2012 Mac Mini and SSD poor performance

[vinodh]

It installs directly from the recovery partition once its completely downloaded.

You can also perform the install, don't boot to it but boot to the recovery partition again, image the newly installed drive to a spare hard drive and keep that image as a backup. Next time you need to re-install, boot to the recovery partition, write the backed up image to the partition you want and then you have fresh install in a few minutes instead of a few hours. I actually did this with Lion, Mountain Lion and even Snow Leopard.

 

[weelzSA]

It installs directly from the recovery partition once its completely downloaded.

You can also perform the install, don't boot to it but boot to the recovery partition again, image the newly installed drive to a spare hard drive and keep that image as a backup. Next time you need to re-install, boot to the recovery partition, write the backed up image to the partition you want and then you have fresh install in a few minutes instead of a few hours. I actually did this with Lion, Mountain Lion and even Snow Leopard.

I meant if this internet recovery thing doesn't work and I download the mountain lion installer elsewhere, I will have no way to install - you know what I mean?

So are you saying, if the internet recovery works, it will recreate the recovery partition, and then I just need to somehow make a copy of the recovery partition and that's where I will find the mountain lion image? Or am I mistaken?

 

[vinodh]

Lets start from the beginning: (deep breath)

1. If the recovery partition actually downloads:

The recovery partition has a base installer only and needs the actual Mountain Lion (ML) installation files to install the OS. Once everything downloads, just follow the prompts and install ML. You will then have a clean installation of ML. My suggestion if this works is to make an image of this new installation using Disk Utility that you will find within the recovery partition. Just boot into the recovery partition, select Disk Utility, select the freshly installed drive as source and write an image of it to a new destination, an external hard drive would be ideal. If you ever need to reinstall ML, just boot from the recovery partition, select the image from the external drive as source and write it to the partition that you wish to install on.

2. If it doesn't download:

Get on the net and find a version of 10.8.3 and download it. Make a USB installer and install by booting from it. Keep the downloaded files as a backup for future use. Or buy ML for $20 and download and install.

 

[subxero]

Do not enable TRIM. SF based SSD will already have TRIM enabled by default & maybe reenforcing this would add more overhead & the iops speeds would come down. It worked for me & hence sharing my experience.

I was told the same thing about the OCZ Vertex 3 SSD I bought a while back. I installed the drive and did a fresh 10.8 install on it. The drive was fast, but not what I expected. I then searched and read so many contradictory articles, that I decided to just try TrimEnabler and see for myself.

My boot time went from 12 seconds to just under 5 seconds. Apps start up in a second or three. The Vertex 3 was marketed as having a Sandforce controller with Trim support. So is the Kingston drive. An in-depth data sheet on OCZ's site states 'Trim supported - OS controlled" which finally drove the point home. I notice the Kingston drive you linked to only says Trim support and no mention of the Sandforce controller actually controlling Trim like everyone was saying about the OCZ drive.

I may be wrong about the Kingston drive, but there is a definite increase in performance with Trim enabled - for the OCZ drive at least. I would never have known if I had not tried it. The app developer reckons it cannot do any harm. OS controlled Trim will only work if required by the hardware. My OCZ drive with TrimEnabler has been going strong since ML was released. No issues.

Handy link once you have 10.8 downloaded (PS you can get 10.8.0 - 10.8.3 anywhere if you look hard enough. If you paid for it, why not?)

http://mac-how-to.wonderhowto.com/h...vd-usb-drive-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-0138303/

 

[ponder]

The copies at the apple stores, if they exist, will not be free and will most likely not support the latest System Enablers. Same with a download copy.

So you are saying the latest downloadable 10.8.3 builds will not work? Sorry but I find that hard to believe.

 

[vinodh]

So you are saying the latest downloadable 10.8.3 builds will not work? Sorry but I find that hard to believe.

+1

Like I mentioned earlier, the 10.8.2 Mac App Store version of Mountain Lion did not work with the 2012 Mac Mini. I tried downloading it from the store and got the message that its not compatible with this computer. However, 10.8.3 supposedly fixed this. Except for that, a version downloaded from the net, from the official app store, copied from a friends Mac, etc will work with no problems. I know because I've done it.

 

[ponder]

And I don't even own a Mac but I'm willing to bet money on it that the 0.8.3 builds will work.

 

[vinodh]

And I don't even own a Mac but I'm willing to bet money on it that the 0.8.3 builds will work.

That's why I was so pissed off about the 2012 Mac Mini ML 10.8.2 issue. Except for that, I could install ML on a external HDD, install all my apps, software etc on it, take it to any other ML compatible Mac and I could boot straight from this drive and that Mac would be just like I was on my own MacBook. That trick even works with Snow Leopard which I accidentally downloaded while searching for Linux distros.

 

[GreGorGy]

So you are saying the latest downloadable 10.8.3 builds will not work? Sorry but I find that hard to believe.

.3 yes but I said apple stores - as in iStores, where they are lazy to update. My trick linked above does work, but it takes some work.

 

[weelzSA]

.3 yes but I said apple stores - as in iStores, where they are lazy to update. My trick linked above does work, but it takes some work.

