I have just replaced the internal HDD of my Mac Mini with a Crucial MX500 SSD, in the process of moving the logic board I pulled it out too far which disconnected the wires from inside the logic board connector of what I believe is the optical drive sensor. I have inserted the wires back into the connector but even so I’m having an issue with the fans on full speed.

As others have recommended, I am using the app SSD Fan Control but became perplexed as to why it wasn’t doing anything when I set it to Auto or S.M.A.R.T.

Only when I set the optical drive setting to manual did it stop the fans from spinning on max.

I’m guessing this means the optical drive thermal sensor is broken.

I taped the HDD thermal sensor to the new SSD, similar to how it was on the original.

The app is set to SMART on the left half (hard disk) and manual (2500 RPM) on the right side (optical drive). Does this mean the fans are still working automatically based off of the data from the thermal sensor on the HDD, just not on the sensors on the optical drive? The optical drive on this Mac is never used, so could I feasibly continue to use the Mac as normal and won’t have to worry about overheating so as long as the optical drive isn’t used? The reason I believe the HDD thermal sensor is working is because the measured data on the app fluctuates a little (RPM and degrees) so I think it’s reading some sort of data.

Separate to this, does this app work in the background? When I close it, it doesn’t show anything in Activity Monitor that I can see, so will it still read the sensor data and adjust the fans accordingly? I’ve set it to open upon logging in via System Preferences, Users, Login Items.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

⟐ Commented February 20, 2026 at 5:33 MST

⟐ Commented February 18, 2026 at 21:53 MST

⟐ Edited January 27, 2026 at 17:42 MST

However, I encountered difficulty in re-installing the Antenna Plate, particularly the two 5.0mm T8 Torx on both sides. While it was originally perfectly fit (when I tried to remove the antenna plate), it is now re-installed with only one side of the T8 torx on either one side and the two 6.6mm T8 screws in the bottom part, leaving one 5.0mm screw uninstalled. Though my mac mini worked perfectly fine without that screw.

I don't think I have damaged or transformed the antenna plate and I believe that the antenna plate was not perfectly fit out of the box. Do anyone of you encounter this problem? Any solution?

⟐ Commented January 20, 2026 at 17:10 MST

⟐ Commented December 24, 2025 at 0:58 MST

Thanks in advance :)

⟐ Commented December 07, 2025 at 14:20 MST

⟐ Answered December 06, 2025 at 14:19 MST

The internet has been strangely silent on this topic. I haven't been able to find anything definitive from either iFixit or OWC, which are usually all over upgrades like these.

⟐ Answered November 21, 2025 at 8:42 MST

⟐ Answered November 18, 2025 at 22:59 MST

The startup-disk choice resets, Mail and Music/TV libraries rebuild or vanish after path changes, and data seems lost. After sleep, the SSD randomly disconnects; Spotlight and iCloud loops rebuild indexes endlessly. FileVault, TRIM, and Thunderbolt power management make things worse, causing freezes or corrupted mounts. Cloning is nearly useless—only a clean migration gives stability.

From my testing and countless reports online, external booting on Apple Silicon is still technically possible but feels deliberately neglected by Apple and gets more fragile, slower, and frustrating with each macOS release.

⟐ Commented November 18, 2025 at 22:55 MST

⟐ Answered November 17, 2025 at 2:21 MST

⟐ Marked as duplicate October 22, 2025 at 17:39 MST

• Sometimes it reaches the desktop before crashing, other times it crashes during login.
• I’ve reset PRAM/NVRAM, booted in Safe Mode, and run Apple Diagnostics (no hardware issues).
• Disk Utility shows no errors, and I’m currently attempting a macOS reinstall without success.
• The issue started after the upgrade, but I don’t have full details since this is a client’s machine.

Any insights on next steps? Would a clean install or T2 DFU restore be necessary?

Thanks in advance!

