Mac Mini startup issue

So, earlier tonight, my computer was acting a little strange (it seems to have been flaky after updating to 10.4.8 lately) and after restarting, I get the gray apple screen, and the spinning indicator, but nothing else happens, other than more spinning. I've tried to boot from CD, or in safe mode, or open firmware, even, but nothing happens. I have a feeling that this is because I'm not using an Apple keyboard, but a logitech one. So I guess I really kind of have two questions, namely-what can I do to force a boot from a CD in this case, and, afterwards, what do you suggest I do to fix my computer? Do I need to reinstall the OS, or just repair disk permissions? Any help on this would be appreciated.

I have the same exact issue! I have also tried everything. I have a Intel 1.66 GHz core duo Mac Mini (refurbished) using a Mac Keyboard and still nothing happens.
My wife told me that it went into some kind of programing code and she thought it was a virus... ACK! and rebooted it. This is when the problem began.
I have tried using the keys to safe boot and boot from the OS X disk to no avail. The only thing that works is holding the option key down and it show the MacHD icon. I can't get past that. I have tried to use my external hard drive to boot to, but it doesn't recognize it.
I recently used software update to install the latest patches from Apple. It was running fine for a few days until this happened.
Dual 533 MHz DA PPC G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1.5 GB SDRAM, GeForce FX 5200

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I have an 6 year old mac mini having issues. I can turn it on, get the apple logo and blue screen and nothing else.....help!!

i have an 6 year old mac mini with issues that started two weeks ago. I can turn it on , get blue screen and turning circle and nothing else......help !

Hi,
Have you tried some of these? http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1533
The first things I would try would be to press shift during start up, this will boot into safe mode.
I think you'll need to purchase a copy of Snow Leopard to re-install the OS.
There's another couple of suggestions here; http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417 where you can boot into single user mode and look at repairing disk permissions if that's the problem.
I would hope that if you could boot into safe mode or single user mode, then that may automatically rectify your current issue. If not, then I'm pretty certain that a fresh install will be the ultimate answer.

Mac mini having issues with system preferences retaining settings

Mac mini having issues with system preferences retaining settings; this was present with Mavericks and now Yosemite after installation. Did try removing com.apple.systemprefs.plist file (library/preferences folder) to trash, but couldn't find it in trash in order to empty it. Upon reboot the file is still missing. Please don't suggest reloading Yosemite, have very slow internet connection, Yosemite took 7-8 hours to D/L.
Any troubleshooting suggestions out there? thanks

Well, I'd open Font Book, it's included with OSX, & see what it says for Validate & Duplicates.
I would also like to add I am new to Apple computers and I'm doing my best to stay up to par with whats what and understanding!
No problem, we were all new to everything once, do let us know if you need more help or clatification.

Mac Mini Startup Disk

Hi,
I have just got a Mac Mini, Dual Core and am trying to startup from a firewire HDD just as I seem able to do on my Powerbook G4 1.5 GHz and Powermac G4 533 MHz. I have OS 10.4.8 installed on the Firewire HDD yet when I select 'Startup Disk' from System Preferences I do not see the OS on the firewire dirve as an option. Any help/suggestions would be very gratefully received. Thanks very much.
Mac Mini 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Hello! Your issue probably is related to the version of OSX you're trying to boot from. If the external is the exact same OS that's on the Mini it will work but if the OS is one for the PB or the G4 it's not likely to work. Take the Mini disk and do a new install on an external drive and you should have no problems or if you like you can "clone" the Mini drive to the external and it will work also. Tom

Mac Mini boot issue after reinstalling original RAM

Hi,
So i am having issues with my 2012 Mac Mini i5 with 4gb of RAM(2x2Gb). I wanted to upgrade my RAM and unfortunately i keep getting stuck at the Apple logo screen with the progress/loading bar. The bar gets up to around 40-50% and then my mini just shuts down. So one fix action i took was to reinstall the original RAM, nope that didn't do it. Next i reset the PRAM and same issue, I am stuck now and have no idea what to do next short of tossing this thing off the building. as you can see its a bit frustrating, so any and all help would be very much appreciated. Thank you
- Phillip

