Need to boot broken Mac-Mini using retail Snow Leopard 10.6 DVD

Z

zitaescobar

Registered
Hi,

In Summary:
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I have Mac Mini (late 2009) which does not boot anymore and I need to install Snow Leopard using retail DVD (version 10.6). The OS/installer from the DVD does not seem to boot either. I always very much appreciate the efforts of true geeks. So please, any casual beginner, please do not demoralize with something like "cannot be done" etc.


The complete story:
==================
The start of the problem:
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1. All of a sudden, one fine day, on start up, my Mac Mini strated to shut itself down without no apparent reason to me. When trying to boot, it would show a progress bar for about 5 minutes - I am assuming that was disk-consistency check being performed. My best guess is that right after the use of Carbon-Copy Cloner (but I am not 100% sure) it all strated to happen.

2. Performed Mac's Disk-Util check and [Verify Volume] used to display "invalid directory item count, should be 31 instead of 29". Surface scan said disk hardware is 100% fine. Volume Repair never worked, since OS X was installed on the primary disk. I lost the DVDs that came with this Mac Mini, so the option to boot from that DVD and launch Disk Util etc. was not possible.

TechTool Pro - No Help:
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3. Started googling and had to choose between [TechTool Pro] and [Disk Warrior], opted for TechTool Pro. Tried its bootable DVD only to learn that TechTool Pro cannot fix it. Again, it's surface scan suggested disk hardware is 100% fine. Sent the details to TechTool Pro support team, they couldn't help either after a couple of e-mails+data exchange. (How do I claim my lost money with TechTool Pro - suggestions appreciated as well).

Googling / Mac Forums:
---------------------
4. Started looking into forums, learnt that someone had successfully repaired this problem using Ubuntu 11.04 install DVD (i.e., without installing the Ubuntu, but just using its 'try from DVD' feature). I had that handy, but forgot to disable HFS+ journaling before attempting to fix the problem. Anyway, attempting volume repair that way couldn't fix the problem as well. However this step took away my ability to boot from Mac.

5. However using Ubuntu's bootable disk, I could access Mac-HDDs contents - and was able to successfully back-up *all* my important data.

6. Googled and learnt that just attempting to boot using Ubuntu DVD can take away ability to boot using Mac bootable media - possibly due to EFI internals. Suspecting EFI is now corrupt, I tried other 'hacks' like:

6.1 eEFIt Boot Disk - which does not work at all,
6.2 Empire EFI w/ Chameleon - not sure how to proceed with options presented - trying either does not work,
6.3 Super GRUB2 - boots fine, but attempting to boot from Mac-HDD fails after a couple of seconds,
6.4 Boot-132 - boots fine, prompt asks for input, but then I cannot eject/replace the DVD due to Mac-Mini (lack of) design,
6.5 Ubuntu 11.04 / 11.10 - still boots fine - just that I cannot go into Mac-OS-X from here,
6.6 TechTool Pro bootable DVD - which used to boot fine earlier stopped to boot.

As you can see, none worked successfully. So I didn't yet try other popular rescue media - as I suspect that is not the direction I need to go into.

>> Looks like most of my problems are due to the fact that I have Mac-Mini which does not allow eject/replace of DVD from command prompt / out side of Mac-OS-X.


7. Tried emptying EFI partition, playing with EFI/Mac-OS partitions boot flags, Zapping the PRAM, nothing still allows me to boot either from Mac-HDD or any Mac-Bootable-DVD.

Current State:
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8. Now while boot time, Mac displays a gray screen for a few seconds, and then a blinking prompt on black background. That's it!

Snow Leopard 10.6 Retail Install DVD:
------------------------------------
9. Went to Mac store and bought this DVD only to witness that I can't boot from it as well. (This is a huge shocker, how is Apple able to sell these DVDs if these don't work on genuine MacMini itself. After all we are able to boot from and install Windows/Linux on a variety of Machines).


