2012 Mac Mini and SSD poor performance

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

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

You know that I've just learnt something... :)

Never in a million years would it have occurred to me to look for update files anywhere other than through the iTunes/App store apps/software. I did some googling, and came across the the files, in the Support Section... which would presumably allow you to download using a Download Manager...

Quick question though - searching for Mountain Lion, provides the various update packs - and not the actual "first" release, which would presumably be the complete package, as it were, that the sequential updates slotted on to... So to download the primary file - one would still need to go through the App store, which would not be possible via a Download Manager?

Is that last bit correct - or am I missing a trick?
 
Yes. You missed a trick. :) The updates are either combo updates which will update 10.8.0 to 10.8.3 directly or incremental updates per point release. However, the actual 10.8.0 OS must be purchased from the App Store or obtained by some other means. For example, you could be walking by my house, slipped and accidentally plugged a flash drive into my MacBook and copied the Mountain Lion installer. You could also be browsing the net and by some weird act of the planets aligning or something and bam! You opened a torrent and the Mountain Lion installer ended up on you computer.
 
Cassady said:
So to download the primary file - one would still need to go through the App store, which would not be possible via a Download Manager?
Click to expand...

There are many other sources as mentioned above so you don;t need to go the app store. Just verify that it's a unmodified image and check the build version.
 
Last edited:
On a Mac, open Terminal and cd to the folder that contains the file that you downloaded. If the file name is mountainlion.app then type the following:

md5 mountainlion.app

Then press enter. It will take a few seconds and then give you the MD5 checksum which you can then use to compare to the source file's checksum to verify its integrity. If the site you found it on did not publish it, jut google the code and you should get several hits. If you get no hits, its almost guaranteed to be corrupt or its been messed with.
 
ponder said:
There are many other sources as mentioned above so you don;t need to go the app store. Just verify that it's a unmodified image and check the build version.
Click to expand...

I have downloaded about 5 different Mountain Lion Torrents and non of them have been able to work so it's not that easy to find them (atleast not for me)...
 
So after almost 6 hours of doing the internet recovery my power in my area gets cut which SUCKED!!! But then all of a sudden I remembered that before i WANTED TO DO A CLEAN INSTALL, i did a time machine backup of my system. So I restarted the mac after the power came back on, connected the HDD with the time machine backup and restored from that - 10 minutes later my mac was alive. To be honest tho, I did not know the mac did a full backup (OS as well) with time machine, I thought it was only my documents and apps... But anyway, it is now up and running. So if I can't find a proper download of Mountain Lion (I have looked and downloaded about 5 different ones and none have worked), I am just going to have to buy it so that I can do the fresh install and see if that helps with my SSD speed.
 
weelzSA said:
So after almost 6 hours of doing the internet recovery my power in my area gets cut which SUCKED!!! But then all of a sudden I remembered that before i WANTED TO DO A CLEAN INSTALL, i did a time machine backup of my system. So I restarted the mac after the power came back on, connected the HDD with the time machine backup and restored from that - 10 minutes later my mac was alive. To be honest tho, I did not know the mac did a full backup (OS as well) with time machine, I thought it was only my documents and apps... But anyway, it is now up and running. So if I can't find a proper download of Mountain Lion (I have looked and downloaded about 5 different ones and none have worked), I am just going to have to buy it so that I can do the fresh install and see if that helps with my SSD speed.
Click to expand...

Didn't you also do a backup to your USB thumb drive?
 
Cassady said:
And?
Click to expand...

All is up and running which is great. Still not convinced about the speed I am getting from the SSD tho. Am still looking for a copy of mountain lion so I can do the fresh install and see if that helps but won't be trying anything until I have the bootable flash drive.

But other than that, the time machine restore took about 15 minutes (only 27gigs in size as I keep all my music, pictures downloads ect on external drive) and went very smoothly.
 
weelzSA said:
All is up and running which is great. Still not convinced about the speed I am getting from the SSD tho. Am still looking for a copy of mountain lion so I can do the fresh install and see if that helps but won't be trying anything until I have the bootable flash drive.

