@perry_mitchell yes, “Option-Command-R” on boot up (instead of just “Command-R”, which relies on an intact recovery partition on the Mac itself). So it sounds like you did already try the more dramatic one. :-( I switched up my personal 2011(!) MacMini to an M2 Pro one in early 2023. Love it! #MacMiniLife
@garretble you’re gonna leave it switched on (but sleeping), aren’t you? :-) #MacMiniLife
@chartier Oddly enough I used one of the 2 USB-A ports on my 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini today to rip half a dozen CDs via the USB-A-only "Apple USB SuperDrive". :-) But I guess if they weren't there I could have dongled it. #LivinInThe90s #MacMiniLife
Just unearthed this from back in the day when one bought fonts on floppy disks from one-person companies. This one (from 1995) is by Ethan Dunham, then of Fonthead, thence Fontspring. Sadly, I don’t seem to be able to mount this disk in macOS Sonoma (and M2 Pro). Oh well. #MacMiniLife https://www.fontspring.com/foundry/fonthead-design
Fonthead Design

Browse fonts by Ethan Dunham and Fonthead Design Inc. including Drawzing, ComicTalk, ClickBits, JohnDoe, GoodDog New, InfoBits, GoodDog, Tachyon, and more.

Cute new 2TB SSD backup disk just arrived. #MacMini #MacMiniLife
Penultimate Friday at #work and I have the Mac Minis here double-stacked. (bottom: mine from 2011; top: work’s from 2014). #MacMiniLife
@innervisioner …and to you! #MacMiniLife :-)
Spot the difference! Got my new M2 Pro Mac Mini all set up – here’s to the next 10 years! #MacMiniLife
"Amusingly" there's one aspect that's worse in these new M2/M2Pro MacMinis compared with my one from 2011: no audio line in (a feature that's been rare - non-existent? - on Macs for years). #MacMiniLife https://www.apple.com/uk/mac-mini/specs/
Mac mini - Technical Specifications

See all the technical specifications for Mac mini with the M2 or M2 Pro chip.

Apple (United Kingdom)
Well at least "Microsoft AutoUpdate" was able to update itself! Seems it really is getting near the end of the road for this otherwise great 2012 MacMini. #MacMiniLife