Clean Install is not going right...Please Help!

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My computer specs are under my avatar. I suddenly began experiencing very slow start ups (several minutes) and lots of spinning beach balls. My computer had been running just fine and very suddenly all this mess starts happening. I had been threatening to perform a total wipe and clean install for quite some time and now it HAD to happen. Using install disk and Disk Utilities, I ran a Repair Disk and a couple of hdd problems were repaired. Then I ran a 7 pass wipe and did a clean install of SL 10.6. I am going to stay with Mac OS 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. It took a couple of tries before the install worked. When I went to update the OS to the SL 10.6.8 combo updater, there is no internet. Setting up the computer once again, a box popped up asking about internet connection. I have always used Ethernet…no network or router ever. The option to use Ethernet was grayed out and could not be selected. Airport was the only “selectable” option. So I selected it and moved on thinking I could change it later. After the OS installation, I went to run Software Updates and the computer will not connect to the internet. I called my ISP and they assured me they could see me and I had a connection and my service was fine. Still no connection. So the service guy came and verified that I was getting signal. We tried several Ethernet cables…they were fine. I have tried many times to configure the connection. I have reset the PRAM/SMC. I can use the computer to watch movies on iDVD, so that tells me the super drive is OK and the hdd is probably OK although several things were repaired as mentioned earlier. Could it be part of the logic board function? What else could possibly be tried? My computer is still covered by Apple Care.
 
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Surely you must have some sort of router

What is the ethernet cable connected to?
 
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Nope...no router or network established. The ethernet cable connects computer and cable modem. There is only one computer at my house and it is all hardwired (including printer). I have had this set up since I bought the Mac mini in Sept. 2010. Is it possible that just the part of the logic board that handles the ethernet/internet be bad while everything else works OK?
 

Raz0rEdge

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It is definitely possible that only portions of the logic board might fail, however, Ethernet isn't usually a component that's prone to it unless you live in area prone to thunderstorms or other electrical occurrences. Usually it's the USB ports or whatever that fail because they have to provide power and device might freak out. However, the Ethernet hack has no power going over it..

If you do have AppleCare on your Mac Mini, I would suggest taking it to the Apple Store and have them diagnose the failure and provide resolution..
 
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Thanks to you both for your help. I left home one day with the computer running a long process. When I returned home, there had been a power outage...the computer was OFF and all the house clocks were flashing. This was about a week ago and that's is when my computer became problematic.
 

chscag

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Thanks to you both for your help. I left home one day with the computer running a long process. When I returned home, there had been a power outage...the computer was OFF and all the house clocks were flashing. This was about a week ago and that's is when my computer became problematic.

Buy a good UPS and connect your Mini to it. OS X power settings will automatically shut the Mini down if it detects a glitch or power failure through the UPS. (User configurable)
 
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I am absolutely going to do just that, chscag. In one of my older threads I was asking about them. Ineed to go back and review that thread. Those outages happen quite often and I knew in the back of my mind it would just be a matter of time. I am thankful for all the experts in here harping about running Time Machine for backups. For the first six months I had my Mini, I didn't have TM running. I finally accepted that it really ISN'T a matter of IF it will fail...it is a matter of WHEN it will fail....and it did. I am fortunate in that Charlotte, NC has two Apple Stores.
 

chscag

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I am fortunate in that Charlotte, NC has two Apple Stores.

Indeed. Let us know how it turns out.
 
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Apple Online used to sell the iDowell UPS iBox which works well.
 
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I thought I would follow up with this thread. I gave the clean installation one last try. I downloaded the 10.6.8 Combo Updater on to a flash drive. After the initial install, i went ahead and loaded the Combo Updater AND IT WORKS!! It does seem that there are some artifacts left over although I did a 7 pass wipe. All apps (Mac Store and other 3rd party) reloaded and updated without a hitch. I loaded Office for Mac 2011, but when I went to configure it, it will not connect or acknowledge my Networks Solutions email account. It is the same account I had before and I followed my hand written information like incoming server, outgoing server, etc and it just will not work. I have done exactly what I did in the past and it refuses to hook up. I even changed the ports as recommended by Network Solutions. Does anybody have any idea of what may be happeneing?...Should I just give up and carry it to the Apple Store and let them help me?

p.s. I realize MS Office is a 3rd party app, but this is part of th same topic I started the thread about. Forgive me THIS time.
 
