the system and have it replaced or at least examined.

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Good catch. I would never have though of that since I eagerly anticipate each chance I get for a clean install.
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How to install mac os (PPC) on an external hard drive, through a mac mini (intel) ?

Hi all,
Let me explain:
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Hello,
You must use the Intel iMac as a Firewire Optical drive.
How to use FireWire target disk mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Disk_Mode
Put the PPC Install Disc in the Intel iMac.
Put the Intel iMac into FireWire target disk mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
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Tiger Update Crashes my Mac Mini Intel

I got a new Mac Mini and finally got it going though it was not easy to transfer from my eMac. But I prevailed. Then I made the fatal mistake of updating all that the Software Update software suggested. Now my brand new Mac Mini will not run at all.
REWIND: I tried to update my eMac a couple of weeks ago to Tiger. I did that and ran Software Update and GUESS WHAT? It crashed my eMac so badly I had to reinstall ALL the Panther software.
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I figured out the problem last night after a week of gnashing, grumping, and general anxiety. Hope this post helps others with a similar problem.
I have a free Lexmark 1150 All-In-One printer attached to my Mac. Apparently Tiger DOES NOT like the Lexmark application that turns off the printer during Restart and Shutdown. The application is in Library/Startupwhatever folder and I just trashed the Lexmarksleep..app (whatever it is named - I'm at work and cannot remember the exact name) and erased it.
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Mac Mini (Intel) Ticking/Clicking Sound

I purchased a new Mac Mini (1.8, 80gb, 1gb, superdrive) about a week ago, and have enjoyed using it ever since, however I recently there is a ticking or clicking sound coming from the unit which sounds to me like it may be the hard disk either starting up, or parking down, this happens intermittently and doesn't seem to follow any strict pattern.
Opening Activity Monitor and viewing the Disk Activity tab reveals that there is usually a small amount of data being written to the hard disk when the ticking occurs, however this is not the case 100% of the time.
The disk appears to be fine according to its S.M.A.R.T. status, however I've had "verified" disks fail on me before, therefore don't really trust the S.M.A.R.T. monitoring.
Does anyone have any suggestion on what this may be?

The drive is actually a Fujitsu.
It's now started clicking again after being left on
over night, I've closed everything and tried running
fs_usage, but could see no distinct pattern when the
sound occurred.
This is happening to me with my 80GB Fujitsu Mac Mini Intel. It started after about two weeks of use. This also happened to my G4 Mini with the stock Seagate drive. My old G4 eventually beat itself to death over the course of a month and I have a feeling this one is going to do the same. My second drive (Toshiba I think) didn't have any problems so it may be that only certain drive models are affected.
I also downloaded and ran fseventer, which again
revealed nothing, when it first clicked after opening
the app it said the machine was writing to Finders
plist file, however nothing registered after this
with subsequent clicks.
Yeah, fs_usage doesn't seem to reveal anything significant either.
I'm still in the dark with this, and have a hard time
believing it to be normal.
I agree, I think there's something wrong with the Mac Mini power controller. My drive mainly does it when it is left running overnight. As soon as I sleep and wake the drive, the noise goes away - to me that suggests a controller just needs reset. I've resorted to sleeping the drive overnight and when I'm out until Apple post a fix for it. The drive head slamming into the mechanical stop is not normal in the same way a train slamming into the mechanical stops at the station is not normal. Some control is being messed up - according to the last site, it is usually caused by the fact that the servo calibration is messed up and cannot properly govern the speed and position of the head assembly on the drive and this is worsened by temperature.
http://kiza.kcore.de/software/declunk/
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=232114
http://macminiforums.com/forums/arch...php/t-162.html
http://macminiforums.com/forums/arch...php/t-332.html

Pm support mac mini intel

Does the sata controller of the mac mini (intel) support PM? so could you put an (by example) addonics 1 to 5 sata converter to the internal sata connector?