What trick are you referring to? The one where you press option and buy? I tried that and it did not work for me. Also I had erased the original drive which reomved the recovery partition. I let the internet nrecovery run through the night and when I woke up this morning, the blue status bar was completed but nothing else was happening and then all of a sudden was taken back to the original recovery screen and had to start all over again

So now I am letting it run again, not too sure what else to do as I now am willing to buy the Mountain Lion OS X but have no idea on how to install it as the SSD has been wiped so ya!

 

[weelzSA]

Actually, I think it will be possible to create a bootable Mountain Lion 10.8.3 USB. I would just need the DMG image copied to a flash drive. Then in recovery, can open Disk utilities, copy the DMG to the restore section, insert a new USB drive and then restore it to that one - surely that will work (its the same steps taken when making the USB in OS X). Now all I need is the "InstallESD.dmg" file (not the original file, but the "show package contents) file.

 

[GreGorGy]

Lion Disk Maker is your friend.

The trick:

Run Internet Recovery. Install to an external HD/Flash / whatever. Once it has downloaded the necessary files, instead of booting to the destination, hold down option. Remove the external. Start from whatever is available but on that destination, either hidden or in Applications folder, will be Install Mac OS X Mountain Lion.app

 

[weelzSA]

Lion Disk Maker is your friend.

The trick:

Run Internet Recovery. Install to an external HD/Flash / whatever. Once it has downloaded the necessary files, instead of booting to the destination, hold down option. Remove the external. Start from whatever is available but on that destination, either hidden or in Applications folder, will be Install Mac OS X Mountain Lion.app

So if I understand correctly, I should boot into internet recovery, let it download all the files to an external device (which is taking forever again but what can you do), once finished downloading, instead of installing (I thought it would install automatically) I should restart with the external device disconnected and once at the desktop, insert the external device and look for the mountain lion.app? I take it this is only for the future so I have the install files in case I need to clean restore again?

 

[GreGorGy]

So if I understand correctly, I should boot into internet recovery, let it download all the files to an external device (which is taking forever again but what can you do), once finished downloading, instead of installing (I thought it would install automatically) I should restart with the external device disconnected and once at the desktop, insert the external device and look for the mountain lion.app? I take it this is only for the future so I have the install files in case I need to clean restore again?

Considering where you are now, and the hassles you have had, I don't think you should try this procedure - rather just get a stock installation on your SSD then make a clone of that for future scratch restores. Not sitting in front of mine, I cannot be exact on the precise procedure. I will only be at mine by Sunday.

 

[weelzSA]

Considering where you are now, and the hassles you have had, I don't think you should try this procedure - rather just get a stock installation on your SSD then make a clone of that for future scratch restores. Not sitting in front of mine, I cannot be exact on the precise procedure. I will only be at mine by Sunday.

Yeah that's what I am going to try and do now. Holding thumbs this Internet Recovery works now. Woke up this morning and it was completed (the blue status bar full) but it seemed to have frozen or something so had to start from the beginning again Its now about half way and say 5 hours remaining (watching it like a hawk). Once I get it installed then will decide what to do from there. Might even decide just to pay the $20 and download it but will see.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Cassady]

Wow weelzSA - glad I'm not in your boat (touch wood), and kudos for appearing to still be sane!

Very informative thread this - I've made some notes on Restoring Systems and SSD options - so thanks for that.

I feel your pain about downloading those big files. I'm running a measly 2mb line, and quite coincidentally, tried to start making a back-up flashdisk last night. ML weighs in at 4,4GB - got as far as 880mb before the connection was dropped.... Cannot say I have the stomach for trying that again anytime soon, but guess it's wiser to be safe in the longrun...

Will try again next month...

 

[weelzSA]

Wow weelzSA - glad I'm not in your boat (touch wood), and kudos for appearing to still be sane!

Very informative thread this - I've made some notes on Restoring Systems and SSD options - so thanks for that.

I feel your pain about downloading those big files. I'm running a measly 2mb line, and quite coincidentally, tried to start making a back-up flashdisk last night. ML weighs in at 4,4GB - got as far as 880mb before the connection was dropped.... Cannot say I have the stomach for trying that again anytime soon, but guess it's wiser to be safe in the longrun...

Will try again next month...

Believe you me if I had any other option then I would go for it. I use the Mac Mini for work so I can't just stop trying... If I had know it be so much trouble, I would have never tried the fresh install on the SSD (I had first used Super Duper to copy my existing drive to the SSD and then replaced the HDD with SSD and everything worked, except the speeds weren't all that good so was told I should try a fresh install).

The Internet Recovery is now saying 3 hours 51 minutes left - watching it like a hawk - heres hoping it all goes smoothly. I am running a 4mb line so not sure why it is taking so long, but in fairness I heard that this process takes very long.

Will give feedback on any changes!

 

[ponder]

It usually times out towards the end...

 

[Cassady]

That's not funny.

Happened to me with one of the iOS updates - 951mb of 953mb (or something similar), and it dropped. Literally TWO megs to go, and then zip/diddly squat. Joy.

 

[ponder]

That's not funny.

Happened to me with one of the iOS updates - 951mb of 953mb (or something similar), and it dropped. Literally TWO megs to go, and then zip/diddly squat. Joy.

I know but from what I've read here it's pretty common for it to happen

That's why you download the iso with a download manager but some people will never learn.