mac mini will not boot

I have a 2006 intel mac mini that boots to a "no bootable device - insert disk..." but before you shun me for posting a possible software issue in a hardware thread please read on.

possible interconnect board failure?

What I have done...

replaced internal hdd with new and formatted it to GUID partition with my ppc g5

tried using keyboard to boot from snow leopard disk, but no keyboard commands are even getting a response from the machine. That includes pram resets, booting from disk holding c, verbose mode command, etc...

tried booting from external usb flash drive (snow leopard) while holding down option got no response from machine, just the dos prompt "no bootable device..."

since I am getting no response from any keyboard or mouse command, I am wondering if my problem is hardware related. please advise

What keyboard are you using? I hope it's not the Full Sized Aluminum one with the Numbered keypad?? If so that is your issue. Only works in OSX.

yes i am. what should i use?

Do you have any PC keyboards with USB around or any older Apple keyboards? On my Mini my Bluetooth Apple one works at Startup.

i have 5 aluminum keyboard and 1 wireless pc...just my luck

do you mind explaining what you mean when you said this particular keyboard only works in os x? i dont quite understand that

With that Apple Full Sized Aluminum keyboard, there are drivers that need to be loaded for it to work. They are not loaded till OSX loads all the way. So when you are trying to hit keys in the firmware after the startup sound, no drivers and no keyboard. Annoying for sure. It works with some iMacs I have owned but not on any of my Minis. It's the Minis firmware and that keyboard.

Go to Walmart and get some CHEAP USB keyboard. That should work for you for those commands.

holy crap, that's the weirdest thing. i plugged in my wireless pc keyboard, which i for some idiotic reason never thought to do, and when i pressed c while booting it showed me an apple. i hope this isn't premature but thank you so much!

Do remember though the keys like Alt and Windows and whatever are mapped differently. You can experiment. I will find you a keyboard mapping chart. BRB.

Here you go.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/970299