Move / transplant HDD to identical Mac Mini

Hi all!
I have 2 identical Mac Mini computers. One of them broke down, probably the PSU. It won't even power on.
My question is, can I just move the HDD from the broken one to the other one and expect it to work directly or do I have to do anything else to move my system to the working Mac?
Thanks,
Cosmin

Just connect the the HD and boot from it. Unlike for PCs it will work fine. You will not notice any difference

Similar Messages

Will iTunes 10.7 play my 720p HD movies on my Core Duo Mac mini that are currently on my iTunes movies playlist and playing perfectly fine in iTunes 10.6.3?

Will iTunes 10.7 play my 720p HD movies on my Core Duo Mac mini that are currently on my iTunes movies playlist and playing perfectly fine in the older iTunes 10.6.3?
Please let me know so I do not update to iTunes 10.7 and lose the ability to playback my 720p HD collection from my Core Duo Mac Mini to my Apple TV.
In the requirements it says:
• To play 720p HD video, an iTunes LP, or iTunes Extras, a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor and 1GB of RAM is required.

Performed the AppleTV update yesterday. Haven't had a problem since...though it's only been one day. Am I just hopelessly optimistic to think that AppleTV just needed to be updated to match iTunes and iOS for home sharing and airplay?
Fingers crossed...

Self RAM and HDD upgrade on mac mini

I would upgrade by myself RAM AND/OR HDD on a mac mini late 2009, will I void the warranty doing that kind of upgrade by myself?
Thank you
Message was edited by: eatrese
Message was edited by: eatrese

Hi Dahveed-
The question the original poster asked was if adding RAM would break his warranty. The answer, backed by the legal language in the Mini user guide, the Apple Hardware limited warranty booklet and the page on the Apple website is NO. Period. BUT if adding the RAM is the cause of failures or problems, then yes, the warranty will end immediately and forever. I believe I stated that quite clearly.
The statement that the apple web article is from 2004, and is therefore invalid, might work for some people on an emotional level, but not to a lawyer. Apple is wearing a big red bullseye on their back for as long as it remains up on the website.
I understand that you might be hung up on the idea that since there are no user serviceable parts in the Mini, you are breaking warranty by servicing the Mini.
This is not correct, and you will not find any language in any Apple documentation that says, "Servicing the Mini will void your warranty." If you can find that language anywhere, please correct me- I would be the first to admit I was wrong.
What Apple says is that since the Mini has no user serviceable parts, if you DAMAGE the Mini while servicing it and you are not an Apple Authorized repair center, YOU are liable for the damage, and not Apple. (Refer to Exclusions and Limitations paragraph F in the Apple Hardware Limited Warranty document in the Mac Mini box)
If the little RAM upgrade project had no bearing whatsoever on the problem your Mini suffers from, the warranty coverage applies.
Legally, warranties are always a bit of a corporate headache because a company must be very specific about what is NOT covered. This is why many electronics manufacturers, in addition to using specific language about what voids a warranty in the manual, often take the additional step of placing decals or other tamper-proof seals on sensitive internal components to assure that no servicing can be done. Nowhere inside the Mini, and nowhere in the manual and the warranty booklet does it say that servicing the Mini voids the warranty.
It is unfortunate that a couple of upgraders were allegedly turned down for service, but if they were turned down because their upgrade damaged, say, an Airport antenna or if they shorted something out by accidentally touching something, then yes, that shouldn't be covered.
On the other hand, if they can independently confirm with another repair center that the needed repairs were not in any way related to their upgrade, then they have a good claim on their hands, and a lawyer would say they had a good case against Apple.
Then again, I would be willing to bet that if those 2 posters had opened up their Mini again, taken out the upgrades, replaced them with the original apple parts, and THEN sent it in for service, they would have had no problems whatsoever.

Does TC give Extra HDD space for Mac Mini?

I use MAC Mini and its HDD is getting close to full. Purchasing Time Capsule means I have extra more HDD for Data? or Is just for the Backup. What should I get for extra HDD space?

Time Capsule is designed for your backups.
If the Mac Mini needs more storage space, you might be able to pull the internal hard drive and add a higher capacity drive. A shop can give you the details on this.
Another option would be to add an external drive to the Mini connected by USB or FireWire. Buy as much capacity as you can, especially if you plan to add movies, music, photos. etc. Drives seem to have a way of filling up much faster than might have expected.
If you decide to get the TIme Capsule for backups, it will backup both the Mac Mini and the external hard drive.
(If you do not have backups, there will almost surely be a day when you wish you did).

How best to move user folder to a Mac Mini + external drive

I am streamlining my desktop computer setup. Whereas before I was using a PowerMac G5 as my primary desktop computer, I realize I am using my MacBook Pro more often, so in the interests of conserving space, I will be switching over to a Mac Mini connected to my AV system for hosting all my iTunes music, videos, media, photos, etc.
Here is where I need advice. My PowerMac has a lot more media on it than can fit on the internal hard drive of a Mac Mini. I have already secured a 1 TB external drive which will be permanently connected to the Mac Mini, but I am unsure as to how to best go about copying my data to it.
My initial thought was that I could move the iTunes music folder to the external drive using the library consolidation feature, and I could copy my iPhoto library to it, then point the respective applications to the new location. However, I want the external to act as my home folder where the OS looks for all my personal data, including movies, documents, etc.
I know there is a procedure for changing your home folder's location to an external drive, but because of the limited size of the Mac Mini's internal HD, I would like to use migration assistant when I first start using the Mac Mini. Should I hold off on moving the home folder until after I have migrated, or can it be done beforehand?
Anyone have any thoughts or ideas? Thanks!