Good catch. I would never have though of that since I eagerly anticipate each chance I get for a clean install.
I much prefer to get a clean start and consciously change the things I need to work - often I find that the defaults really are better and would otherwise be stuck in habit...

Dualdisc cd side won't play on my mac mini intel core duo w Superdrive

Shakira Fijacion Oral DualDisc "CD" side will insert and then automatically reject from my Mac Mini - Intel Core Duo. The DVD side plays fine. Unfortunately iTunes not smart enough to work with DVD side. There is a query in IPOD forum about Springsteen DualDisc also failing on intel mini mac that is listed at "answered" but for the life of me, I can't tell if you are supposed to just not buy DualDisc or else take the Mac Mini back for a new drive.
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Mac Mini Intel Core Duo's did not ship until 2006 which seems plenty of time for Apple to announce 'we have a problem' and what their recommended solution.
Why would they do that ? I mean, they don't have a problem. The inventors of DualDisc made a type of disc that won't play in all players, and Apple can't really do anything about it. Superdrives are not made by Apple, it's just Apple's name for a DVD burner; the Superdrives that are found in various Macs come from several different manufacturers, and although Apple probably ensures that the Superdrive and the Mac work well together, they won't test whether it works with each type of disc (usually, the manufacturer will).
However, that is probably limited to redbook/standards-compliant discs; since a DualDisc's CD side doesn't comply with any standard other than "DualDisc", and because it is not considered important enough to be officially supported by most (if not all) manufacturers, they probably won't test them since they're bound to get mixed results anyway.
Similarly I don't remember seeing a "strictly redbook only" disclaimer on any of the media available from Apple describing the capabilities of its Superdrive when I was making my mac mini buying decision.
You didn't see one because it is not required. Asking that Apple (or any other company) warns you that their players won't play non-redbook CDs is a bit like asking that they tell you everything your optical drive won't play. Apple claims that their Superdrives will read CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R DL, which aren't only a bunch of weird-looking letters, but also correspond to a standard. When you see a CD logo on a drive, it means that it will play redbook-compliant CDs. Your Dell player simply does more that what it is supposedly capable of, but because one (or many) optical drives will play DualDisc doesn't mean that they all have to.

Mac mini intel core 2 duo 2.4ghz keeps freezing up

I have a refurbished (bought from Apple) Mac Mini Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz with upgraded 8GB of RAM, OS is latest Snow Leopard (10.6.8). I have had this machine less than one year, and in the past five days it has started to freeze up quite often.
After running Disk Utility and getting a message that said to repair the disk, I hve run Disk Utility from the original disk to fix the problem. No effect, I still have regular freezes and often. I have run Disk Utility again several times, and have had to repair Permissions several times, though the Repair Disk says the hard drive is okay. Only the Permissions keep getting messed up, and this happens quickly.
I have no large number of video files on the desk top.
I checked some threads and ran Activity Monitor and Control. Control when I ran "disk0" did not show any problem. I do not know how to interpret the Activity Monitor readings.
Short of wiping the computer and reinstalling everything, is there a way to determine what is wrong with the computer?
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Hello,
Only the Permissions keep getting messed up,
You can ignore repeated Permission fixes if the last line says completed in it.
See if the Disk is issuing any S.M.A.R.T errors in Disk Utility...
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH7029
Open Activity Monitor in Applications>Utilities, select All Processes & sort on CPU%, any indications there?
How much RAM you have for real & free space do you have also, click on the Memory & Disk Usage Tabs.
Open Console in Utilities & see if there are any clues or repeating messages when this happens.
In the Memory tab of Activity Monitor, are there a lot of Pageouts?
One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
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Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.
Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...
/private/var/run/StartupItems
/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/LaunchDaemons

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The 128mb one has a stamp hp42 and a sticker on the motherboard stating locked something ??? tiger = 10.4.5 install dvd
The one with 256mb has hp22 stamp and no sticker but also came with the orriginal tiger for intel 10.4.3 ?? so likely is a older model ????
Does anyone have a clue about this ????

