Problems booting my laptop (PXE-E61)

[levypantsoem]

Hello,
Yesterday I open my laptop ( acer aspire ) to clean the fan. In the
process I broke the connector with the floppy disk but I didn't give
it great importance because I don't use it. But when I turn on the
computer it gives an error in the boot sequence:

Inel Boot Agent Version 4.0.19
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Operating system not found


I've searched this error and I've found that is related with an error
with the hard drive. But I find it strange because the connector with
the hard drive is a solid piece and I'm quite sure that it isn't
damaged.
However, in the boot program I can't see the hard drive list ( but I
see the 3 1/4 disk witch is not connected!). I've tried to change the
boot sequence putting the floppy disk in the last place, but it
happens the same.

Any idea of what is happening?

Thank you and sorry for my english

 

[Paul]

Hello,
Yesterday I open my laptop ( acer aspire ) to clean the fan. In the
process I broke the connector with the floppy disk but I didn't give
it great importance because I don't use it. But when I turn on the
computer it gives an error in the boot sequence:

Inel Boot Agent Version 4.0.19
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Operating system not found


I've searched this error and I've found that is related with an error
with the hard drive. But I find it strange because the connector with
the hard drive is a solid piece and I'm quite sure that it isn't
damaged.
However, in the boot program I can't see the hard drive list ( but I
see the 3 1/4 disk witch is not connected!). I've tried to change the
boot sequence putting the floppy disk in the last place, but it
happens the same.

Any idea of what is happening?

Thank you and sorry for my english

"PXE" is associated with the Ethernet network interface, AFAIK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment

Paul

 

[JAD]

Hello,
Yesterday I open my laptop ( acer aspire ) to clean the fan. In the
process I broke the connector with the floppy disk but I didn't give
it great importance because I don't use it. But when I turn on the
computer it gives an error in the boot sequence:

Inel Boot Agent Version 4.0.19
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Operating system not found


I've searched this error and I've found that is related with an error
with the hard drive. But I find it strange because the connector with
the hard drive is a solid piece and I'm quite sure that it isn't
damaged.
However, in the boot program I can't see the hard drive list ( but I
see the 3 1/4 disk witch is not connected!). I've tried to change the
boot sequence putting the floppy disk in the last place, but it
happens the same.

Any idea of what is happening?

Thank you and sorry for my english

sounds like you have a laptop that booted from the network only and is searching for a
network to boot from.
Bios adjustment needed in the boot sequence, provided there is bootable media installed.
Your CMOS battery may have gone kaput. (or whatever they call it in laptop land...)

 

[philo]

Hello,
Yesterday I open my laptop ( acer aspire ) to clean the fan. In the
process I broke the connector with the floppy disk but I didn't give
it great importance because I don't use it. But when I turn on the
computer it gives an error in the boot sequence:

Inel Boot Agent Version 4.0.19
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Operating system not found


I've searched this error and I've found that is related with an error
with the hard drive. But I find it strange because the connector with
the hard drive is a solid piece and I'm quite sure that it isn't
damaged.
However, in the boot program I can't see the hard drive list ( but I
see the 3 1/4 disk witch is not connected!). I've tried to change the
boot sequence putting the floppy disk in the last place, but it
happens the same.

It looks like you ruined your laptop ...the HD connection must have gotten
broken or if you are lucky , just slipped off.
it's trying to boot from the network because no other boot media is avail

 

[Paul]

"PXE" is associated with the Ethernet network interface, AFAIK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment

Paul

Check the boot order in the BIOS. Perhaps you've reset the BIOS
by accident. As Kony said, if the hard drive connection also
got broken, it may be trying the very last boot option in the
list of boot options. So inspect the BIOS carefully. With
luck, the BIOS screen may show that the hard drive has been
detected, in which case maybe all that is needed is setting up the
boot order again. Then "Save and Exit" the BIOS.

Paul

 

[Paul]

Check the boot order in the BIOS. Perhaps you've reset the BIOS
by accident. As Kony said, if the hard drive connection also
got broken, it may be trying the very last boot option in the
list of boot options. So inspect the BIOS carefully. With
luck, the BIOS screen may show that the hard drive has been
detected, in which case maybe all that is needed is setting up the
boot order again. Then "Save and Exit" the BIOS.

Paul

Correction - Philo suggested the hard drive... Apologies for my bad eyesight.

