Can't boot

[Guest]

Trying to help my (impatient?) son...has a 2 yr old HP notebook - HP Presario
running Win XP (not sure Home or Pro).

Boots up with black screen - he says it reads "connection error....exiting
PXEROM.
He says he can't get into Safe Mode...He's a 100 miles away. I'd like to
help him.
Thanks.

 

[Malke]

Trying to help my (impatient?) son...has a 2 yr old HP notebook - HP Presario
running Win XP (not sure Home or Pro).

Boots up with black screen - he says it reads "connection error....exiting
PXEROM.
He says he can't get into Safe Mode...He's a 100 miles away. I'd like to
help him.
Thanks.

The boot message means that either the boot order was changed and it is
now set to boot from a network OS server or in more likelihood the hard
drive has failed and the next place the BIOS is looking for boot files
is from a network server.

Your son can enter the BIOS and see if the hard drive is seen and what
the boot order is.

Accessing the BIOS
http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm
http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/reference/biosp.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000235.htm

A more practical course of action is for your son to take the laptop to
a professional computer repair shop, not a BigStoreUSA type of place.


Malke