It's been a bad week: my Mini has become a paperweight and my old pc bit the dust, apparently.

[elocs]

Simply unbelievable. I've had ther Mini for nearly 4 years now since it was introduced and I had to reformat it in the first year. Apple Care simply blamed my problem on software I had downloaded. This time it's really gone and I cannot even reformat it. All I can get it the little icon folder in the middle of the screen with the face and the question mark. Asked the guy at the local Apple reseller about it (where I bought it) and his attitude was like "too bad, so sad, want to buy a new Mini?" Needless to say I will never buy anything there again and at this time I am not confident at all about buying another Mini and I have absolutely no need for an iMac since I already have a 28" monitor.

Then my trusty 7 year old pc bit the dust too, so it seems. Now I am not happy at all with either the pc or the mac camp and I don't know which way to go. If I wasn't as deep into the computer culture as I am and cannot really go back I would say screw em all. I'm beginning to yearn for a much simpler time.

[Adelante]

1. Can you start your mini with the installation disk?

If it starts you can always reinstall the software. I'm no expert but that's what I've done a time or three when all looked lost. Also, do you have DiskWarrior. Sometimes that can bring back a gone disk.

[Pierre.Suave]

2. How far are you from the Minneapolis area?

Seriously.

If you are coming this way soon, let me know, bring the mini and your software discs and we may get it working again, or find out what the problem is so it can be fixed.

But do try starting from the disc on your own too, put the disc in the slot and turn the computer on, then restart it and hold down the option key, or either the "C" or "D" key, I cant remember which but the option key will give you the start up options, the C or D key will start immediately from the disc. Anyway, then go to the install menu, select english, then across the top of the screen on the menu bar select utilities and then click on Disk Utility and open it and run the tests on your HDD if you can, and post back here what it says.

If you can do all that and there are no errors, you can simply re-install your OS by selecting erase and install and following the prompts.

Let me know if you need more guidance.

[elocs]

3. Here is the progression of the demise of my Mini:

1. The eternally spinning beachball with the frozen screen.

2. I shut off the power on the back but could not get it restarted.

3. I put in the first install disk to run the hardware test and after many tries I was actually able
to run the test which when it reached "Mass Storage" it showed error detected.

4. After the hardware test stopped it gave me the option to restart, so that is what I did.
Eventually my desktop did come up with all of its icons, but also with the eternally spinning
beachball. I let it spin for an hour and tried to shut the power off to restart it by the book.
5. Now I could not get the hardware test choice to even come up when I powered on while pressing
"option".

6. Someone suggesting pressing the "c" key when powering up again in order to reformat. I did that
and actually started the process of reformatting. It would inititally get a ways into the process
and then freeze. Eventually when I tried a few times more it got to the point in the process
after I chose "I agree" and then when I was supposed to make the choice in order to continue
(which would have been the HD) there was no choice to pick so I could not continue.

7. Now when I powered up while pressing "option" I would get the back and forward arrows without
any choices in between (hard drive, reformat,hardware test)--it was blank and empty, just the
arrows.

8. So I try and power on again while pressing the "c" key (remember: my install disk is in the
drive) and now all I get is a small icon of a folder in the center of the screen with a face and
and a question mark.

9. I try and go back and press "option" while powering up and now all I get is the above icon.
No matter what I do now all I get it that icon.

10. On top of all of that my first intall disk is stuck in the drive and I cannot get it out (no,
not even while holding down the mouse key when I power up).

I am really lost as to what to do further. When I went to the local authorized Apple reseller where I bought the Mini all the guy there would do is shrug his shoulders and say it looks like I have a hardware problem and tell me that they have new Minis for sale. I consider that guy as worthless as tits on a bull.

So right now I am stuck. Couple with the fact that my old pc crapped out on me I am double stuck.
In answer to your original question, I live in La Crosse which is about 3 hours or 150 miles from Minneapolis.

[moggie]

4. Sounds like you'll have to open it up

If the inability to eject the install disk is just a drive problem, you may have better luck by trying to eject it with the Mini upside-down: this sometimes works with laptop drives. But if you want to revive this Mini, it sounds like you're going to have to dismantle it and replace the HD (cheaper than replacing the whole system). The Mini isn't really designed for customer replacement of parts, but it's doable, and you can find howtos with pictures around the web. You need a putty knife to open the case!

[Adelante]

5. And teeny tiny screwdrivers

I was a nervous wreck when I did it with mine, but it's an iMac, so actually pretty easy once I stopped shaking.

OP, what exactly was the diagnosis when you brought it in? Aside from telling you a new mini. Did they tell you you needed a new HD? Or what?

