Mac mini shutdown problem - overheat with XP

**vtecfelon23** · 08-08-2008, 11:45 AM

Mac Mini problem: System shuts off after 15 mins of use. It is overheating and killing power.

Here is how the computer was set up:

-Removed mac os x with a clean install of windows XP
-Installed Ubuntu 8.04 inside the windows install

This all worked very nice for a few months, until I went away on vacation, and the battery died in my car. My guess would be that when I initially tried to start my car it used whatever juice was left to power the mini and killed the boot process. This must have messed something up with power management in turn made my fan stop working, causing the unit to overheat in about 15 mins.

Note: resetting the PMU fixes the fan issue, but causes XP not to boot. So it just doesn’t doesn’t work. Ubuntu refuses to boot too.

- Use a disk to get back into windows and uninstall Ubuntu.
- This fixed nothing, but it did free up some space.
- Clone the HD to preserve data in case of failure
(a linux live disk, or UBCD works great for these things)

Windows only loads when the fan does not function. When the fan functions windows wont load. So basically any mods that I do inside windows has to take 15 mins or less.

Now my hypothesis to the solution.

- Completely wipe the drive.
- Reset the PMU (to get the fan running in sync again)
- Install mac os x
- Use BOOTCAMP!
- Install XP through boot camp
- Figure out a way to replace the new installation with my old
Might be easier and better to just start fresh.

Can anyone give me a logical explanation of what happened? Or an alternate fix rather than nuke'n the system?

**Bugbyte** · 08-08-2008, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by vtecfelon23

Windows only loads when the fan does not function. When the fan functions windows wont load. So basically any mods that I do inside windows has to take 15 mins or less.

Not a bug. A new feature from the latest Windows update.

Okay, sorry, couldn't resist. I think your solution to use Bootcamp is the quickest way to get it up and running. Not sure why you can't simply reload, but it must have something to do with the battery going dead. If you use Bootcamp, it ought to work as advertised, then set it to boot automatically into Windows or rebuild it Windows only.

I don't think it takes much extra time, if any, to use Bootcamp. Just some disk space, if you can live with it.

**vtecfelon23** · 08-08-2008, 01:32 PM

Really windows update? thats lame. Anyway, iv got Leopard installing right now. Just the circumstances of how the problem started is a little confusing.

I dont remember updating prior to my departure. When i got back though, I had to disconnect anything using power to get the car started. . radar detector, p2140, cig lighter plugs.. the battery wasn't completely dead.. The initial try to start triggered the power on process for the computer. which didn't leave enough power to start the car. which is when i had no choice but to disconnect the 2140.

Lesson. disconnect any electronic devices when the car is not in use for long periods of time. -- that should be a given. and not an understatement

**Machinehead** · 08-08-2008, 03:49 PM

If you've reset the PMU, why not just reinstall windows and be done with it?

**vtecfelon23** · 08-08-2008, 05:50 PM

true... but then if anything happens again with my battery or constant start-up and shutdown, im back in the same situation. My theory is using bootcamp i can avoid this whole issue. No reason to have to re-install windows because im just lazy. And now I have the Mac OS x installed which gives me some leverage in the situation... resetting the pmu should not impact the ability to load OSX... or at least i hope not.