and the same windows xp sp1 version.
I didn't think you could load SP1 onto a intel Mac, how did you get it work? Are you using boot Camp?
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I want to upgrade the HD to Fujitsu's MHW2160BJ ( 100MB/s ) but this is default SATA 3.0GGB/s and I do not want it to run at SATA 1.5GB/s or close to the junk I have installed in it now or at half speed then I might as well keep the junk that is inside it now.
SATA 1.5GB/s defeats the purpose of spending money on a HD.
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I am frustrated with the poor HD speed in OSX 10.4.9 the same Hitachi running at 45MB/s in win on this mac mini intel runs only at max 21MB/s in OSX.
So the hardware is good but a setting / ??? in OSX slows everything down.
Result = Need faster HD Fujitsu's MHW2160BJ .
OR need info on how to correct this slow OSX performance.
40MB/s+ in OSX if it can take the Fujitsu's MHW2160BJ would really be nice provided it can do SATA 3.0gb/s
NB:
Found info on intel website about 945 based laptop type motherboards being locked in SATA 1.5GB/s and their desktop motherboards have the SATA 3.0GB/s enabled / installed / working.
Page 35 form Intel PDF " 30701303.pdf "
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This Mac mini developer note indicates a fixed 1.5Gbps on the SATA hard drive connection:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/HardwareDrivers/Conceptual/Macmini_0602 /index.html
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Got my mac mini intel singel core yesterday!! first impressions !

hi to all,yesterday i got my mac mini singel core 1,50 GHz 512 ram 60 s-ata, here are my first impressions:
of course it looks like the same;ir-sensor for the frontrow remote control is at the right side,inside the drive slot (very nice solution).It boots up faster than my old mac mini G4 1,25 Ghz 1GB ram.first of all i did a xbench test,here are my results:old mac mini g4 1,25 1 Gb ram xbench points=36,37; new mac mini intel single core xbench points=63,37 !!!Very nice and smooth system import from the old ppc os x was no problem using firewire. virtual pc 7 does not work any more.
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greetings tobias
mac mini / pb G3 wallstreet Mac OS X (10.4.5) mac mini single core 1,5 GHZ

I also got the Core Solo and so far am very much satisfied with it. One of my highest Xbench scores was 65.40, twice as fast the score of the lowerend G4 Mac Mini. The feel of the system's respondsiveness is certainly on par with other Intel based Macs I tried at the local Apple stores. Boot time is under 30 seconds most of the time. One weird thing I noticed is that when open " About This Mac", the system identifies the processor as a 1.5GHz Intel Core Duo. However, System Profiler says it's a Core Solo. Well, I will only open "About This Mac" from now on
To answer your question, Tobias, 720p plays awesome but 1080p not looking good. The new graphic eventhough integrated is still an improvement over the graphic of the old model. Why? It supports Core Image and you get all the nice effects in Dashboard, also HD contents play much better obviously.
512MB of RAM is not enough. I'm glad that I didn't buy the Core Duo because with that $200 in difference, I can up the fund to buy a pair of 1GB DDR2 memory and a 7200RPM hard drive for upgrades. The hard drive on the Mac Mini has always been a weak link. SATA is supposed to be faster than the old IDE ATA, but from what I've seen so far, it's pretty much the same.
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Logitech headset Skype and Mac Mini Intel

Hi,
I own a Powerbook G4 and a new Mac Mini Intel Duo Core.
Both machines run the same latest OSX version 10.4.6.
On the Mac Mini I have a problem using Skype with my Logitech Headset 350 (usb). The system does recognize the headset, but for some reason the microphone of the headset is not working. The speakers work fine. I did set the prefrences right in the Skype menu.
But on my Powerbook G4 the headset works perfectly fine.
Could this be an Intel issue? Maybe I a driver (can't find one on the Logitech site)? Anyone any clue?
Thanks, Fred
Mac Mini Intel Core Duo 1.66 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 1280 MB ram