[elocs]

6. The diagnosis was, "It must be a hardware problem, but we have new Minis".

That was the total extent of the advice and help I got from the "Mac Guys". As far as Macs go, I already have a 28" monitor and so I am not in the market for an iMac and the towers are way beyond what I can afford or need. Given my experience with Macs so far (which I realize is different from the majority, but it is totally "my" experience)and based on what I need I will not be getting another Mac anytime soon. I purchased Apple Care with this Mini and when it crashed in the first year the only help I got from them was, "Oh, it must be a problem with software you installed, you will have to reformat". I am thinking that there may have been a problem with my Mini from the beginning and it finally caused it to bite the dirt (from what I've read online about the flashing ? icon it strongly indicates the end compared to time, effort, and money that would be needed to repair an almost 4 year old computer).

[Adelante]

9. I suppose you have seen this?

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1440

I can't speak to Apple Care since I didn't purchase it and I've had no direct contact with Apple for any reason after buying the machine five years ago. I live in another country where Apple experts are kind of scarce, too, so I've pretty much been on my own except for one time I shipped it back to the authorized distributor for a new power supply, all of which was done free, so I can't complain. But I think you have not received a technical diagnosis from Apple and should demand one, so at least you know what needs to be done, even if you decide not to do it. I know you are angry and I can't blame you, but if it were me, I would take it as far as I can before giving up on equipment you paid good money for. Good luck whatever you do.

[elocs]

11. Yes, I have seen a lot about the ? problem, but mine keeps getting worse

with the solution getting less likely. From everything I have read the prognosis is not good. My Applecare expired last summer after 3 years and I didn't think much about it because I was problem free. Also, when I did contact them in the first year when I had a problem they were kind of snooty and simply blamed the problem on software I had installled. I am really not happy with my local Mac reseller and I would never buy anything from them again. I still don't know what I will do. I'm not happy with my Mac experience, but I don't relish going back to a pc with its much disliked Vista.

[Pierre.Suave]

7. I will second the opinion that you need a new HDD

It can be done, if you want to do it, here is the place to get one.

www.macsales.com

good people and good prices and it is guaranteed to work with your model mac.

edit: due to some of the other symptoms, I would not be surprised if there was also a bad ram stick in there as well... which can also be fixed very cheaply at the same link above.

[elocs]

8. Thanks for the advice, but I have no desire to put any money into this Mini.

As far as doing any work myself I would no more crack open my Mini and attempt to work on it anymore than I would open the hood on my 2 year old car and attempt to fix it. As Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations" and I know mine. I am not interested in another Mini given the trouble I've had with mine and already having a 28" monitor I have no need of an iMac and I cannot afford and don't need a tower. I'm done with Apple and will go back to a pc even knowing its problems. Although up until this week my 7 year old pc was still working even though it is way outdated. Heck, even now I am typing this on an old pc running Windows 2000 that I borrowed from a friend.

[Pierre.Suave]

10. well, if you change your mind

and it IS cheaper to do this than buy a new computer, and are coming this way, let me know and I will help you open it up and fix it. I have done it a few times before and have some experience.

[elocs]

12. Thanks, but I doubt if I would have any reason to go to the Cities.

I go to Chicago regularly and have a friend there who is a real Mac guy and he wants to look at it, but he has never opened a Mini though.

[elocs]

13. I bought myself a nice and inexpensive pc today and no Windows Vista for me.

It's Unbutu all the way and it is way faster and nicer than my Mini ever was. It's nice to still not have to worry about viruses and spyware either.

I tried to get my Mini going again today to no avail, but I must say I don't miss it at all now.

[MattSh]

14. I'm not exactly sure about what you are saying...

But, if you can at some point get to the point where you can reinstall, select the option to "zero the data".

Late last year, I did a clean install on the mini, and 6 weeks later, had to do it again. Apple's Disk Utility said the HD was going bad, Disk Warrior said the same thing, but zeroing the HD before a reinstall fixed it. Apparently zeroing data will mark trouble areas of the HD as unusable, whereas a regular reinstall will not, insuring you will have problems again.

Are you near an Apple Store, (not a reseller) and have you gone there? I have always found them to be helpful.

[elocs]

15. Late in answering, but my Mini really is pretty much a brick.

The first install disk is stuck and no methods other than cracking open the box will get it out. The only thing that shows now is a flashing '?' with no other options. I have a new pc now because I am in no way interested in another Mini and I already have a 28' monitor so I wasn't interested in an iMac and a tower would be very expensive overkill for my uses.

I am nowhere near any Apple Store and the Apple reseller here would only advise me that it sounded like a hardware problem and that they have new Minis in stock. I wouldn't even buy a usb cable from that bunch.