Mac Mini won't boot from Snow Leopard CD

N

numegil

Registered
Hi,

A few weeks ago I bought a slightly used Mac Mini on eBay. Everything was going well up until yesterday, when it froze up on me. I didn't think much of it, and tried starting it up again a few hours later, only to be greeted by the flashing question mark of death.

I did some reading online, and know that the flashing question mark basically means that there's either a problem with the OS installation or the hard drive itself. I borrowed a friend's Snow Leopard installation CD (mine didn't come with the CD) to try to boot from it, but it refuses to boot from the CD.

The only keyboard bootup control that does anything so far as I can tell is the alt key (using a windows keyboard), which results a long delay while booting, followed by a blank screen with a mouse cursor. Everything else just ends up with the flashing question mark. If I try to hold C to boot from the CD, it sits there for 3-4 minutes with the occassional CD whirring sound, then ejects the CD and goes to the flashing question mark.

I desperately need this mac to work by next week for a class I'm taking on iPhone app development, so I was gonna try to go the Apple genius bar tomorrow. Unfortunately, its a 4 hour round trip for me via public transport, so I would really appreciate it if someone here could help me out and tell me any possible reasons why I can't seem to boot from the CD.

Thanks a lot!
-Numegil
 
When you bought the iMac did the seller provide the original DVDs that came with it? I ask because one of them has (printed in small letters on the DVD) has "Hardware Test" on it.

Now did you read the forum on the board [HOWTO] Use Apple Hardware Test and other diagnostics to test for hardware? It might help it getting your Mac going again because it sounds as if the hard drive is toast or the logic board is toast.

Plus take a look at the Apple article Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck. One of those procedures might help.

If all else fails, you need to take it in or return it to the person who sold you take lemon.

Good Luck.
 
Satcomer said:
When you bought the iMac did the seller provide the original DVDs that came with it? I ask because one of them has (printed in small letters on the DVD) has "Hardware Test" on it.

Now did you read the forum on the board [HOWTO] Use Apple Hardware Test and other diagnostics to test for hardware? It might help it getting your Mac going again because it sounds as if the hard drive is toast or the logic board is toast.

Plus take a look at the Apple article Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck. One of those procedures might help.

If all else fails, you need to take it in or return it to the person who sold you take lemon.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...

The OP has a Mac mini, but same question applies I'm sure. ;)
 
What exact model of Mac mini did you purchase? What is "lightly used?" How old is it?

If you purchased an older PowerPC-based Mac mini, you'll never get Snow Leopard on there. Snow Leopard is only compatible with Intel-based Mac computers, not PowerPC (G3, G4, G5) Mac computers.
 
As long as you have a intel based mac mini and a 1G Ram memory, Snow should work, still if the HD is already failing it stops from reading the media or even does not starting up (you know "?" at start up") something that could cause is Witch version of OS hav you installed a generic one or borrowed from some one that had it with him/her and that came with his/her computer, if is the case your Mac Mini will act weird because every machine comes with a specific pair of DVD installations discs that have specific drivers and soft that make that specific machine work.
 
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