 Chris Leeds

Independent Apple Specialist

Well Connected Life

⟐ Commented August 30, 2025 at 9:53 MST

⟐ Answer edited August 12, 2025 at 18:59 MST

As a disclaimer, I know this may be a hardware issue and that is why I am here. I have already taken it to Apple and they had no luck, telling me it needs a logic board replacement. It wasn't worth the money so this has turned into just a slow learning project that I've been chipping away at as a hobby.

I have tried to restore it with Apple Configurator and another MacBook, but after putting it into DFU mode and waiting for it to restore, it fails with this error (4014)

Unexpected device state 'DFU' expected 'RestoreOS' (Probably forced into DFU mode externally)

AC recognizes the Mac Mini, and the restore works up until Step 4/4, "Installing System", where it pauses halfway and then gives that error.

At that point I can see via the status light on the Mac Mini that it goes from a normal boot (white) to DFU mode again (solid amber) randomly, and AC sort of flickers at this point as well and then complains about the Mac Mini being in DFU (instead of RestoreOS).

I guess this could be something fried on the board, but I wouldn't know where to start because the only apparent issue being that it just randomly dips out of RestoreOS and back to DFU is very odd.

I've heard this error (4014) can be a faulty cable, but I've tried a lot of different ones, including a genuine Apple USB-C cable. I may buy a brand new one and try again.

Do you know of any software or hardware issues this could be? It seems like a simple issue but with no real rhyme or reason to it. Even if you just have a hunch, any tips on where I should look next would be greatly appreciated.

⟐ Answered August 07, 2025 at 7:55 MST

⟐ Edited August 01, 2025 at 5:21 MST

Would replacing the Logic Board of the Mac Mini A2348 bypass the Activation Lock? I keep finding contradicting answers so any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

⟐ Commented July 28, 2025 at 18:35 MST

When the computer restarts, it doesn't indicate a kernel panic.

No idea what to do, thank you for the help!

⟐ Commented July 12, 2025 at 12:03 MST

So this is what it looks like should I clear all this test the board etc it’s doing a full spin now. Hopefully these are easily fixed.

this is after a clean

this is what I get after all the steps I’m guessing there’s a much bigger issue there’s a longer spin with the fan now though

⟐ Commented July 03, 2025 at 4:25 MST

Machine was working fine. I took it apart using the guide here to install a larger SSD, it went smooth as butter. Put it back together and powered it on using a bootable High Sierra Jump Drive, It took longer than usual sitting on a black screen but it did come up. It got stuck on the Apple screen for quite a while. I pulled power.

Now ANY time I plug it in it just keeps giving me the power chime over and over and nothing on the screen.

I even try it without a hard drive plugged in and does the same thing.

SMC Reset does nothing.

Any advise? Thanks

——

UPDATE: The caps lock light does cycle and mouse does light up

Left machine unplugged all weekend. Came to work Monday morning and plugged it in. It sent power to the usb ports and the fan spins like usual - but I get no power on chime. There is nothing on the HDMI output. I let it sit for 30 mins and it did nothing. (at this point I put the old hard drive back in with a proper OS installed, so it should boot up and run). After 30 mins I pulled power for 30 seconds and plugged it back in and its back to the same chime / reboot loop. Any help would be great. Thanks

Would this device boot even if it could not see a hard drive of any kind? Perhaps I damaged the sata flex cable.

Now the startup chime has some distortion to it. Off

With this device, Should it power on automatically when I plug power in?

Update: The startup chime is clear as a bell WHEN THE WIFI CARD IS INSTALLED. Any time the wifi card is not installed it gets scratchy and distorted.

I think this logic board needs a exorcism!!

MAKING HEAD WAY! THE USB DRIVE I BOOTED FROM WAS A CLOVER DRIVE, I THINK IT CORRUPTED THE “ME REGION”

https://www.rossmanngroup.com/boards/for...

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED! AND HERE IS THE FIX!

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/warni...

⟐ Answered July 01, 2025 at 10:19 MST