MAC MINI LION INTERNET RECOVERY PROBLEM

Can anyone from support answer my questions?

You are not addressing Apple here. We are users just like you.

I've chosen the Internet Recovery option...but I doesn't work.

I hear that a lot. I would restore Lion from a backup DVD or USB memory stick.

Just like @Ziatron said, Apple doesn't have employees run official support here. This a community of talent professionals who help other Mac users.

You most likely took out the complete system and the bios. The OS can't provide that. If you bought the Mac from a retail store and not the Apple store, I would just take it to an official Apple store if this is the case. They would be able to provide assistance for this issue.

I am in the exact same position. I deleted the partition on the HDD's on my Mac Mini Server (2011), and try doing the internet recovery. However when I try, I encounter several problems. When I try to start it by accessing my internet, I type in the password and it will just sit there with the spinning globe, and when the download does start, I will get a timer with 24:00 and will encounter a random error.

Give up on Internet recovery. Reinstall the OS using a DVD or USB flash drive (DVD is the better method).

FYI, the USB flash drive from the Apple Store will NOT work on mini's that came with Lion-Preinstalled. And there is no DVD install of Lion I know of.

You need internet recovery in some form. If you ever do get it back I suggest cloning your hard drive as the best recovery method.

I do not know why internet recovery is not working, it did work for my after I messed up my system with some help from the Migration Assistant.

Call AppleCare. If you push them enough they can send you a USB stick that will work with the 2011 mini.

Make sure you are using WPA/WPA2 as this is required for Internet Recovery.

internet recovery doesn't work for me either.

But l was lucky to have made a superduper! clone before erasing everything om my mac mini server 2011 with Lion preinstalled.

Saved my nerves i found out later.

Because, just cloning back doesn't work. After ours of trying and searching the internet i found a working way. This is the saving link:

http://sourcenetworks.posterous.com/configuring-raid-1-mirroring-on-the-2011-mac

Works also for RAID 0 (striped).

In step 4, i selected my clone partition and followed the steps. Finally my mini became a computer again instead of an external double HD only.

Exact same problem here. Tried everything today to try and recover, its like the signed images on Apple servers don't match what the internet OSX recovery expects, I must have download it 10-20 times today, thought it might be something to do with my ISP, until I read this forum and realised it was obviously apple's fault. Might try and ring them.

I bought mine online in the Apple store, so i called Apple support yesterday. They told me to go to an authorized service center who would reinstall my Mac mini. So i called one. At first they said they had to charge me money for that. After a lot of bla-bla-bla they would do it for free for me and sent the bill to Apple support / store.

Now, i wonder how they are going to reinstall my Mac mini server without internet recovery working.

They must have some kind of universal Lion installer file which is not hardware related and is not for sale i would assume.

What did you download 10-20 times today? Lion installer?

I am thinking about buying OS X Lion in the App Store if that could solve my problem without the help of an authorized service center. Would save me time.

The only option I have is to go into the OSX recovery wants to download a copy of the OSX installESD image thingy, but obviously this install image is specific to the macmini (as I tried a different copy) but fails to fully download (probably downloads about 2-3GB's of it each time. There doesn't seem to be any other option as I tried various combinations of booting from a separate USB image which didn't work and even tried setting the Macmini in target disc mode and installing from a macbook pro, again wouldn't boot (when I diagnosed why there was an error immedaitely about the version of OSX Lion being incompatible with the hardware). So, the only option is really for Apple to support a special USB disc for Lion for a MacMini.

it seems to be clear that the newest minis and Airs us a special build Lion installer.

As confirmed here: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/23667/reinstalling-lion-on-brand-new-ma c-mini-without-internet/26147#26147

So purchasing OS X Lion in the app store won't help me out...

Jeezes Apple, you really got new mini & air users stuck...