Can I use a 2014 MacMini as an External HD?

TuckerdogAVL

TuckerdogAVL

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I have a 1TB Fusion Drive MacMini Intel 5. I finally am upgrading to the new Mini M2. It has 512GB storage. I know I'll have to make decisions on what to move and keep. (I did just move the iMovie to an external. It was 298GB, so that helps with the decisions - and I'm zipping that to save on another location).
My question is, can I somehow format the 2014 MacMini to use as a 1TB External HD?
 
IMHO, if you don't care for the old Mini, strip the HD out of it, buy a HD enclosure (from Mac Sales/Other World Computing) and use it as you would any external.
 
I'm fine with the old Mini, just want to know what the procedure is to make it into an external. Do I just reformat the drive?
 
You can boot your Mac Mini in target disk mode. That way you can use it as an external thunderbolt drive.
You can get a thunderbolt 2 to thunderbolt 3/usb-c adapter (Apple sells one). But you can get yourself a 1TB external SSD for about the same price as the adpater!
 
You said that your 2014 mini has a Fusion drive, which is not just one device. It is a software combination of the 2 drives that are inside the mini: a mechanical hard drive, and an m.2-type stick for an SSD. Likely the only way to use that "virtual" fusion drive, is with both devices still installed in the mini, using target disk mode. You could certainly copy everything from the fusion drive to an external drive.
 
Can all the apps be copied? etc? I have a lot of this already duplicated and copied etc on three EHDs ... and, of course, the TM, but that is copying the entire MacMini I assume. I'm trying to get the answer as to what happens when I connect a 512gb max computer to a 1TB computer in the "just simply" transfer using migration assistant method that is always what is recommended. There is never any info on what happens in my case. Except to buy more Externals or add iCloud. I have 200gb of iCloud now and much of the documents are in there I assume. And the photos. Those take up about 90gb.

Do I just hook them up and drag the applications over? Assume the docs/photos/etc are in the iCloud? And go from there? PS Basically I was asking about the old MacMini because I didn't want to just turn it into a brick. I can another 2gb External for $50 or so... was just wondering really.
The main issue is how to get the new one up and running without running into a "you're out of space" or now the computer is spinning and crashing or the new OS cannot be booted or or or ... :)
 
Try the migration - you may (or may not) get a "not enough space" notification. One way to find out - try it. The reason I say that, is, as I said: If the migration process ignores the system temp files/cache files, then I expect you should be OK for space. And, it will just be the wait time for the migration to finish.
Good luck!
 
TuckerdogAVL said:
Can all the apps be copied? etc? I have a lot of this already duplicated and copied etc on three EHDs ... and, of course, the TM, but that is copying the entire MacMini I assume. I'm trying to get the answer as to what happens when I connect a 512gb max computer to a 1TB computer in the "just simply" transfer using migration assistant method that is always what is recommended. There is never any info on what happens in my case. Except to buy more Externals or add iCloud. I have 200gb of iCloud now and much of the documents are in there I assume. And the photos. Those take up about 90gb.

Do I just hook them up and drag the applications over? Assume the docs/photos/etc are in the iCloud? And go from there?
Click to expand...
DeltaMac said:
Try the migration - you may (or may not) get a "not enough space" notification. One way to find out - try it. The reason I say that, is, as I said: If the migration process ignores the system temp files/cache files, then I expect you should be OK for space. And, it will just be the wait time for the migration to finish.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Only concern about trying it is when I try it, goes south, then we're down a rabbit hole when I attempt later, or it says it's already done, or I can't get there from here, or it freezes, or spins or .... :) Not my first rodeo with Apple and "just trying it." That's what happened when I "just simply" loaded Monterey from Big Sur and it stalled then crashed and I had to spend $150 to "just simply" get everything back with the TM. Speaking of TM, I've read about that whole new minefield with the old vs existing vs new... so I'm not going the TM route, especially since this is a smaller HD. Thanks for all your help and insight.
 
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