Thanks for the procedure. It seems very easy, but I am wondering about the consequences depending on when I do it. For example, let's say I first copy my entire home folder to the 1 TB external drive, set up the PowerMac to use it as my home folder, then use migration assistant to import my user accounts, applications, and settings onto the Mac Mini. Will it try to extract the data from the external drive onto the Mac Mini's internal drive? There won't be enough room for everything.
As an alternative, I can move my iTunes library and iPhoto library onto the 1 TB external first, keeping the rest of my user data in its original location. Then it can fit on the Mac Mini, and I can do the migration, then move the home folder to the 1TB external once it's all up and running on the new computer.
Which will work best?
I had heard about people using a single drive as their home folder across multiple computers, but that is not the case for me. My MacBook Pro will become my primary computer, but I intend to keep it clear of media, whereas the MacMini will become my media server for my AV system in my living room. The 1 TB will be constantly connected to the Mac Mini, so there shouldnt be a problem with starting it up once the user folder location has been moved.

Is it possible to stream a rented movie from iTunes on my Mac Mini to my Sharp Aquos Smart Tv

The TV sees other machines on the network just fine, the Mac Mini doesn't appear in the list on the TV. Trying to get rid of the Windows laptop and just use the Mini, but it is not visible.
Every other thread I've read suggests using an HDMI cable or even an ethernet from Mini to TV but I would like to just leave it all wireless (if possible) since 40' of cabling is not practical!

is that the only way?
I failed to mention I am posting for a friend, I have an Apple TV myself but don't want to come across as pushing more Apple products
Airplay is no doubt the way to go aside from an ATV but I'm looking for something that will allow the Mini to connect to the TV through WiFi and carry on...
The search continues!
(thank you for replying my friend)

How do I move iWeb files from my Mac Mini to my Macbook Air?

Just bought a new Macbook Air and trying to work on websites I created on Mac Mini - cant seem to figure out how to import them into my Macbook Air

Quit iWeb, go to Home Folder/Library/Application Support/iWeb and try double clicking the domain file.
Also highlight it and click the get info button.
In the info window under Sharing & Permissions, make sure you have Read & Write Privileges.

Watching downloaded movies on big screen with mac mini

Has anyone hooked up a mac to a big screen (dlp, lcd, plasma) tv? If so is video quality good? Would it be a good alternative to subscribing to cable or satelite to watch tv programs or movies?

Not sure why you asked the question here since it has nothing to do with the AirPort Express (AX) nor wireless networking.
You should post your question in the iPod touch discussion area.

I rented a movie on iTunes from my Mac mini but I can't find it anymore.

I was too tired to watch it so I turned off my computer and went to bed. The next morning I wanted to watch the movie but couldn't find it, the movie finished downloading the night before. Any ideas of where it might be?

Select Movies and double click the movie.

Can anyone help me move my email from my mac mini to my new macbook pro

mac book pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Mail stores most preferences and all account settings in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist (except the passwords, which are stored in the keychain). Everything else, including all your messages and mailboxes, is stored within the ~/Library/Mail/ folder.
Similarly, Address Book stores the settings in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.AddressBook.plist and the data in ~/Library/Application Support/AddresBook/.
Other applications store preferences and data in other places. You may want to ask in the appropriate forums for more information on those.
If both computers are running the same major version of Mac OS X, copying these files & folders from one computer to the other is all you need to do in order to have an exact copy of all your data on both computers.
In order to avoid potential permission issues, copy the files operating on the destination computer and while logged in as the user that’s going to use them. Also, be sure the affected applications aren’t running on either computer while doing that.
You may also want to read the following articles:
How to back up and restore your important Mac OS X 10.4 files
Transferring files between two Macintosh computers
Transferring data with Setup Assistant / Migration Assistant FAQ
If the major version of Mac OS X on the new computer is different, some applications may need to convert the old data to a new, different format. The data format used by Mail 2.x, in particular, is different from Mail 1.x. Problem is, the conversion from Mail 1.x to Mail 2.x is broken, and it may work or it may fail miserably, so be prepared for it if the version of Mac OS X running on the old computer is older than 10.4 (Tiger).
Note: For those not familiarized with the ~/ notation, it refers to the user’s home folder, i.e. ~/Library is the Library folder within the user’s home folder.

Pictures disappear when I move/copy from USB to mac Mini.

Why the system deletes the pics? It started when I upgraded to Lion. It begins the copy but at the end just vanish from the folder.
I´m having a lot of trouble since I work on a magazine and almost all the pictures from the brands comes in USB sticks.
Please help.

