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Lion online recovery using pc keyboard?

F

far

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 24, 2011
4
0
Hi
I've replaced the drive in my 2011 mini with an SSD, and was planning on using Lion online recovery to reload it.
Can I do this with a pc keyboard? I did some checks and it looks like I have to hold down apple key+R which translates to windows key+R I think?

But it doesn't recognise anything and puts up a white screen and then a grey folder with a flashing '?' in it.

Does this mean it hasn't recognised the windows+R on boot? Do I have to replace the drive with the original and start it up and pair the bluetooth apple keyboard to get it to recognise the request to start Lion recovery using apple_key+R - or something else?

Sorry if these are dumb questions, it's my first mac.
Thanks for any help,
Far
 
gr8tfly

gr8tfly

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2006
5,333
99
~119W 34N
Try starting up holding down the alt key (should be mapped to the opt key). It's just an educated guess, as the MBA will show network boot devices, in addition to disks.

If you put your original drive in a USB case, you should be able to access its Recovery HD. Assuming the alt key does indeed map to the opt key, startup holding it down and you should be able to select the Recovery HD disk. Run Disk Utility, then restore your original Lion partition to the SSD.
 
F

far

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 24, 2011
4
0
No option with the pc keyboard (via kvm) (and the mini which had it's drive/ram swapped while never having been turned on) worked.

So I pulled the mini apart again and put it's original drive back in + booted it. It paired the apple keyboard and mouse and started plus wanted some personal + startup info.

I entered that, shut it down and put my ssd (and 8gb ram) back in. This time the apple control-R worked and it's doing some "recovery from the network" screen with a spinning planet.

Should all be good :)
 
M

Mavge

macrumors newbie
Aug 9, 2011
1
0
Genoa
far said:
It paired the apple keyboard and mouse and started plus wanted some personal + startup info.
Click to expand...

I did not understand.
I put the original hard disk. Boot. Associated keyboard and mouse to the bluetooth and then?
How do I see the keyboard at the next boot after installing my ssd?
Sorry but it's my first Mac!

Edit:

My PC keyboard works. Press alt + R and Internet recovery start.
 
Last edited:
F

far

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 24, 2011
4
0
Thanks, I had tried option/alt/windows key, even shift etc

It's all good now using the apple keyboard paired by briefly booting using the original drive
 
C

clystron

macrumors member
Aug 11, 2011
91
58
The problem might be the KVM, Windows-R works like a charm when I connect a USB PC-Keyboard directly to the mini but it does not work when I use a KVM. I noticed the same to be true for my 2007 mini, startup-keycommands only work when the keyboard is directly connected.
 
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