Mini Mac help?
 

I'm going to search online but thought I would throw out a post here.

We have a Mini Mac here at work that boots to the "white screen of death"

I'm a PC guy and don't have a clue, this mac is in an exhibit and boots to a multimedia file. Is there a keystroke to bypass the startup file?

I have two system disks, I put disk #1 in and nothing happens, I power down and back up with the CD disk in the drive and it won't boot to the CD.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

I think you can boot with Command-F.... lemme Google....

Startup keyboard shortcuts

Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold Option during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until "Safe Boot" appears). Tip: If a startup function doesn't work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard and try again.

Key or key combination What it does
Option Display all bootable volumes (Startup Manager)
Shift Perform Safe Boot (start up in Safe Mode)
C Start from bootable media (DVD, CD, USB thumb drive, and so forth)
T Start in FireWire target disk mode
N Start from NetBoot server
X Force Mac OS X startup (if non-Mac OS X startup volumes are present)
Command-V Start in Verbose Mode
Command-S Start in Single User Mode

Thanks motion, you rock! (but you already knew that)

My co-workers are still looking on the net. :)

You can hold the C key while booting to force it to looks at the CD.

Sometimes you just need to clear parameter RAM, hold Command+Option+P+R and boot, keep holding till it reboots, you hear the chimes, you can keep holding the keys and let it cycle 2-3 times.

If you are not seeing the Apple Boot logo that could be an EFI/firmware problem.

Do you know if the box is connected to the net? Set for autoupdates? When they update themselves they download the payload and wait till the next reboot to install, sometimes it takes a bit, you think it's hung but it's not.

Depending on age it may boot to FIrewire Target Disc Mode, turns the box into a FW mountable external drive. Plug a FW cable between it and another Mac, boot and hold T key, should mount as a drive on the other box, run disk utilities on it.

No apple boot logo...

C while booting but won't eject CD.

Command+Option+P+R makes it reboot but still no go.

Tride all the keystroke in motion's post, no response.

Sprinked it with magic fairy dust, poked at it with a stick, booted while jumping up and down on one foot and swinging a dead cat over my head... still not working.

In the words of inimitable Bones of Star Trek fame... "it's worse than that.. it's dead Jim."

Just out of curiosity you are certain the display is good?

Replace the internal battery maybe. You have to take the case off. It uses a standard CR2032.

Apple shift key while booting

Make sure you're using hardwired Apple keyboard and mouse. Test monitor on another computer.

How do you open the case?

Tried booting with shift key, tried all the tricks moton and monkey suggested, downloaded the manual and followed their instruction (booting holding down mouse click) still no worky.

Again, how do you open the case? We joked about taking a dremel to it. I have taken apart a few laptops so I know there are hidden tabs sometimes involved.

Also using an Apple USB keyboard.

Thanks for the help!

Battery replacement wont do a thing, just like a PC all it does is provide juice for PRAM, keeps date and time correct and other misc stuff. If it's been powered on the whole time then it has not lost any settings that may cause boot issues.

They are pretty simple to open, you flip them over, slide a thin item in, think putty knife, work your way around and the case pops off.

Again though depends on the version/model.


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Someone has to say it....

Get a PC!

That is just for all the Mac lovers that always respond with "get a Mac" for every PC problem.

Ooooo... thank you! At least maybe I can get (my supervisors) system disk out!

Ran the SN at the apple site and they said manufactured 2009.

We have three of these, this one had an aftermarket keyboard so I borrowed a apple keyboard from one of the other exhibits.

This mini was in an exhibit, you push a button and it plays a video, not connected to a network or Internet. Worked fine for about two years... then came up with a folder and question mark... now just comes up with blank white screen.
It has a weird square-ish video out that we are adapting to HDMI.

I should add this mini seems to run hotter than the other two (that have DVI video out)

Folder/Question mark at boot means it lost the startup drive.

Does not always mean the drive is dead, just forgot where it is. Or the drive could be dead.

They take 2.5 SATA laptop HD's so if you have a spare sitting around slap it in and see if you can reinstall the OS.

Since you have other Minis try the Target Disc mode thing.

Firewire 800 cable to one of the other boxes.

Boot bad box holding T key.

It will pop up on the other device as a HD.

You can run disk repair/utilities from the host.

If it pops up as needing to be initialized then something went bad with the drive.

If it does not show up at all then drive or whole box is dead.

If you want you can open it up and disconnect the optical drive and see if it boots.

Rare but since the optical drive is a priority in the boot sequence if it's bad it could prevent the HD from being seen.

Detailed teardown guides can be found here:

Mac Mini Repair - iFixit

Someone has to say it....

I thought Macs "just worked"?