Got a mac mini with no HDD....new to mac

[TheSiege]

its 2009 mini and I put a 160gb SSD in it. Now how do i install the OS?

 

[master_shake_]

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5022082?tstart=0

first post has a great answer.

 

[TheSiege]

I am on a windows machine...

 

[master_shake_]

step five on that says if you don't have any recovery media

If you have neither of the above, after replacing the drive, restart into Internet Recovery by pressing/holding the Command+Option+R keys. Since you have a mid-2011, Internet Recovery will ONLY allow you to download and install Lion since that's what probably came preinstalled on your system.

looks like the recovery menu ought to help you out.

command i think is the windows key...

could be wrong.

i am wrong it's ctrl.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/kb/970299

 

[TheStu]

Hopefully the previous owners kept the OS up to date, I'm pretty sure '09 Macs didn't have Internet Recovery in their firmware by default. If the Mac supported it (after a brief poke around, I couldn't find a list of supported systems), then a later OS would have added it.

Anyway, turn on the Mac, hold CMD+R. If you have a windows keyboard, then it's Windows+R (You were right the first time master_shake_).

Format the drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and install OS X from there. No key or serial is needed.

 

[TheSiege]

none of those options works for me. I have a mac mini with no HDD. I just put in a clean, fresh SSD. Its from 2009 so internet recovery is not an option. So now what? And I use a mac at work so I do have access to a mac...

 

[TheStu]

none of those options works for me. I have a mac mini with no HDD. I just put in a clean, fresh SSD. Its from 2009 so internet recovery is not an option. So now what? And I use a mac at work so I do have access to a mac...

Then from the Mac at work you'll need to download a modern OS and put it on a thumbdrive, there are instructions on the internet. Install it over USB.

You could also clone one of the work macs to the SSD, the Mini'll probably boot right up.

 

[TheSiege]

Is there instructions somewhere on how to do this? Everywhere I have looked references internet recovery. The work mac has a bunch of restrictions on it

 

[TheSiege]

Can you link to the software and os image and whatnot?

 

[rugby]

Download an OS from the App Store on your work computer and then take a USB drive and run this:

http://diskmakerx.com

It will make a USB installer.

 

[KeithP]

Snow Leopard
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

Lion
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

Mountain Lion
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion

I am not 100% sure the Snow Leopard disk would work. Your machine originally shipped with a version of Snow Leopard, for the disk to work it would have to be a later version of Snow Leopard than what your machine shipped with.

-KeithP

 

[TheSiege]

I have a dmg of mountain lion, how can I use it with that?

 

[slackerinabox]

Google.

FYI, I upgraded the harddrive to ssd on a 2009 mini and just used an external usb dvd rom drive and a burned iso of os x. As for the details on how to get your iso, google. If I recall correctly dmg's are isos for the most part, so it's a simple process.

 

[Tyranicus]

Google.

FYI, I upgraded the harddrive to ssd on a 2009 mini and just used an external usb dvd rom drive and a burned iso of os x. As for the details on how to get your iso, google. If I recall correctly dmg's are isos for the most part, so it's a simple process.

DMGs are disk images that can either be burned to a DVD or restored to a flash drive that's been formatted HFS+ with a GUID partition scheme.

 

[MotionMan]

I have an extra Snow Leopard install disk I can send you.

PM me your name and mailing address and I will send it out by Friday.

Karma and pay it forward...

MotionMan

 

[Oyeve]

I have an extra Snow Leopard install disk I can send you.

PM me your name and mailing address and I will send it out by Friday.

Karma and pay it forward...

MotionMan

Awesome! Nice guy.

 

[Childs]

none of those options works for me. I have a mac mini with no HDD. I just put in a clean, fresh SSD. Its from 2009 so internet recovery is not an option. So now what? And I use a mac at work so I do have access to a mac...

Since its just a mini you can bring it into work, boot it into target disk mode, connect it to your work machine, and just download the OS and install to the mini. Alternatively, I have flash drives with live Mac OS X installs. You can install a recent version of OS X to a thumb drive, then bring it home, boot the thumb drive, then download and install. And finally, you can create a thumb drive installer from the app store version of the OS.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

 

[TheSiege]

I cant seem to find OS X installer on the app store...

 

[TheStu]

Are you on the App Store on the Mini, or another Mac?
If the Mini, did you take MotionMan up on his offer?
If another Mac, what OS is it running?

 

[TheSiege]

I PMd him but go no response. The mini has a new HDD in it, so I cant do anything on it. I am on MBP at work with el capitan

 

[Childs]

I PMd him but go no response. The mini has a new HDD in it, so I cant do anything on it. I am on MBP at work with el capitan

Redownload El Capitan. This will put the installer in /Applications. Then follow the directions at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

 

[MotionMan]

I PMd him but go no response. The mini has a new HDD in it, so I cant do anything on it. I am on MBP at work with el capitan

I did not receive a PM from you. Please resend.

MotionMan

 

[TheSiege]

I did not receive a PM from you. Please resend.

MotionMan

My bad, maybe I didnt

 

[MotionMan]

My bad, maybe I didnt

Maybe?!?



MotionMan

 

[TheSiege]