But other than that, the time machine restore took about 15 minutes (only 27gigs in size as I keep all my music, pictures downloads ect on external drive) and went very smoothly.
Click to expand...

Well done. At least going forward, should you do the fresh install, you will know what to expect now.
 
OK, went by my daughter's MacMini and made an image of the Restore partition - it is around 600MB, which tells me straight up that it does not include ML and that would be installed by internet connection. So, I guess I had better get that major download now before one day I need it and it is gone.

OP: Did you eventually buy it?
 
GreGorGy said:
OK, went by my daughter's MacMini and made an image of the Restore partition - it is around 600MB, which tells me straight up that it does not include ML and that would be installed by internet connection. So, I guess I had better get that major download now before one day I need it and it is gone.

OP: Did you eventually buy it?
Click to expand...
Good idea. It's nice to have it around if you need it. If you extract the InstallESD.dmg from the pkg it wont self destruct.
 
Hey Hey

I see you are in Cape Town... I think I can get you a copy of Mountain Lion from my brother... I am sure he has it on disk and also a bootable flash drive. If he has perhaps I can ask him to make a copy for you and you can collect it from him... either from the city during office hours or Plumstead after work.

I will let you know as soon as I have spoken to him.


weelzSA said:
All is up and running which is great. Still not convinced about the speed I am getting from the SSD tho. Am still looking for a copy of mountain lion so I can do the fresh install and see if that helps but won't be trying anything until I have the bootable flash drive.

But other than that, the time machine restore took about 15 minutes (only 27gigs in size as I keep all my music, pictures downloads ect on external drive) and went very smoothly.
Click to expand...
 
GreGorGy said:
OK, went by my daughter's MacMini and made an image of the Restore partition - it is around 600MB, which tells me straight up that it does not include ML and that would be installed by internet connection. So, I guess I had better get that major download now before one day I need it and it is gone.

OP: Did you eventually buy it?
Click to expand...

I have not bought it yet. I will probably buy it in the week coming up. Are there any indications that Apple will soon release a new version and time soon? Don't want to purchase Mountain Lion now and in a month a new version comes out. But if it will be 2 months plus then I will buy it.

Thanks again for helping, much appreciated.
 
weelzSA said:
I have not bought it yet. I will probably buy it in the week coming up. Are there any indications that Apple will soon release a new version and time soon? Don't want to purchase Mountain Lion now and in a month a new version comes out. But if it will be 2 months plus then I will buy it.

Thanks again for helping, much appreciated.
Click to expand...

That is a very good question. Apple hinted at yearly release cycles and if they keep with that, expect OS 10.9 around the end of July. Copies have been spotted in the wild, so to speak, in analytics software. Besides that, nothing has come to light - not even in the usual sources. A name is not even being touted.
 
10.8.3 was released very recently and 10.8.4 Beta 1 was released to developers only a week ago. I'd give them minimum of 3 months before we see a final version of 10.8.4. 10.8.3 was released to developers in November last year before it went final last month.
 
Last edited:
vinodh said:
10.8.3 was released very recently and 10.8.4 Beta 1 was released to developers only a week ago. I'd give them minimum of 3 months before we see a final version of 10.8.4. 10.8.3 was released to developers in November last year before it went final last month.
Click to expand...

A point-release won't incur another cost on the AppStore. Buy now at .3 and .4 will be available when released - I took OP's question to refer to a major release:
Don't want to purchase Mountain Lion now and in a month a new version comes out.
Click to expand...
 
I think at the earliest 10.9 could by July if the past two years are any indication but I think they would have announced it by now if that was their intention.
 
bwana said:
I think at the earliest 10.9 could by July if the past two years are any indication but I think they would have announced it by now if that was their intention.
Click to expand...

It has not even been seeded for Beta testing by developers yet... so I think July is out of the question. Nore than likely November earliest based on the Beta to Golden Master time-frames of the past. There has been traffic on some tech websites from 10.9 users, but all that traffic originates from Cupertino. But who knows... Apple like to spring surprises from time to time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X