Chosen Solution
I was gifted a Mac Mini model A1347, I believe its a late 2014 model. 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 with 8gb of LPDDR3. I was told the Mac has only been used a handful of times since its been purchased. When I tried to boot, I got a flashing ? folder, and after research I’ve found that this is most likely because the mac no longer has a working operating system. I’m not familiar with Apple products at all, so I’m wondering what my next course of action should be. Attempt to boot from a USB with a current OS? Would Geek Squad possibly still work on it even though its outdated? Thanks!
If you have another Mac: https://macdaddy.io/install-disk-creator… Download Your Desired MacOS (I recommend 10.14 Mojave) and Follow they’re guide… Otherwise Hold Down: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904 When In MacOS recovery, Go to Disk Utility, Check for a Partition that could have MacOS.If there isn’t one, Try Partitioning it to MacOS Extended (Journaled). Then try to install MacOS. IF THAT DOESN’T WORK, It’s likely A failed Hard Drive/SSD. Part: OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD or 500 GB SSD Hybrid 2.5" Hard Drive or Crucial MX500 500 GB SSDGuide: Mac mini Late 2014 Hard Drive Replacement or Mac mini Late 2014 SSD Replacement
Lucky for you there’s an entire page on this exact issue. It’s for MacBook, but the concept is largely the same. As a former Geek I can say with confidence, Geek Squad would also still work on this if you decide to go down this route. Although it’s usually a pretty straight forward. Bear in mind your options may be somewhat limited depending on what they find. If it’s a hardware issue, that isn’t something they can take care of in store.
