Laptop is kaput.

Jings

Jings

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Any help will be appreciated. My laptop has an error message on startup:

Broadcom UNDI PXE-2.1 12.2.0

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXEIM0F: Exiting Broadcom PXE ROM.
No bootable device --insert boot disk and press any key.

Driver failure? I don't have a bootable disk.
 
Notebook is trying other boot options because its not detecting the hdd in the bios. Most likely the hdd is kaput and not the laptop
 
Thanks for the friendly advice. Any suggestions on a new laptop, under R8000 range?
 
This one's pretty sweet. Only R5999 at Hifi-Corp. The only downside is the
Windows 7 Home Basic, but you could always upgrade to Windows 8 Pro
for R125.

Lenovo.jpg
 
Could just replace the hdd and take it from there?
 
phiber said:
Could just replace the hdd and take it from there?
Click to expand...

+1 It's probably just the hard drive that is failing.

Try removing it from the laptop, install into a desktop or external enclosure and see what's wrong with it. It could be something simple like a corrupted MBR, if not then just try a different drive on it.
 
Try changing the boot order of your devices in your BIOS? Boot sector on your perfectly functional HDD can have become corrupt.

Seriously, chaps? A little boot problem and you're advising new HDD's and laptops? It's trying to do a LAN boot...

BIOS flash? Just enter CMOS and see if your HDD is showing - if it is, cool, if not that still doesn't mean it's poked.

Really, I would have expected more in this place!
 
Broadcom is a manufacturer of LAN/Ethernet devices....I think your NIC has packed up or a virus has corrupted the drivers .

What I would do is format your laptop and clean install windows 7
 
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Mmm I don't understand the language so will be doing some research tomorrow and follow up on your suggestions.

Unfortunately though there were no disks that came with laptop and I didn't do any backups.

So far I managed to get into Utils and its not picking up the HDD model in 'information'.
 
jingaling said:
Mmm I don't understand the language so will be doing some research tomorrow and follow up on your suggestions.

Unfortunately though there were no disks that came with laptop and I didn't do any backups.

So far I managed to get into Utils and its not picking up the HDD model in 'information'.
Click to expand...

what version windows did you have, i have windows 7 boot disk but you will need a windows 7 key.
I would suggest just open your laptop at the back and remove the hard drive and put it back, see if nothing has come lose there, then reboot into bios and see if it sees it, if not then all you need is probably a new hdd, unless of couse something is just stuffed on the board, but easy enough to get the hdd tested.
 
FlatspinZA said:
Try changing the boot order of your devices in your BIOS? Boot sector on your perfectly functional HDD can have become corrupt.

Seriously, chaps? A little boot problem and you're advising new HDD's and laptops? It's trying to do a LAN boot...

BIOS flash? Just enter CMOS and see if your HDD is showing - if it is, cool, if not that still doesn't mean it's poked.

Really, I would have expected more in this place!
Click to expand...

:what:
 
jingaling said:
Unfortunately though there were no disks that came with laptop and I didn't do any backups.

So far I managed to get into Utils and its not picking up the HDD model in 'information'.
Click to expand...
If HDD is faulty, data recoovery is costly.
If you decide to trash it, consider there is dropbox for such equipment in Knoppieslaaghte (near Diepsloot). I love to experiment with dead drives and bring them back to life. There is small chance... if you are lucky, your data will be back, but it can take a time for researching. No promise, no pay if succeed, just hobby.
 
jingaling said:
Any help will be appreciated. My laptop has an error message on startup:

Broadcom UNDI PXE-2.1 12.2.0

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXEIM0F: Exiting Broadcom PXE ROM.
No bootable device --insert boot disk and press any key.

Driver failure? I don't have a bootable disk.
Click to expand...
That looks like messages enumerating that it (first) can't boot from PXE (network), quite possibly because there's no cable plugged in followed by there being no boot device. Which is a condition that can happen when the CMOS battery goes flat. The easiest way to confirm that is to go into BIOS and check the date: if it's somewhere WAY back in time - the beastie I'm fighting with resets its date all the way back to 1980 - then odds are you've got a flat battery. And when that happens the PC can't determine the geometry/(logical) layout of the drive (it can't talk to it) so stops with a 'no bootable device' error. Check it out, finding out won't cost you anything and you will have eliminated at least one possible cause.
 
Thanks for all the advice so far, guys.

Is it possible to test the drive on a 7 year old IBM/Lenovo laptop? And how do I remove the hard drive?

Will a USB bootup work?

The date on the BIOS was current when I checked last night so the CMOS battery can be ruled out as the cause.
 
jingaling said:
Is it possible to test the drive on a 7 year old IBM/Lenovo laptop? And how do I remove the hard drive?
Click to expand...

Probably not. 7yrs ago most laptops still had PATA drives whiles newer laptops have SATA drives. The interface is completely different.

You can try it in a USB enclosure as long as it has the correct interface.

There should be a cover underneath the laptop indicated with a symbol of a hard drive or the actual word on it. Should only have to remove one or two screws.

What is the make & model of your current laptop and when did you buy it? If we know this we can probably help a lot more with the details.
 
ponder said:
Probably not. 7yrs ago most laptops still had PATA drives whiles newer laptops have SATA drives. The interface is completely different.

You can try it in a USB enclosure as long as it has the correct interface.

There should be a cover underneath the laptop indicated with a symbol of a hard drive or the actual word on it. Should only have to remove one or two screws.

What is the make & model of your current laptop and when did you buy it? If we know this we can probably help a lot more with the details.
Click to expand...

Its an Acer Travelmate 5740G bought 2 1/2 years ago.

Found the hard drive but it needs a tiny screwdriver to un-screw.

No luck with the USB bootup although it works on the old laptop. I'm screwed. :cry:
 
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jingaling said:
Thanks for all the advice so far, guys.

Is it possible to test the drive on a 7 year old IBM/Lenovo laptop? And how do I remove the hard drive?

Will a USB bootup work?

The date on the BIOS was current when I checked last night so the CMOS battery can be ruled out as the cause.
Click to expand...
Unlikely on the Lenovo but, as I have a pretty old X61s that has SATA, may well be possible, what's the model number? As to USB boot, you can either go into the setup menu (F2 (if no-one gave it up)) and change it or, live when booting, tap away at the F keys up from F8-F12, odds are one of those will kick the live choose-a-boot-device menu and you can select the USB drive you have plugged in then.

jingaling said:
Its an Acer Travelmate 5740G bought 2 1/2 years ago.

Found the hard drive but it needs a tiny screwdriver to un-screw.

No luck with the USB bootup although it works on the old laptop. I'm screwed. :cry:
Click to expand...
Hrm, just saw this ..but have you really tried all options for getting to the boot menu? Also, while I was quickly noodling around looking for which particular F-key Acer uses for live boot device choice (it's a crap with these things), I stumbled across this, it of any use to you? Also, you not have that small a screwdriver at all - or know someone with one/a set?
 
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