On the Mac Mini I have a problem using Skype with my
Logitech Headset 350 (usb). The system does recognize
the headset, but for some reason the microphone of
the headset is not working. The speakers work fine. I
did set the prefrences right in the Skype menu.
I have the same headset and it works fine. First, directly connect it to your mini, don't use the keyboard's USB hub since it can only drive 100mA devices. Second, check that the mic is actually on (the blue LED is constantly on, not flashing).
If it still doesn't work go to System Preferences->Sound->Input then select the "USB Headset" and speak into the mic and watch the input level meter. If necessary adjust the "Input Volume".
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"self-installation" of memory in Mac Mini Intel Duo 1.66

I am using a Mac Mini Intel Duo 1.66/512 memory at present and as obvious for anyone with this machine it requires more memory.
I am considering buying 2GB of"Crucial" memory, which they advertise as"self-installable" in 15 minutes.
Is it really viable for one to do this himself?
An Apple dealership is quite inconvinient for me, so this, at this point, is my only way of upgrading.
Caleb

If you do it yourself watch the video then consider a couple of things:
1) Use a card, putty knife, taping knife, or whatever at the same time on both sides. You'll notice the retaining clips drop down or re-attach a few times in the video. That's just not worth it. Get both sides out at the same time, but:
a) don't break the tabs
b) try (if you care) to not mar the METAL.
2) I don't know if you caught it in the video, but the trick is to load both the memory modules into the slots and THEN press the slots down. It seems counter-intuitive, but once you see how it works you'll get the idea.
Then there's the 'little black cable' in the front. IIRC it's the fan controller. BEFORE you disconnect it look at how it re-connects. It's slotted, but it's a little bit of pain.
If your machine is the new duo 1.66 vs the old top end duo 1.66 it probably will look at bit different than what was shown. There might be caps above the airport card. If you look under it (ok antenna) you'll see two vertical bars. Pinching these together releases the unit. Pay attention to where the wire is routed, as it's...well...just a little odd when you think about it.
Is it worth doing? If an Apple store isn't an option or you're stubborn, or just enjoy working on machines then yes. If it's about saving $35 installation fee and a couple of hours w/o your machine then I'd say no.
If you break something you will void your warranty for that part and anything directly affected by the damage caused to that part (or if you live somewhere w/o halfway decent consumer remedies you might just void the whole thing by thinking about opening it so check you local rights regarding this matter). If you've seen repair sheets from Apple you know how much components cost so don't break anything or be prepared to live w/ it.
Finally...and I couldn't watch all of that video...if it gets to testing the machine BEFORE re-assembing the case you might want to consider what will probably happen: You MIGHT knock out 802.11 service around you because a normally shielded antenna is now free and is a nice and potent emitor. If you live in a densly populated area then be considerate, get it all right the first time and put it back together (or test it in the basement if you're smart).
Good Luck,
-j

Mac Mini Intel Duo - Quartz Composer - Unsupported Configuration ?

Hello Group,
Mac Mini Intel Core Duo 1.66 with 1GB RAM
I cant seem to be able to get Quartz Composer to open a qtz file. When I try to open the RSS visualizer screen saver file, Quartz tries to open iot, and then displays a message saying that I need an Nvidia or ATI card and 16mB of VRAM or more.
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Thanks in advance.
Mini Intel Core Duo 1.66 1GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6)

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303470
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2106560&#2106560

Mac Mini Intel Core Duo

FCP Studio requires an AGP Quartz Extreme or PCI Express graphics card .. does that mean that it is not compatible on a Mac Mini Intel Core Duo? The Mini's Intel GMA950 graphics processor is not PCI Express, is it? I'd appreciate some feedback, thanks
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http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303470
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Mac Mini Intel 1.83 HDD doing a clicking sound ever 15 seconds

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