I am hoping for a very small step/fix that I am missing, since I can still see and access all Mac-HDD contents after booting from Ubuntu bootable DVD. However I am prepared for a good amount of exercise as well - assuming someone posts a valid/verified fix.


Things available right now:
==========================
A. Genuine Mac-Mini (Late 2009) who lost it's ability to boot either from its HDD or Mac-bootable DVDs (TechTools Pro, Mac OS X retail DVD)
B. Mac OS X 10.6 Retail DVD
C. NOT AVAILABLE - DVD that came with this Mac-Mini
D. Variety of rescue DVDs, listed in section 6 above
E. Another machine/PC with Ubuntu 11.04 - giving me ability to access internet


Thanks for reading.
Zita
 
Last edited:
The main thing that I notice is that you expect to boot from the 10.6 commercial installer DVD. Your mini (Late 2009) came with 10.6, but would be a later build of 10.6, unique to the mini.
So, I would not expect the 10.6 commercial installer to boot your mini.
So, the 10.6 commercial install version won't install, and may not boot the mini - which is where you are now. You need a 'newer' version of 10.6
Look at the 10.6 box, or the Snow Leopard DVD label. That should tell you the full version number of your OS X installer. The last version of that commercial installer would be 10.6.3 - which should boot and work fine.
If, in fact, you have 10.6, and not 10.6.3 - maybe you can return that version and swap out for the 10.6.3 version that will boot your mini.
 
Thanks for your reply DeltaMac.

The only Mac OS X installer that this iStore has is 10.6.

I think I'll try the hackint0sh way - at least attempt it. If unsuccessful, I can always install Ubuntu on this box : ) expecting it to be much faster; and go for Mac OS X as Virtual Guest, if I really miss it (iTunes for my iPhone and iPad?).

There are always lessons learnt.
 
So, the DVD and the box say 10.6, and not 10.6.3?
Did you explain your situation, and tell them that you need a current version, and not the old version that store sells? A normal shop, with wholesale connection direct to Apple, or at least to a major distributor, should be able to get the updated software, if you ask.

Another method is to use another Mac the WILL boot to that OS X installer, connect the two Macs together with a Firewire cable, and boot your mini to Target boot mode. Install 10.6 from that other Mac, then update to 10.6.8 after the install, and the Mac reboots to the drive in your mini.
Works good that way, and is a good solution. I'm not sure what a Hackint0sh way actually is, though I can guess...
 
Wow! So looks like there's no way I can use the DVD which claims to be original Mac OS X installer to install on original Mac Mini - without any hardware problems.

Thanks anyway.
 
The mini that you have is NOT an original Mac mini. An original would be the one first sold in 2005. That's a PPC G4 processor, and wouldn't install or boot to ANY version of 10.6 either - it's too old.
I did tell you one method to use your existing 10.6 installer, which requires you to have another, older Mac that will boot to 10.6.
This has little to do with "original", but everything to do with "capabilities". Your mini, which is too new, is not 'capable' of booting to the 10.6 installer that you have.
And, you have a local store that apparently is not 'capable' of getting you the installer version that you need. Did you try asking that store to order the current version of Snow Leopard that you need? If they do ANY tech repairs on Macs, they should understand what you need.
Try contacting Apple directly, where you can get the version you need from Apple's online store. It's still only $30 through Apple.
 
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zitaescobar said:
Never mind .. Ubuntu 11.10 it is!
Click to expand...

Ick... Fedora 15 with Gnome 3 for the win! Just switched last week after years with Ubuntu (Dapper Drake, anyone?) and all is well. I highly recommend giving it a try if you fully intend on turning that Mac mini into a Frankenstein Linux machine...

That is, of course, after you promise to make one last effort to secure a Snow Leopard installer that is version 10.6.3 or later, as DeltaMac so thoroughly explained. For the love of all that is good any holy! :)
 
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