Boot to Recovery and reair the startup disk
OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support
Can you run Apple Hardware Test?
Try one stick of memory in each slow with the other slot empty
Using Apple Hardware Test
Reinstall the OS The following also works on Yosemite
OS X Mavericks: Reinstall OS X

Mac mini startup

I had t replace my old mac mini when it crashed in October with a new mac mini.. Everything was running fine until last night when I performed a routine software update. After the update was complete, the computer did not restart/ask to restart like it usually does. My dock and my bar at the top of the screen disappeared so I had no choice but to turn the computer off manually by pressing and holding the power button. This morning I tried to turn it back on and the startup assistant appeared as if I was turning the computer on for the first time. I went through it anyway and when I clicked the Done button, it took me back to the first page of the startup assistant again!! I don't know what to do..

my mom just called me having this exact same issue. she's 3 hours away so i'm hoping for a walk-through-able solution. she has the lower model intel mac mini, and she said she had just performed whatever the recommended updates were. she does them regularly, so it was what was posted within the last week. any help is greatly appreciated.
-alex.

Mac Mini Freezing Issues

So, I recently bought a refurbished Mac Mini, late 2009 model. It worked fine for the first few months, but after moving back to school, it started acting oddly. First, it had problems booting. It would freeze up during the boot up, or occasionally right after if finished booting. After messing around with it, it started working fairly reliably again. However, every once in a while, under moderate use, it would freeze up and would have problems restarting. I came to the realization that it was probably overheating, and tried a few tricks to get more air to it. This worked…
For a while. Last week, it died. It would get to the gray screen with the spinning wheel, and then freeze. It couldn't get past this step. In desperation, I took it into the Apple store, as it was still under warranty. After several days, they fixed it, but in the process, had to replace the hard drive. Luckily, I had a back up. Reset the computer, reloaded the back up, and started to use it… only to have it freeze again.
I noticed that every time it crashed, it seemed abnormally hot. I think this may be an overheating issue, and I have taken steps to monitor it (I currently have a temperature monitor watching over the CPU temperature). I just wanted to know what other people thought.
My current set up is thus:
Late 2009 Model Mac Mini, 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Dual monitors, connected via adapters to the Mini-display port and mini-DVI port
Ethernet internet (limited wireless here in the dorms)
Apple keyboard and Logitech mouse
Verbatim external hard drive, 320 GB, connected via Firewire 400/800 cable
My current thoughts are that it's either due to the dual monitors stressing out the video card, or the external hard drive. I've noticed that the external hard drive is constantly on when it's plugged in to the computer (it gets it's power via the firewire cable), and that if I leave the external drive plugged in overnight, the computer can occasionally act sluggishly.
If anyone has any further insight into this or can verify my hypothesis, that would be great. Thank you for your time.

After looking around online some more, found that there are many complaints with this specific hard drive. The main issue, it seems, is that it has limited ventilation, and therefore has issues staying cool. Unfortunately, due to the length of my firewire cord, the external hard drive typically has to sit fairly close to the Mini, usually resting on top of it. So, if this is right, then it's the poorly designed external HD overheating, which in turn overheats the Mini to the point of failure. I'll look into getting a better external to replace this one, and for the time being I'll only have it connected for brief periods for backup.

Mac Mini Bluetooth Issues

Hi there, I've recently took purchase of a new Mac Mini (my first Mac) and am loving it, apart from the problems I'm having with the Bluetooth functionality.
I've been trying to pair my new Apple wifi keyboard and have not been succesful, I can't get the mini to recognise that there is a keyboard (I've also tried pairing 2 different mobile phones, and anther laptop with no success).
I've tried a what was suggested in another thread (powering mac and key off for a few minutes, with power cable/batteries removed) but this hasn't worked for me.
I'm not at a total loss, as you can see by my typing of this Topic , however it would be cool to get the BlueTooth working on this Mini.
Any help or suggestions would be greatfully received
Dan

