Macbook Air Internet recovery error

Hi,

Im not to familiar with Macs or OS X etc

I have recent acquired a macbook air from my brother that has issues.

It will only boot into internet recovery mode. It asks to cannot to a wireless network.

I connect to it type my password in correctly.

It then changes back to the spinning globe with the drop down box where i chose my wireless network from.

After it sits at that screen for a while it then errors out with error code 2002f apple.com/support

Ive tried different start-up keys etc either comes up with a flashing globe or a folder flashing with a question mark in it or it just goes into the internet recovery selection etc.

Ive also changed my access point from WPA2 to WPA also changed it to have no password.

Is there other things i can try? My brother didn't make any backups etc. Doesn't have any disks either.

Can i boot off of a USB with a Lion install on it? If so whats the easiest way to do this? Or do i have to buy another copy to suit this macbook air?

Can i use a backup from another macbook air? newer model etc?


Thanks for any help you can give.

Simon

When booting with the option key held down, you do not have the option of using the HD Recovery partition?
No - then would guess the hard drive is dead.

Change the network back to WPA2. In general, Macs don't like WPA networks and the Internet Recovery in specific will not use a WPA network.

After booting to the internet recovery, have you opened up Disk Utility from the menu and tried a Verify/Repair of the drive?
What does it tell you?

Would then read through these 2 items:
OS X: About OS X Recovery
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3363786?start=0&tstart=0
If you attempt an external SD card - it needs to be 16 GB minimum.

&/or take it in to your nearest Apple store.
If the drive is ok, we've seen many reports of Apple reinstalling the OS at N/C.

bobtomay said:

When booting with the option key held down, you do not have the option of using the HD Recovery partition?
No - then would guess the hard drive is dead.

Change the network back to WPA2. In general, Macs don't like WPA networks and the Internet Recovery in specific will not use a WPA network.

After booting to the internet recovery, have you opened up Disk Utility from the menu and tried a Verify/Repair of the drive?
What does it tell you?

Would then read through these 2 items:
OS X: About OS X Recovery
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3363786?start=0&tstart=0
If you attempt an external SD card - it needs to be 16 GB minimum.

&/or take it in to your nearest Apple store.
If the drive is ok, we've seen many reports of Apple reinstalling the OS at N/C.

Click to expand...

I cant get into the HDD recovery partition at all. After my brother wiped the HDD in the unit from the recovery menu.

It was after this he said that it started to have this issue.

Ive got plenty of USB drives around the place so thats not an issue.

So im not to sure if the drive is dead or not. He wasnt having issues with it when he was wiping it as he was gonna sell it but didnt want his data going with it.

Holding the option key down it goes into a slightly different internet recovery menu but still ends up the same.

Ill try it using the WPA2 network and see what happens.

Thanks

Simon

Sorry I forgot to mention the at one stage the internet recovery was working. The progress bar was about 1/3 of the way through but then the battery went flat. I put it on charge then rebooted it into the menu and it has done this ever since.



If i have to ill take it to a apple repairer. But i live in the country so it may take a while b4 i get a chance unless i can post it to them.


Thanks Again for your help and fast reply

When you get booted up into the IR, head into Disk Utility first - try the verify and repair.
If that comes back reporting no problems, then go ahead and head for the Partition tab and re-partition it with 1 partition. Should be able to leave all the settings at default.

When done, see if it will let you open the browser back in the main menu.
If it does that, then try the install OS X again.

I don't get any other options other than internet recovery......

Could i stick it in another macbook air and use that to check the disk?

All the options I mentioned above are available in Internet Recovery

I have not seen that screen at all.

This is what i get after holding the option / alt key




This is after i connect to my wireless. (for some reason it wont connect to my work wireless so im using my phone. Last time when i saw the progress bar for the internet recovery it was connected to my phone)



This is after i select internet recovery




It then loads past that back to this




Sits at the last screen for about 5-10 mins then this





It does basically the same thing when you hold command + R at start up

I hope what i put there is clear for you.

I have a lion os x .dmg image that i can put onto usb using Transmac. (already done it)

I should be able to install from this correct?

Try booting holding down the 'command' and 'R' key.

Yeah it does the same thing. But goes into the internet recovery straight away. I dont have to select it.

I made the bootable usb like i said and i got the screen you posted up. I tested the SSD and everything tested ok. So i have no idea what gone wrong with it.

Ive started the re install mac os x. Shall see how this goes

Alright. Os X is installed and working. Not to sure why it decided it didnt want to do anything but oh well. Time to make sure it works and work out if i like it enough to keep it or sell it.

Thanks for your help.

Just an update. The Macbook is still working quite well. I am thinking of selling it tho as i dont really like it. But i cannot post in the buy sell part of the forum....

and thanks again bobtomay for your help with the issue i had with it.

do i have to be a special member or something to post in the For sale section? As i would like to list it to sell it as i dont think ill get used to using a mac. Thanks

You're too new to be able to post in the Buy Sell Trade forum. It's for established members only and it may take awhile for you to become established. Advertise it in your local "Green" sheet, Craig's List, or on eBay. I've had good luck selling stuff from my local "Green" sheet, however, it does cost a few bucks to advertise.

Ok then no worries. Ill list it on ebay then. Thanks