Issues with MBA

davices · Sep 11, 2013

Hi, I've just purchased a 11" Macbook Air which came with no hard drive, I have fitted a 64gb SSD but am having issues.

On start up the screen just shows a folder with flashing question mark. I've done some research and this is common, I have tried all the button combinations on start up but they all just show the same, accept for power and option key which takes me to a blank page with a drop down box at the bottom to connect to WIFI. All great I thought accept my WIFI is not showing on the list! I have just done the same start up with a MBP and the same, my WIFI is not on the list.

Any ideas please? I presume if I can connect to the WIFI I can go through recovery and re-stall the OS?

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77slevin · Sep 11, 2013

Does it show any Wifi signal, other than yours? If not, maybe it's also missing the wifi card. (It's been a while since I opened up mine, but is the Wifi card removable in the MB Air?)

And yes, you are correct, once you can connect to your wireless, you'll be able to do a re-install.

Weaselboy · Sep 11, 2013

Make sure your wifi encryption is set to WPA and not the older WEP as that won't work with Internet Recovery.

Also, maybe try just turning off your wifi encryption to see if it is recognized then.

davices · Sep 11, 2013

Thanks for the replies, I have just connected to my neighbours WIFI, it connects, shows a signal and then that is it, no option to go any further. I have just read that the Air should have come with USB reinstall drive, which surprise surprise I don't have. It looks like I can't go any further without that unfortunately.

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Weaselboy said:
Make sure your wifi encryption is set to WPA and not the older WEP as that won't work with Internet Recovery.

Also, maybe try just turning off your wifi encryption to see if it is recognized then.

Yes mine is WEP, I didn't know how to change it so I used my neighbours WIFI, unfortunately as explained this did not help when connected, thanks for trying to help.

Weaselboy · Sep 11, 2013

davices said:
Thanks for the replies, I have just connected to my neighbours WIFI, it connects, shows a signal and then that is it, no option to go any further. I have just read that the Air should have come with USB reinstall drive, which surprise surprise I don't have. It looks like I can't go any further without that unfortunately.

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Yes mine is WEP, I didn't know how to change it so I used my neighbours WIFI, unfortunately as explained this did not help when connected, thanks for trying to help.

You should be able to reinstall the OS over the Internet using Internet Recovery (explained here)

Let's back up a bit. Shut it down and then when you start hold down command-option-r (all three at once) to start Internet Recovery. Now from that screen try to login to the wifi and reinstall.

Are you sure your neighbor's wifi is WPA?

If you want to post your router model, maybe I can help you get it to WPA encryption (a good idea aside from all this).

davices · Sep 11, 2013

Weaselboy said:
You should be able to reinstall the OS over the Internet using Internet Recovery (explained here)

Let's back up a bit. Shut it down and then when you start hold down command-option-r (all three at once) to start Internet Recovery. Now from that screen try to login to the wifi and reinstall.

Are you sure your neighbor's wifi is WPA?

If you want to post your router model, maybe I can help you get it to WPA encryption (a good idea aside from all this).

If I start up using (command, option and r) it just gives a flashing folder with a question mark. The only start up key combo that does anything other than this is option and power, which gives the wifi connection option but nothing above it like shown in the tutorials. I presume this is because I have fitted a new SSD.

The neighbours wifi is unprotected, it connected straight away with no issues or need for a password, but as there were no disk options above I couldn't go any further. I think if I connected the USB recovery drive sold with the MBA. I would have an option above the wifi connection box to proceed and re-install the OS.

Highway61 · Sep 11, 2013

(I deleted my post, for I fear my advice might be misguided.)

Weaselboy · Sep 11, 2013

davices said:
If I start up using (command, option and r) it just gives a flashing folder with a question mark. The only start up key combo that does anything other than this is option and power, which gives the wifi connection option but nothing above it like shown in the tutorials. I presume this is because I have fitted a new SSD.

The neighbours wifi is unprotected, it connected straight away with no issues or need for a password, but as there were no disk options above I couldn't go any further. I think if I connected the USB recovery drive sold with the MBA. I would have an option above the wifi connection box to proceed and re-install the OS.

If you had that USB key you would not need wifi/Internet at all. It would just install from the key.

I'm confused, because the screen you are describing sounds like the recovery screen.

Are you getting this screen after you join the wifi network?

That should be followed by this screen. Are you seeing this?

If you see this screen, start Disk Util and select the new SSD and format it to Mac OS Extended. When that is done just quit Disk Util then click install OS.

davices · Sep 11, 2013

Can you see the screen I posted in my first post? That is the only screen I am getting, I connected to WIFI but that was all I could do.

Weaselboy · Sep 11, 2013

davices said:
Can you see the screen I posted in my first post? That is the only screen I am getting, I connected to WIFI but that was all I could do.

Your screenshot is the first step of Internet recovery, and that is what is confusing me. After you select a valid wifi connection you should get that spinning globe in my first screen shot, followed by the setup screen in my second shot.

Do you have access to another Mac where you could use this Apple tool to make a USB boot key? Thing is, the second Mac will need to be on Lion as that is what your machine came with.

Or, you could access a second machine and buy Mt. Lion in the App Store then make the recovery key and boot from it and use your AppleID to install Mt. Lion.

magbarn · Sep 11, 2013

davices said:
If I start up using (command, option and r) it just gives a flashing folder with a question mark. The only start up key combo that does anything other than this is option and power, which gives the wifi connection option but nothing above it like shown in the tutorials. I presume this is because I have fitted a new SSD.

The neighbours wifi is unprotected, it connected straight away with no issues or need for a password, but as there were no disk options above I couldn't go any further. I think if I connected the USB recovery drive sold with the MBA. I would have an option above the wifi connection box to proceed and re-install the OS.

Do you have access to a mac with recent copy of OSX? You could make a boot USB stick and use that to install OSX. My suspicion is you may have gotten a broken SSD.

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Issues with MBA

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