I am having similar issues. The bluetooth range with the apple wireless mouse and kbd is VERY short. If the mouse is more than a foot or so away, motion becomes clunky. I also tried this with another bluetooth mouse (different brand) and had the same problem. I've gone though making the mouse and kbd favorites, but about half of the reboots, the mouse isn't found (when it's less than 3 feet away).
The computer is completely up to date. I've installed every OS firmware, keyboard update etc available.
Incidentally, I've tried both mouse and keyboard with other computers, and they work perfectly at longer ranges (10ft or so).
I bought this system to be my media center, but if this persists, or I can't find a solution, I'm thinking about bringing it back.
Tony
intel mac mini Mac OS X (10.4.6) Apple BT mouse and keyboard

Mac Mini & ethernet issues

Hello, i bought a mac mini just a couple of weeks ago and upgraded it to OS 10,7,4.
it was all running just fine for a start so i made an account for itunes and turned off the computer. But now, the mac mini just does not connect to the internet even when i plug the ethernet cable. I thought it would be a wireless issue but i realized that it happened even by cable.
I'm a little bit confused about this because the network utility says there is no problem (i can ping and traceroute) but safari doesn't open the page.
As a matter a fact, the only browser that works is Chrome, which only opens this forum's page and gmail...
Please help

No it didn't take me to apple's homepage. However, i can ping and traceroute to it without any problem.
I have read discussions about similar problems (on wifi) and tried to boot as safe mode.
Gratefully, it works, i can open every single page... but i still don't understand why does this happen on safe mode and not on the regular mode (i'm not going to log as safe mode every time).
Any idea?
Thanks in advance

Mac mini wifi issues

Had my Ipad mini for about a week. At first, the internet connection over my Airport/time capsule( which I bought a couple months ago, so it should be the newest generation) appeared to be fine although, I noticed that the signal bar was always a single to double bar (if that's how it is called). Now, from time to time it even fails to connect.
I am now in my living room in front of my mac mini set, which is itself connected to the internet over Airport/time capsule. The Airport is about 20 meters (abt 65 ft) away. The Wifi signal of my mac mini shows full capacity. My Ipad mini signal bar...it just says" iPad". While (when) connected I also have issues with iPad's ITune Wi-Fi sync. Connected by cable, checked the sync over wifi, removed the cable and Ipad disappeared from the Itune screen. I reset the Ipad, connected and did the whole procedure with Itunes and the iPad icon sticked to the itunes screen for a while but after about an hour disappeared again.
Now the ipad won't even connect.
When this thing works, it is a wonderful item. When it doesn't, it is a source of frustration. Can anyone help to solve this connection problem (resetting won't work) ?
thank you.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57559832-37/apple-releases-ios-6.0.2-to-fix-wi -fi-issue/
Some things to try first:
1. Turn Off your iPad. Then turn Off (disconnect power cord for 30 seconds or longer) the wireless router & then back On. Now boot your iPad. Hopefully it will see the WiFi.
2. Go to Settings>Wi-Fi and turn Off. Then while at Settings>Wi-Fi, turn back On and chose a Network.
3. Change the channel on your wireless router (Auto or Channel 6 is best). Instructions at http://macintoshhowto.com/advanced/how-to-get-a-good-range-on-your-wireless-netw ork.html
4. Go into your router security settings and change from WEP to WPA with AES.
5. Renew IP Address: (especially if you are droping internet connection)
    •    Launch Settings app
    •    Tap on Wi-Fi
    •    Tap on the blue arrow of the Wi-Fi network that you connect to from the list
    •    In the window that opens, tap on the Renew Lease button
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
iOS 6 Wifi Problems/Fixes
Fix For iOS 6 WiFi Problems?
http://tabletcrunch.com/2012/09/27/fix-ios-6-wifi-problems/
Did iOS 6 Screw Your Wi-Fi? Here’s How to Fix It
http://gizmodo.com/5944761/does-ios-6-have-a-wi+fi-bug
How To Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity Issue After Upgrading To iOS 6
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/09/fix-wi-fi-connectivity-issue-after-upgrading- to-ios-6.html
iOS 6 iPad 3 wi-fi "connection fix" for netgear router
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWS4ha-dn0
Apple's iOS 6 Wi-Fi problems
http://www.zdnet.com/apples-ios-6-wi-fi-problems-linger-on-7000004799/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look at iOS Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398
iPad: Issues connecting to Wi-Fi networks http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304
WiFi Connecting/Troubleshooting http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/wifi/
How to Fix: My iPad Won't Connect to WiFi
http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/ss/How-To-Fix-My-Ipad-Wont-Connect -To-Wi-Fi.htm
iOS: Connecting to the Internet http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1695
iOS: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4199
How to Quickly Fix iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problems
http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/
iPad Wi-Fi Problems: Comprehensive List of Fixes
http://appletoolbox.com/2010/04/ipad-wi-fi-problems-comprehensive-list-of-fixes/
Fix iPad Wifi Connection and Signal Issues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwWtIG5jUxE
Fix Slow WiFi Issue https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2398063?start=60&tstart=0
How To Fix iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Wi-Fi Connectivity Issue http://tinyurl.com/7nvxbmz
Unable to Connect After iOS Update - saw this solution on another post.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4010130
Note - When troubleshooting wifi connection problems, don't hold your iPad by hand. There have been a few reports that holding the iPad by hand, seems to attenuate the wifi signal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If any of the above solutions work, please post back what solved your problem. It will help others with the same problem.
 Cheers, Tom

