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Laptop Displays Message: PXE-E61: Media Test Failure (will not boot)

Ok, i have a HP Pavilion ze4200 and everytime I go to boot it up, it will display the message "PXE-E61: Media Test Failure" and proceeds to restart from there, doing the same thing. I have tried changing the boot order, but it doesn't change anything. This laptop has PheonixBIOS, and the BIOS Revision is KE.M1.53.
I know this problem has something to do with not being connected to a network, but I have no option to disable PXE or disable the Built-In LAN in the bios, I can only change the order for built in LAN.

I simply want to be able to boot up the computer, but nothing seems to work (I've searched many things on google and tried them, to no avial)

This is what I've tried so far:

Taking the battery out and putting it back in
Changing the boot order
disabling PXE or the Built-In LAN (but I can't because my bios wont give me that option)

Now would updating my BIOS work? If so, I need to know how to update it and where I can get the update. I'm at a loss here.

Thanks,

Kyle Salisbury

jodypeet

if you have changed the boot order to boot from hdd before pxe and it doesn't work then you may have a bigger problem than the pxe error.

nobus

it looks like it does not see the hard disk; can you boot from a floppy or a bootable CD?
You can also take out the HDD , inspect the connector and reseat it; or test it on another PC.
How is the boot order now? set it to floppy, or cdif you boot from them, and check if you see the harddirve. It can be faulty

nobus

if you want to have bootable media, get a boot disk from www.bootdisk.com or a bootable cd from:

ebcd.pcministry.com/

this contains also many useful programs for testing

Archer954

ASKER

Actually the laptop does recognize the hard disc, so that's not it. If the computer is recognizing the hard disc, would it still be a viable solution to take out the hard disk and reseat it? Now I have a Windows XP disk, but there's not much I can do with it that will make a difference.

I did have this laptop connected to a network when I visited a dorm about a week ago, so that may be the cause of the problem, because I don't think it has worked since. Possibly the laptop is still trying to connect to the dorm network so won't boot? I'm not sure, but I'll try what you guys said and report back. Thanks!

Archer954

ASKER

Ok, so I tried pulling out the hard drive and reconnecting it, no go. Just thought I'd let you know.

nobus

can you set the bioa to default?
and can you boot from the xp cd?

Archer954

ASKER

I can set the bios to defualt, however, I get the same error message. I can boot into the windows set-up screen using the windows cd, but is there a way I can boot into windows? Thanks

nobus

you can update the bios from a floppy :

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?dlc=en&lc=en&product=353949&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00026926

You can reset your notebook, look in the manual page 1-17 :

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00246219.pdf

Archer954

ASKER

Ok, one thing, the laptop does not have a floppy drive. Could I do it by burning a cd and using that in the laptop, as long as I have it booting first? If so, how would I do that?

This is the BIOS updater HP has on their website:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?lc=en&lang=en&cc=us&os=228&product=353949&dlc=en&softwareitem=ob-21437-2

But since that computer won't boot up at all, I don't know how I'd go about installing it.

Thanks for your input!

rid

I suggest you wait a bit with the BIOS update thing. It doesn't sound like a BIOS issue if it did work and then quit. A BIOS doesn't go bad overnight. I strongly suggest you connect the hard drive to another computer and check its status - are there any partitions, any files etc. Or , if possible, run a check on it from your windows install CD.
/RID

Archer954

ASKER

I'm not sure how I would go about connecting this hard drive to another computer since it is a laptop and it's hard drive is different. I supposed if I could find someone else that has this model I could connect it, but that might be difficult. I'll try to run a check if it's possible through my windows cd. Thanks

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rid

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Archer954

ASKER

Ok, ill try that and get back to you. Thanks

Archer954

ASKER

Thanks rid.....i did what you said, ran some diagnostics on the HD and found out that it was corrupted, and I was able to fix it! Boots up just fine now, thanks a lot everyone!

rid

Nice to hear that!
/RID

Fish_lies

I have the same problem on an HP Pavlion ze5300... I get the message "PXE-E61: Media Test Failure" and proceeds to restart from there, doing the same thing. I have tried changing the boot order, but it doesn't change anything. I have connected the harddrive via an external USB hdd enclosure and the drive looks fine. The BIOS on the laptop does NOT seem to recognize the hdd. I have NOT connected it to an 2nd IDE controller on a PC to see if a PC bios recognizes it. I can NOT boot from an XP CD and the floppy drive appears to be damaged, so that is not an option...

JPH

azwandi

So how did you SOLVE it???
I got the same problem too, and I ended up buying a new hardisk..
But it happens for the second time now!!!

Urawa_Ryo

Man, ive got the same problem on my Acer travelmate 530, tho ive tested the hard drive and it works fine in another comp, and i tried my friends 2.5" hdd in my acer but same thing happens, hdd isnt detected. can boot in with floppy, but fdisk can't detect any drives either, changing boot order doesn't work, and forgotten password to the bios which is the worst thing...