Mac Mini boots up to grey screen


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Mac Mini

2.0 GHz Into Core 2 Duo

1GB DDR2 SDRAM

Part no.: MB139LL/A

OS: Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.??? (The last time I actually remoted into it and ran Software Update was almost a month ago, so I'm not positive on the exact version)

I had my Mac Mini running at home just fine. It was set up headless (no monitor) on my network and I was using it as a sandbox web server. I decided to take it to work with me during my holiday shifts and play around with some web programming. I VNC'd into it, shut it down properly, unplugged it and took it to work.

I plugged it in at work with a monitor, turned it on and now it will only boot up to the grey screen and sit there. It doesn't load the Apple logo, only a blank grey screen.

I cannot enter any different booting options by pressing key combinations during startup.

The following Mac Support pages produce no result (pressing any key combination does nothing):

- Starting up in Safe Mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

- Disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

- Resetting PRAM and NVRAM: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

- Resetting the PMU: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2183

- Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC): http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964?viewlocale=en_US

I've tried 3 different USB keyboards, including the aluminum Apple keyboard that came with my 24" iMac, a Dell keyboard, and an older LG keyboard with English and Japanese keys. I've tried each keyboard in different USB ports. I've tried powering the Mac Mini on with absolutely nothing plugged into it except for the power (not even the monitor) and plugging devices in one at a time.

Early in the troubleshooting process, I was able to get the cursor to display on the screen (nothing else, just the cursor) after holding the control button down during bootup using the Dell keyboard, but that was the only time I was able to get that to happen.

I was trying to boot into my Mac OS X Leopard disk to try and reinstall the OS, but since none of the keyboard options work during reboot I can't even choose to boot into the disk. So now my disk is stuck in there.

There is no critical information on this machine. Like I said it's just a sandbox web server I use to fool around with web apps.

Can someone provide any guidance to fix this, other than contact Apple since I don't have a warranty?

##### EDIT: ADDED INFORMATION BELOW #####

I came accross this page: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9196714

Someone had the exact same symptoms as me (with his iMac, not Mac Mini) several months ago. He sent his iMac in to Apple and they determined the issue to be bad RAM slots. The solution was to buy a new logic board.

Edited by emmx
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  • 2 weeks later...

to get your disk back try booting the machine with the mouse held down. Unless the machine is really screwed it should eject it.

As for the booting issue; it's hard so say the cause. It's unlikely anything has come loose as the parts are packed in tightly.

I'm guessing the mini is out of warranty. so if you are feeling brave you could try and open it and try the ram. It will work with one Chip.

This is a fairly good guide http://www.macforensicslab.com/ProductsAnd...products_id=176

Otherwise it's time for a repair.

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Holding down the mouse buttons didn't work either. I ended up opening the Mac Mini up, unscrewing the top of the drive and manually pulling the disk out.

I haven't touched it since the day that happened. But I'm definitely going to put some more time into troubleshooting the hardware.

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  • 1 month later...

##### EDIT: ADDED INFORMATION BELOW #####

I came accross this page: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9196714

Someone had the exact same symptoms as me (with his iMac, not Mac Mini) several months ago. He sent his iMac in to Apple and they determined the issue to be bad RAM slots. The solution was to buy a new logic board.

I LOVE YOU!!!! I have been spending, days, hours, once you said bad RAM slots, i removed one one the RAM sticks!!! i got a chime and now im finally loading LEOPARD!!! thank you sooooo much!!!!!!

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