Mac Mini internal issue

I set up a new mini server and everything is working except I can't access the server/iMail internally. It works fine from outside the network. I'm assuming this is a router issue but can't figure it out. Externally when I type in www.example.com I can get to the server, internally it will not. If I type in the IP address 10.0.XX.XX when I'm on the network then I can get to the server. I have an Actiontec PK5000 DSL modem with time port behind that. The Actintec does not support loopback.....is that my issue and is there any way to correct it?

Thank you for the feedback, but I'm not seeing anything about DNS on the Time Port.
A router doesn't implement DNS services. An IP router routes IP packets. Some routers also include other features, such as DNS forwarding, DHCP, firewall services, NAT, and other features. This omnibus implementation can vary by device and by how a site implements the device, and that can lead to confusion and complexity, as DNS forwarding simply passes packets to a remote server, and there are DNS server settings for DHCP servers, for those gateway boxes that (also) provide DHCP. But few (no?) routers incorporate DNS servers.
The other confusing bit here: ISP DNS servers don't server DNS translations for hosts behind a NAT.
When there are no local DNS services, Mac OS X Server can set up a single-host DNS service, but (due to common confusion with the settings and the resulting configuration errors) that might not happen in all cases.
And if the local DNS isn't operational and correct, your server will encounter DNS errors.
To check your local DNS services, launch Terminal.app and issue the command +sudo changeip -checkhostname+ and see if you get some information on the host, and either an indication that DNS is OK, or that there are DNS errors. (The sudo will require you to enter an administrative password.)
Time Capsule and Airport devices are good residential routers, and can be deployed as good access points (APs) in larger (and small business) configurations. (It's not typical to run multiple WiFi routers. You can't move your connections among the devices, for instance. APs allow that.)
Someone once told me that the Time Port are router wanna bes.
They're entirely functional routers, and as APs. They're not particularly good choices as server gateways as they lack various server-oriented features; [here is what I look for with server gateways|http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1724].
It probably works fine as a wireless router for a house but not for a server. I guess I need to look at upgrading it, eh?
You can [set up DNS on your Mac Mini Server|http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1436] and entirely bypass the need to reflect the traffic at your gateway firewall, and resolve the local DNS server issues that your server (likely already) has.

Mac Mini RAM issue

Hi all,
I've recently replaced my MBP with a late 2012 Mac Mini (2.5GHz i5). I migrated a Time Machine backup of the MBP straight on to the Mac Mini after unboxing and this worked a treat.
The Mac Mini has 4GB of RAM but seems to use half of it just sitting idle with no apps running. Is this normal? I had 4GB in the MBP but never experienced this kind of issue. For instance, I'm typing this into Firefox whilst listening to a podcast in iTunes and there's only 1.3GB of RAM free.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Thanks lllaass.
That makes sense but it's obvious to me that 4GB isn't going to be enough for anything more than light use, particularly if I open the likes of Photoshop. I've been using Memory Clean in an attempt to free up RAM when required but it never really makes available more than 2GB of the 4GB total.
I'm going to upgrade the Mac Mini gradually, starting with a RAM increase to 8GB (and possibly 16GB) and then an SSD replacement.

