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Confirmed: Adding a 2nd Hard Drive to Non-Server Minis

Dusky600 said:
yoh, got my e-mail from VIS UK saying they dispatched my part ! :D took them 10 days, i ordered on the 2nd.

not to bad.
Click to expand...

Thank you I will place an order.

I talked to a local Apple Service Provider. They could not sell me the part, but they could sell me the part if they installed the disk. 262$ was the fee.
 
Anyone happen to know which bays the SSD and HD are on in the BTO dual drive setup?
 
Someone asked where it shows where your disk are located rather the upper or lower bay. It shows this in the disk utility.

Name : OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Media
Type : Disk

Partition Map Scheme : GUID Partition Table
Disk Identifier : disk0
Media Name : OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD Media
Media Type : Generic
Connection Bus : SATA
Connection ID : "Lower"
Device Tree : IODeviceTree:/PCI0@0/SATA@1F,2/PRT0@0/PMP@0
Bay : "Lower"
Writable : Yes
Ejectable : No
Location : Internal
Solid State Disk : Yes
Total Capacity : 240.06 GB (240,057,409,536 Bytes)
Disk Number : 0
Partition Number : 0
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Verified


Name : ST9750420AS Media
Type : Disk

Partition Map Scheme : GUID Partition Table
Disk Identifier : disk1
Media Name : ST9750420AS Media
Media Type : Generic
Connection Bus : SATA
Connection ID : "Upper"
Device Tree : IODeviceTree:/PCI0@0/SATA@1F,2/PRT1@1/PMP@0
Bay : "Upper"
Writable : Yes
Ejectable : No
Location : Internal
Total Capacity : 750.16 GB (750,156,374,016 Bytes)
Disk Number : 1
Partition Number : 0
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Verified


The stock drive comes installed in the lower bay, which I replaced with the SSD and of course this is my primary boot drive.
 
Ok, so I think we can now agree that:

'Upper' drive is the one closest to the top of the case when the Mac Mini is in it's normal operating position, and 'Lower' is at the bottom of the case, BUT the Lower drive is the first drive you see when you turn the Mini over and open her up for surgery.

This drive is also configured as the boot drive in the default configuration.
 
CortexRock said:
Ok, so I think we can now agree that:

'Upper' drive is the one closest to the top of the case when the Mac Mini is in it's normal operating position, and 'Lower' is at the bottom of the case, BUT the Lower drive is the first drive you see when you turn the Mini over and open her up for surgery.

This drive is also configured as the boot drive in the default configuration.
Click to expand...


Yes that is correct. The lower would be on top when you turn the mini over and take the back off of it. This is the primary boot drive as configured by Apple.
 
Unfortunately this cable looks to be sold out. What a shame I knew I should have gotten it when I first saw this thread. Hopefully when it's back in stock they will be a little cheaper!
 
TheBaconKing said:
Unfortunately this cable looks to be sold out. What a shame I knew I should have gotten it when I first saw this thread. Hopefully when it's back in stock they will be a little cheaper!
Click to expand...

im still waiting for mine, took VIS UK 10 days to ship it, there site states 12 days from order.

http://www.applemacparts.co.uk/stor...m-hard-drive-flex-cable-mid-2010-p-72073.html

dont think its the most expensive one neither. sent for mine on the 2nd of august and according to tracking it should be here in a couple of days do to weekend
 
With regard to drive names, Apple switched the naming convention between 2010 and 2011. In the 2010 Mac Mini, the drive closest to the actual top when operating was the "bottom" drive, hence part 922-9560 being the bottom hard drive flex cable. In the 2011, they switched the naming, and now the drive nearer the actual top is called the "upper" drive, thus the name for 2nd drive cable part (076-1391, if you're interested) being called the upper bay hard drive flex cable (for systems with 2 drives pre-installed). So everybody was kind of right!
 
OTACORB said:
It certainly isn't worth quibbling over for sure! The main thing as that all who need and want the necessary part to add a second hard drive can get it.

It is just totally sweet having a Mini with a second internal hard drive.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Whatever DU says, just put your replacement drive in the same spot you pulled the stock drive from. Can't really go wrong. I'd take hardware over software any day ;) Upper lower, top bottom.
 