I had a problem copying any image files in LION. Thumb drive to MBPro (vice-versa) or even using finder to copy/paste or duplicate. The progress bar would go through the steps, but the final files vanished. Folders would copy and be empty.
I went to the Apple Store Genius Bar and the beautiful young genius proved she was just that.
She verified that the problem existed and was repeatable. She then wen to the guest account and tried it there where it did NOT occur. This told her that it was my login's issue.
She deleted: com.apple.finder.plist & com.apple.finder.plist.lockfile from my preferences and my issue was gone. They are just preferences, so there is little harm in trashing them and trying. I had to redo some passwords the computer now forgot, but at least I can copy.
Don't know if this will help anybody else, but it seems some people have run into an issue similar to mine.

Can i connect an external 3tb hdd to my mac mini 2011

I think the title discribes my problem prety well, please be sure that your awnsers are tested .

The size of the drive is a non-issue. Connection interface
(Thunderbolt, Firewire, USB) and the manufacturer are the
prime concerns. Some work better than others and some
just don't play nice at all.
This is personal experience only, but I would stay away from
Western Digital external drives. I have never had any good
luck with them over the years. Perhaps they are better now,
but I will never take a chance with them ever again.

Can I restore one of my mac minis to another with identical hardware?

Hi folks. I'm trying to get my mac mini 2011 working that I did not take a backup of. I have an identical mac mini as well. Can I use a time machine backup from that mini to restore to my messed up one? Thanks.

Sure

My 2012 Mac Mini came with a SSD and with Yosemite, can I add a SSHD and also migrate everything from a Macbook Pro that is running Lion 10.7.5?

Hi Apple Community,
Today I received a refurbished 2012 i5 Mac Mini that I purchased via Amazon. The Mac Mini came with a 256gb Samsung SSD only installed. The Mac Mini also has 10.10.2 Yosemite.
I am planing on ordering an "OWC Data Doubler Mounting Kit" to add another drive onto the Mac Mini.
(http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DIYIMM11D2/)
I also plan on getting a second drive which would be a 1tb SSHD Black Western Digital (16GB SSD) 2.5 SATA III (6.0GB/s) 5400RPM drive.
Now here is where I am a very confused and concerned. What I essentially want to do is use Migration Assistant to completely migrate what I have on a 2012 i7 Macbook Pro's 750gb HDD to the Mac Mini's 1tb SSHD drive. I want every file and setting to be placed on my new Mac Mini just the way it is on the Macbook Pro. The Macbook Pro is however using 10.7.5 Lion while my new Mac Mini is using 10.10.2 Yosemite.
What makes me confused is, if I migrate everything from the Macbook Pro onto the 1tb SSHD, would I still be able to benefit by having the 256gb Samsung SSD in the Mac Mini? For instance, would the Mac Mini still be able to boot up super fast and use the SSD to write and read programs very fast? Or is it because I am migrating everything from my Macbook Pro's HDD onto the Mac Mini's 1tb SSHD, my Mac Mini will not be able to use the speed benefits of the SSD?
Another concern is, will I be able to use Yosemite or will I be stuck with 10.7.5 Lion? I would only like Yosemite. I do not mine if Lion is removed from my new Mac Mini.

UPDATE:
Hi again,
I made more research on raid and now I am considering not to raid at all.
Raid0 seems extremely risky because I do not know how the SSD and SSHD would react together.
And Raid1 seems like it would not be able to function the way I would like to store my files. [The SSD is 256gb and SSHD is 1tb, there is no point in raid1]
I think I will just have to add the second drive and use it without raid. I will mostly save media files such as movies, pictures, and music. And for everything else, save it onto the SSD's storage.

Getting my Mac Mini tomorrow

Well, I took the plunge and ordered my Mac Mini today, picking it up tomorrow.
Used my PC World tax free voucher to buy the top line Mini, monitor, speakers, microsoft keyboard and mouse, webcam and iWork.
I am a bit nervous about moving to a new OS, please tell me I have made the right move.
Sub Sea Sniper

Sub Sea, you've made the right move (especially since
no new Mac minis have been released today - it would
have been frustrating to get an old Mac mini the day
after the new one is announced but it was the
right move anyway.
I'm afraid there won't be any downloadable upgrade,
so if you get iWork '05, you'll have to pay the full
price (79$) for iWork '06, which has indeed been
announced ...
Mac mini |
1.25 Ghz G4 | 1 GB RAM | 40 GB HDD | AirPort Extreme
Mac OS X (10.4.3) External 250 GB LaCie
HDD | LaCie FW DVD-RW DL 16x | 20 GB iPod w/Color
Display
Of course, IF there had been a new Mini announced today, those who bought an older model may have been able to take advantage of Apple's policy under such circumstances, which would typically allow a customer to return the older unit and have it replaced with a new model if the purchase was made very recently (14 days perhaps?) before the new model. I can't access the Apple store right now to check the policy, but I recall there is one along those lines.
And while there typically aren't free updates from old to new versions of software, there may be an equivalent of the 'now up to date' program that saw late Panther buyers able to update to Tiger for a small fee instead of the full product. A call to Apple once the mini and bundled software are in hand may be a good place to start!

Move / transplant HDD to identical Mac Mini

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for