Mac mini startup/ shutdown code?

What causes mac mini to display startup and shutdown code?

To shut-down your computer your can type "sudo halt" into Terminal.

Mac Mini - Wifi Issue - Not Finding Established Network

Purchased and tried to setup a late 2012 Mac Mini (2.3 Quad-Core).
Current Wifi Setup
- Cable Modem into Airport Extreme.
- Airport Extreme (Base) is pushing to (2) Airport Expresses.
- (1) of the (2) Airport Expresses is underneath the desk where the Mac Mini is located.
- The devices currently on the network include: (1) MacBook, (1) Apple TV, (2) iPads and (2) iPhones. Everything is connected to the network and running properly.
Issue
One of the first things I attempted to do when I started up the computer, was join my home network. I searched for the network, found it and entered in the password. The Mac mini would not accept my password (the password is correct), claiming either password was incorrect or the connection timed out. I went to the Airport Utility and noticed the Mac mini was not locating/finding the Airport Extreme (Base), but was attempting to connect to the Airport Express underneath the desk. An important note the Mac Mini and the Airport Extreme are approximately 20 feet apart.
Here are some the methods I used to attempt a fix:
I turned off the Mac Mini Wifi and reset all (3) routers.
I updated the firmware of all (3) routers, reset them again.
I updated the OSX to 10.8.2
I ended up loading the Airport Utility on my Ipad and taking it back to where the Mac mini was located. From the attached picture, you can see on the bottom the Ipad correctly showing the Network and the on top show Mac Mini still searching for the Network.
I ended up hooking the Mac mini though Ethernet using the Airport Express underneath the desk, which is a fix however that an issue if the wifi is not working.
I’m currently at work and will have a chance to work on the computer this evening, does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix this issue?
Thank you in advance.

Hi, this has worked for a few...
Make a New Location, Using network locations in Mac OS X ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2712
old... http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106653
Hi, this has worked for a few...
Make a New Location, Using network locations in Mac OS X ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2712
10.7 & 10.8…
System Preferences>Network, top of window>Locations>Edit Locations, little plus icon, give it a name.
10.5.x/10.6.x/10.7.x instructions...
System Preferences>Network, click on the little gear at the bottom next to the + & - icons, (unlock lock first if locked), choose Set Service Order.
The interface that connects to the Internet should be dragged to the top of the list.
Instead of joining your Network from the list, click the WiFi icon at the top, and click join other network. Fill in everything as needed.
For 10.5/10.6, System Preferences>Network, unlock the lock if need be, highlight the Interface you use to connect to Internet, click on the advanced button, click on the DNS tab, click on the little plus icon, then add these numbers...
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Click OK.

Mac Mini DVD issues with 3rd party player software

New to the forum. I have a Late 2012 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM and 256 SSD (Crucial) fitted and the latest version Yosemite OS. I get a slight jerkiness when playing DVDs from an external Panasonic UJ265 USB3 Blu-ray drive using either Aurora or Macgo software, however Blu-rays play fine and the jerkiness disappears with Apple's native DVD player. Any ideas what might be going on? Many thanks.

I'm having a similar issue as well with my Mac Mini (Macmini 4,1) connected to an HP LP3065 via the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adaptor. I also have a Dell 2407WFP connected via the the HDMI->DVI connector:
Summary:
When the Mac Mini wakes from sleep, the display for the Dual-Link DVI connection is set to the wrong resolution and cannot be modified in System preferences.
Details:
In my case, this manifests as a blank screen and flashing green power led on the HP, which is how the it indicates the display resolution is set to something other than 2560x1600. The Dell still wakes up, but is now in Mirroring mode. At this point, Displays system preference shows a generic "Display" with a resolution of "640x480", plus the HP2407, with no option to change the resolution for the generic Display)
The only thing that seems to fix the problem is restarting the Mac Mini.
This seems to happen about 30% of the time the Mac Mini wakes from sleep. The rest of the time, everything works fine. It's extremely annoying.

Mac Mini startup issue

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