TRIM support for SSDs

Hey, question for any of you who have installed a 3rd party SSD in your Mac Mini - do you have TRIM support? Read on another forum that folks were unable to get TRIM working on any SSD other than the stock Apple drive in the Mini (seems fairly important for SSD longevity, no?).
RT
 
rhinotrip said:
Hey, question for any of you who have installed a 3rd party SSD in your Mac Mini - do you have TRIM support? Read on another forum that folks were unable to get TRIM working on any SSD other than the stock Apple drive in the Mini (seems fairly important for SSD longevity, no?).
RT
Click to expand...

Trim really isn't necessary depending on the SSD drive you get. Read this OWC Blog. I run OWC Mercury Extreme drives, so I am not in the least bit worried about Trim.

http://blog.macsales.com/11051-to-trim-or-not-to-trim-owc-has-the-answer
 
Received my Cable. and have Raid 0 my 2 x Momentus XT Hybrid Drives. so i have 1TB of HDD. (i5 Dedicated GPU)

seems to working great other than.

About this Mac >> More Info. >> Storage

it shows the 2 hods separate with no info

also shows the raid drive with no info.

anyone else having this glitch?
 
Evostar* said:
Received my Cable. and have Raid 0 my 2 x Momentus XT Hybrid Drives. so i have 1TB of HDD. (i5 Dedicated GPU)

seems to working great other than.

About this Mac >> More Info. >> Storage

it shows the 2 hods separate with no info

also shows the raid drive with no info.

anyone else having this glitch?
Click to expand...

Very nice setup....
 
picked up my cable ordered from VIS (27/7)

i ordered the 2010 mac mini Lower cable, and in there wisdom they
have chosen to ship a 2011 mac mini lower cable (as a "comparable part")

as we know apple have changed the naming on the 2011
and therefore VIS are shipping the same part we already have !!!


Absolutely useless will call them on Monday to return.swap and no doubt wait another 2 weeks!!!

BEWARE!
 
ikduncan said:
picked up my cable ordered from VIS (27/7)

i ordered the 2010 mac mini Lower cable, and in there wisdom they
have chosen to ship a 2011 mac mini lower cable (as a "comparable part")

as we know apple have changed the naming on the 2011
and therefore VIS are shipping the same part we already have !!!


Absolutely useless will call them on Monday to return.swap and no doubt wait another 2 weeks!!!

BEWARE!
Click to expand...

mine should be due any day now, i shall let you know what part arrived. please update us on your contact with VIS regarding the issue.
really hope they arent that silly.
 
ikduncan said:
.... i ordered the 2010 mac mini Lower cable, and in there wisdom they
have chosen to ship a 2011 mac mini lower cable (as a "comparable part")

as we know apple have changed the naming on the 2011
and therefore VIS are shipping the same part we already have !!!

Absolutely useless will call them on Monday to return.swap and no doubt wait another 2 weeks!!!
..
Click to expand...

Same happened to me!
Looks like VIS are going to be getting a few calls tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
If VIS really are this daft (and pissing off people on the biggest Mac forum in the world probably isn't going to do them any favours!), everyone is covered by the UK distance selling regulations. You have 7 days to cancel an order after delivery, no questions asked. This is mentioned on the T&Cs footer on the Order Update email from VIS too.

Even if this legislation didn't exist, you could appeal for a refund or replacement under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as the part received would not be 'as described or suitable for the purpose for which it was intended'.

More info from Which? online here.
 
CortexRock said:
If VIS really are this daft (and pissing off people on the biggest Mac forum in the world probably isn't going to do them any favours!), everyone is covered by the UK distance selling regulations. You have 7 days to cancel an order after delivery, no questions asked. This is mentioned on the T&Cs footer on the Order Update email from VIS too.
Click to expand...

thanks for the legal info CortexRock, i was so stressed at this piece of news I've already sent a pre emptive complaint e-mail before even getting my part... Let's hope it's not the case that there so silly to think they can send everyone thing's they didn't order...

Update.

have received an answer from VIS assuring me they have sent the correct part, i shall confirm once it gets here.
 
Last edited:
VIS sent the right part to me - just fitted it (took about 25 minutes all in). :D

To help others identifying whether you've been sent the right part, the difference is that the 2010 Mac Mini 'Lower' cable (which fits the 2011 Mini's 'Upper' drive as previously discussed) SATA ZIF plug has an angle cut off one corner.
 
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