Can I install windows home server 2011 on a mac mini?

Sure. There are three ways. Parallels, VM ware Fusion, and Sun Virtual box. I prefer Parallels. It works beautifully with Windows XP.

You can also create a partition using the Boot Camp utility in your utility folder. But you have to know, it forces you to reboot to go into windows. The first three solutions do not. You can run Windows side by side with your Mac OS.

Also, if you do a virtual OS like in Parallels, I'd suggest u have at least 2GB ram. Hopefully you have more.

Hope that helps.

@chrismtp

The best way might be an actual NAS Server to run WHS. Never want to run WHS in a VM though. A 2GHz ATOM w/ 2GB RAM makes a nice server.

Boot Camp manual: creates only MSDOS that then needs to be formatted in Windows installers to NTFS.

ISO or physical media?

Because Disk Utility doesn't burn DVDs properly - use 2x reduced speed, and ISO will work to install in a VM. And WHS2011 is so new it has only been out.... a month now?

8GB of RAM is plenty for any virtual OS. I believe WHS 2011 is 32 bit anyway? If so it can't address more than 3GB of RAM; either virtually or natively within bootcamp.

Once you make the Bootcamp partition, you access it by holding the option key while booting your Mac. The partition is NTSF so your Mac file system cannot read or find it. That is the advantage of virtual OS. The file systems can be shared. Windows My Documents can have files dragged onto the Mac OS user desktop, and vice-versa.

@chrismtp

On the Mac side, the Mac Mini makes a great media center with a wifi connection and web browser. People have been doing this for years. Your machine should work great.

Here is a 2009 article from Macworld: http://www.macworld.com/article/140216/2009/04/mwvodcast105.html

Ok. What happens when you try to boot in to the Windows OS? Once the Boot camp utility runs it should show you the % of drive set aside for that OS. If you open the Boot camp utility back up do you see any partition in there?

Sure, gigabit would be best and should be fine to stream. Your main limitation there is taxing the 5400rpm drive. It will may start to buffer if too much data demand is on it. You'll see it. One stream or two should be no problem but I'm repeating only what I have read, not tested. I'm a Netflix subscriber via Apple TV2.

Also, make sure you are using Cat 6 network cables. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable). I didn't want to assume you had this so thought I'd mention the cable as well.

If you want to pursue the Bootcamp partition, I would suggest visiting the Genius Bar. They can check your internal drive for issues. If you are patient and ask nicely they may also help you get your Bootcamp partition going for ya! The appointment is free unless parts need replacing. At this point, that's what I'd do.

WHS is 64-bit. Genius are really not versed in Boot Camp or Windows, let alone anything not on the "approved" list of Windows versions.

Most of the problems are with burning ISO, or the SuperDrive. It should have seen the NTFS partition. Disk Utility is known to be trouble, burning it on your Mac Mine but iwth Windows 7....?

Seeing you have Windows 7, format the partition to NTFS 160GB you want and then exit and boot WHS installer.

Or run the install from Windows 7.

In past, WHS supported TimeMachine, streaming video, supported iTunes (that was broken/disabled it seems by Apple with 10.0), as well as even SuperDuper backups.

Main idea is to have some network attached drives.

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I have both a ISO and Burned it to a dvd useing windows 7 built in ISO burning software, Its a 64 bit copy (got from microsoft download website from my dads microsoft account).

It is enouth for the OS but it runs slowish on the mac mini (latest core 2 duo 2.4ghz model) The Idea was to have it backup my pc and laptop to a usb drive and act as a media centre pc (connected to av receaver and tv and on a gigabit network with a 2TB nas)

Since it looks like this may not work, whats the best way to make it into a media centure? mac osx? windows 7? plex? whats best and good?

I'd avoid USB like the plague. Why not use your PC instead? If I was going to use a Mini for WHS, I'd just use the Mini solely for Windows and not have OS X (you can boot OS X off an external drive anyway).