Paul

 

[Wolf Kirchmeir]

It looks like you ruined your laptop ...the HD connection must have gotten
broken or if you are lucky , just slipped off.
it's trying to boot from the network because no other boot media is avail

Take the machine to your nearest computer repair shop. Regardless of
which diagnosis is correct (FWIW, I agree with philo), I don't think
this is a do-it-yourself fix.

It may be that the machine is not fixable at a reasonable price.
"Reasonable price" depends on the value of the data on the machine, as a
used machine is not worth much. (A machine that's two years or older is
worth about 25% of what you paid for it, or less.) So your problem may
well morph into one of data recovery. If so, the tech should be able to
remove the HDD, hook it into his desktop machine, and copy the HDD
contents onto an external drive or a batch of CDs/DVDs.

I'm sorry you've had to learn such a hard lesson in the limits of
do-it-yourself. You're not alone: I've ruined hardware in my time, too. :-(

 

[Barry Watzman]

That message is not directly related to any error.

That message indicates that the computer is trying to boot from the
network first, and that the network boot is failing (of course, you have
no network boot server). It's telling you that it didn't find an
operating system to boot from ON THE NETWORK.

The issue here is the boot sequence. Either you have put the network
boot first (which might happen if the CMOS battery is disconnected), or
the network boot isn't first, but attempts to boot from ALL of the
devices which come before the network boot are failing. That could
include either or both the floppy drive or the hard drive. But even if
the hard drive is fine (and bootable), you would get that message if the
network boot is above the hard drive in boot order, which could have
happened if you disconnected the CMOS battery (even given that you later
reconnected it).

 

[kony]

Hello,
Yesterday I open my laptop ( acer aspire ) to clean the fan. In the
process I broke the connector with the floppy disk but I didn't give
it great importance because I don't use it. But when I turn on the
computer it gives an error in the boot sequence:

Inel Boot Agent Version 4.0.19
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Operating system not found


I've searched this error and I've found that is related with an error
with the hard drive. But I find it strange because the connector with
the hard drive is a solid piece and I'm quite sure that it isn't
damaged.
However, in the boot program I can't see the hard drive list ( but I
see the 3 1/4 disk witch is not connected!). I've tried to change the
boot sequence putting the floppy disk in the last place, but it
happens the same.

Any idea of what is happening?

Thank you and sorry for my english

Hello. Did you get the problem solved? It is good to
periodically check back on your posts to tell others if
their suggestions worked or not, and add any further info
you might have omitted previously, so the discussion can
progress towards a solution.

As other indicated, the bios is trying to boot over the
network which in itself is not a problem since you weren't
wanting to boot from the network.

The remaining question is WHY it is trying to network boot.
Since it wasn't doing this previously, one of three things
seems most likely:

1) The CMOS settings were somehow scrambled and you should
load the bios defaults.

2) You had inadvertantly changed the bios settings for boot
order and need to change them back to either make the HDD a
higher priority boot device, and/or to have the bios try
all/other boot devices.

3) The drive or data cable to it is damaged. If all else
fails, pull the drive out and try it on another system. To
try it on a desktop system, get a laptop-desktop adapter
card which converts the 44 denser pins of a laptop drive to
a desktop ATA 40 pin interface. Such adapters are about $4
plus shipping, maybe $5 total on ebay if not elsewhere.
Having the drive connected on a desktop you can try it, run
scandisk, etc. You could instead use an external 2.5" hard
drive enclosure to check it.

Are you sure the cable you feel is damaged is to the floppy
drive instead of hard drive? Try unplugging that cable from
the mainboard then retry the system. Try to get a
replacement cable, since you will probably want that fixed
regardless of whether it is the primary problem.

Finally, you might try unplugging the hard drive and floppy
cables at the mainboard, clearing CMOS, and trying to boot
the laptop to a bootable CD. This much should work still,
providing the cable (or bus tracks when integrated onto the
mainboard) between hard drive and CD wasn't shared as one
ATA channel. If it is shared, try with and without the hard
drive connected, always with a bootable CD installed.

You might also enter the bios and disable the booting from
network option. At least then each attempt will be quicker
since you aren't waiting for it to give up on finding a
network boot server.

 

[Joe]

Go into your bios and change your floppy drive to "Not Installed"
Cheers,
Joe