I'm looking for a take apart guide for Mac mini Server (Mid 2010). I need to replace both internal hard disks.

⟐ Answer edited September 17, 2014 at 10:37 MST

⟐ Answer edited August 23, 2023 at 14:45 MST

Thanks

Frederic

I am running high sierra on that mac but, with only 2GB, it is struggling, hence the temptative upgrade…

⟐ Edited by author September 26, 2018 at 8:53 MST

I've done many, many repairs via iFixit's repair guides, and this is my first fatal mistake. In the process of changing the hard drive, I inadvertently pulled the logic board out too far and damaged the IR Sensor and the Optical Drive Thermal Sensor - the wires ripped right out of the connector. Note to self: buy a Logic Board Removal Tool next time.

Anyway, it wasn't clear to me from looking at the iFixit site if those parts (cables?) are available from iFixit. Is one of them part of the HD cable and the other part of the optical drive cable? If I need to sacrifice the optical drive, I'm fine with that, as I don't need it. The connectors in question are indicated in the attached picture.

I'm looking for whatever I need to buy to fix my mistake, and suggestions are appreciated - thanks!

⟐ Commented January 04, 2019 at 18:36 MST

I would like to replace the original hard disk for a SSD.

I have found the following SSDs and would like to know if they are compatible. I have phoned Samsung but they referred me to Apple.

• Samsung 860 EVO 250 GB 250GB 2.5" SATA III
• Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB 500GB 2.5" SATA III
• Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB 1000GB 2.5" SATA III

Is there also an instruction available how to replace the disk?

Kind Regards,

Rob

⟐ Comment deleted April 25, 2020 at 11:35 MST

I had disconnected all peripherals and performed SMC reset, still would not boot up. Started up in Single user mode and ran fsck (file system check) with no errors. Created Sierra OSx installed USB stick. Started up in Disk Manager mode and selected USB, Sys HD, Recover 10.12.2 and all resulted in same outcome, white screen after Apple logo and progress bar 1/ 2 way completed.

Removed 2 memory sticks and re-installed top stick in lower bank. Boots up to Apple logo and progress bar 1/2 way but now shuts down!

Started up holding down Ctrl - D (windows keyboard) to run Apple Hardware Test. Ran 2 passes, no problems found.

Started up in Safe Mode. In terminal prompt typed in fsck (file system check). Received the following;

• Checking catalog file
  • Invalid node structure (4,3305)
• The volume System HD could not be verified properly

First, get the name of the partition of the failing volume. You can get it most easily by finding your disk in Disk Utility, selecting your partition (not the drive) and type cmd-i. Look for "Disk Identifier" right at the top.

Then, open up Terminal, and type this:

sudo /sbin/fsck_hfs -yprd /dev/disk5s2

substituting your disk identifier for the one already here. Keep the "/dev/" part. Enter your password, and wait. It may take a while. I have had this fail several times before finally working so its important to keep trying. It's faster than a reformat!!!

If the afflicted disk is your startup disk, you will need to do this in single user mode: restart the computer, hold down Command S, and wait for the terminal window to appear.

⟐ Commented October 18, 2018 at 0:17 MST

⟐ Answered June 24, 2020 at 15:15 MST

⟐ Answer edited July 31, 2020 at 1:19 MST

Has anyone tried putting in the larger DDR3 PC3-10600 ram into the mac mini mid 2010 rather than the recommended DDR3 PC3-8500.

⟐ Commented November 16, 2023 at 12:54 MST

It will work if I use only one of the new 4 GB together with one of the old 1 GB. One 4 GB by itself doesn’t work.

Why doesn’t it work with both 4 GB chips, but works with mismatched RAM?

5 GB is working fine and speeding things up considerably, but is there a way I can make my Mac use all 8 GB?

Thanks!

⟐ Commented April 15, 2022 at 5:13 MST

Second hand Mac Mini with a problem here. Fan is going full speed (I can hear it loud and clear), but reads 0 RPM.

Software, like Macs Fan Control or smcFancontrol to lower the speed won't work (can't go lower then 0 RPM, so seems obvious).

I'm missing 2 temperature sensors (the ones attached to the HD), which are coming in next week, however in my common sense that should not be the reason for tools to read the fan speed at 0 RPM.

Am i missing a problem here somewhere ? Another loose connector or missing sensor or something ?

SMC and PRAM reset will not work. Tried it. Sensor to Superdrive works fine.

Any idea ?

Cheers!

⟐ Comment deleted May 13, 2020 at 18:39 MST

⟐ Answered February 07, 2020 at 9:37 MST

Regards, Mattias

⟐ Answer accepted November 14, 2017 at 6:03 MST

Is there any way to buy new pieces of tape without having to buy another heat sensor? Or something else I can use in its place? And what kind of adhesive could I use to re-adhere the top pad to the optical drive connector?

Please let me know,

Thanks

⟐ Answer accepted January 28, 2017 at 8:55 MST

I am guessing Internet Recovery is newer than the machine therefore I can’t run it. I could use the original DVD and install a fresh copy of Snow Leopard then try and run diagnostics after a successful installation.

⟐ Commented April 30, 2019 at 7:29 MST

⟐ Commented December 22, 2015 at 11:32 MST

⟐ Answer accepted October 27, 2015 at 4:13 MST

Today I replaced the PRAM battery, after numerous references to this, as well as swapping the RAM cards (with each other) and dusting them off.

Still the beeping tones, can't do safe start up, can't reset SMC or PRAM.

Anything else I should try before I sell this thing on ebay for parts?

⟐ Answered May 27, 2015 at 18:36 MST

I got frustrated and installed a fresh hard disk and tried to boot the mac into a bootable mac OS X usb which I made using transmac on windows as I do not have access to any other mac. When I tried to boot into the usb, it would again load to the end and just get stuck there and would not go past it. At that point I gave up and left it for 2 years. I tried to fix it again this year and I tried various other things like creating a bootable usb from a mac os virtual machine which did not work. I got fed up and tried to install a different OS, like windows which would not work. The only OS I got to work on my mac mini was Ubuntu. I have no idea what I can do anymore.

Is this the only apple product which refuses to boot into Mac OS? I would really appreciate any help I can get because honestly.. I am in a limbo with this machine.

⟐ Commented October 27, 2024 at 8:13 MST

⟐ Answered March 14, 2021 at 11:21 MST