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It doesn't recognise you email address, I assume you are setting up an email account in Outlook?

If that is the case then contact Network Solutions or see if they have a help page to set up email accounts
 
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Setting up Outlook with my NetSol email is exactly what I am trying to do. As I stated, I had it set up before and it worked great. With this wipe and clean install, I used the same account info that I used before. I wrote everything down because I knew I would need it again one day. The computer would not recognize my ethernet internet connection before...thus I started this thread. On my last attempt before taking it to the Apple Store, I went ahead and loaded the Combo updater from a flash drive and suddenly the inernet was fine. Now Outlook won't connect. I will contact Network Solutions in a bit. Thanks, guys.
 
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All is well now. A little persistence and attention to detail works wonders. Thanks to all for your help. I am checking into UPS's now.
 
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My clean install is now doing well and I have one more thing to do before calling it DONE. Would someone please take a few minutes and list the steps (in easy to follow steps) to reload my iTunes music library and my Documents folder contents from my Time Machine backup? That is all I want to retain from my old set up...ITunes music library and Documents. I am unsure on how to do this and how to get exactly where I need to be and I need the exact pathname(s) for putting these items back. My computer is running like new and I don't want to start "littering" the hdd up or get folder/files in the wrong place. Thanks in advance for any help.

I have searched and found several places that give very general, undetailed steps of the process...I want to do this one time and I want it to be right.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Restoring a particular folder or files is easy (reference Mac Basics: Time Machine). Open up Time Machine and then go back to where you think the data is good (the last backup might be good in your case) and then using the Finder-like interface head over to the iTunes folder in your Users folder. Select it and choose Restore. That folder will now be restored to your Users folder on your clean installation..

As far as documents go, assuming you kept them all in the Documents folder, you can restore that entire folder or selectively restore individual documents by selecting them and clicking Restore..
 
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You are correct in that my last back up will be the one I use. Also, all Documents were stored in the Documents folder. Sometimes it is good to be anal about hdd housekeeping. From the link you provided, I should be able to get it done right the first time. If i screw it up, at least I will know where to come to find answers. Thank you, RazOrEdge, for your time and help.

Would anyone happen to know the exact iTunes folder/file I need? I am not at my Mini right now, but I think I have seen a couple of iTunes music folders in different places.
 

Raz0rEdge

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All of the iTunes stuff, library and music is usually held in /Users/<Username>/iTunes. If your music is external, then only the library will be there..
 
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All my music was stored internally and should be included on the TM backup. So I take it I will go into TM, select the last backup, take the path /Users/BrentWilson/iTunes. Click/select the entire ITunes folder (not just the Music folder?) and click Restore. I only have iTunes music...I had no other music/movie files stored anywhere.
Thanks, RazOrEdge, you have been a tremendous help.
 

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Yup, that would do the trick. Once you look in the TM backup and select the iTunes folder, you should see the Music folder there and if you click further you can confirm that all of your music is indeed sitting right there. If all that is true, then grabbing the top level iTunes folder should restore it for you..
 
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@RazOrEdge . . . you have been a great help. So how does the process of reloading from Time Machine begin? I hate to admit it, but I will need step by step guidance. You explained to me ealier that I need to restore the top level iTunes folder to recover my entire music library and the various associated files (.xml & .itl). I would like to restore my Documents contents, too. I probably need to review and cull the ones I no longer need before transfer. Would you please tell me what comes next, and next, and then next? Open new Finder window? Mount the TM drive? In what order should I do things? Thank you for being so helpful and for your patience with me.
 

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