[metaxy6]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is a hardware problem, but it seemed logical to post here since the whole box is effectively down.

This is a Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop running Windows Vista. No real problems, and it has been protected.

In short, I recieve the following 3 lines upon powering on:

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Broadcam PXE ROM.
Operating System not found.

Help?

Thanks.

Having checked the other posts on this topic, I know that
1.) I have the windows cd i used to install.
2.) there was one problem about a year ago where the computer didn't recognize the ac power cord.
3.) i'm still not sure where to begin.

Edited by metaxy6, 14 April 2009 - 07:30 PM.

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Hello, metaxy6.

This message: PXE-M0F: Exiting Broadcam PXE ROM. -- is a message that states you are trying to boot from a Broadcom network card.

"Operating System not found" means that there is no operating system on the network card.

-------------------

Process

• Please boot your computer and press F2 quickly. If this does not enter BIOS setup, then try again and press "Delete button" on boot. One of those two can enter BIOS setup
• You will see a section titled Boot or Boot order. You will need to change the boot order to have the "Internal HDD" or "HDD" at the top. Instructions for doing this are near that section displayed so you may see.

Do you need help changing the boot sequence?

What are the results?

Do you have any questions concerning this solution?

[DragonMaster Jay]

Hello, metaxy6.

This message: PXE-M0F: Exiting Broadcam PXE ROM. -- is a message that states you are trying to boot from a Broadcom network card.

"Operating System not found" means that there is no operating system on the network card.

-------------------

Process

• Please boot your computer and press F2 quickly. If this does not enter BIOS setup, then try again and press "Delete button" on boot. One of those two can enter BIOS setup
• You will see a section titled Boot or Boot order. You will need to change the boot order to have the "Internal HDD" or "HDD" at the top. Instructions for doing this are near that section displayed so you may see.

Do you need help changing the boot sequence?

What are the results?

Do you have any questions concerning this solution?

[kiruban]

Senario 1

It usually because the system cannot find the hard drive on which the os is installed. This can be changed via the BIOS during startup by pressing either F1,F12,DEL or other keys depending on your system. You can see which key to press when it boots...It tells you for o say 2 seconds which need is used to go to bios. Once you go into BIOS, just change the boot order. It lists your boot sequence...like cd rom, floppy drive, master drive, slave drive and there you should see your hard disk drive.

Make sure you can see it first, If you do then change it, and save changes before you exit.
a)If you cannot see it, remove the power cable, Press the reset button for few seconds(this will drain the rest of the power in the system), open the side panel, remove the cable from your HDD(both power and scsi) and then put them back and make sure it fits snuggly.
b)Remove the memory chip by unhinging the white tabs, wait for a few seconds and put them back and ensure that it fits properly and you hear 2 clicks(one from each side)

Close the side panel, plug the power back on and turn on your machine.

This time let the system do its POST(Power on self test) completely and see if it works. If it still gives os not found, Go back into the bios and change the boot order.

If you do see the hard disk this time around and it works, the reason was that

The system magically reset itself. It happens 1 in 100 computers. By removing the ram and plugging it back on...you manually reset it. Just like how we go banana's sometimes and someone has to calm you down by hugging, patting and removing us from that scene.

Senario 2

There is no OS installed on your computer period.....hahaha.

[DragonMaster Jay]

Hello, kiruban.

I want to advise that instruction to disconnect cables and attempt to work with hardware is simply not a good idea. What you would not be sure of, is if metaxy6 knows how to do anything you have listed above.

You also over-posted me, saying basically the same thing I said.

[metaxy6]

Thank you Jay, that sounds very promising.
Looks like I'll need help changing the boot sequence, sorry if i'm a little dense. In the BIOS setup, I can access Boot, but do not see "Internal HDD" or "HDD" on that menu.

What I see is:
Hard Drive
USB Storage
Removable Devices
CD-Rom Drive
Broadcam PXE

There is "Item Specific Help" on the far right, but these commands, eg, Ctrl+Enter to expand all, do not seem to have any effect.

I could do F9 to Setup Defaults, but will await your guidance on this.
Thanks.

[kiruban]

True but there is no magic easy button that you can push to get your results. You have to exhaust all your options before giving up. I just realized its a laptop so just don't even bother opening it.

I have experience opening it and breaking it and fixing it and not to mention even frying the old pentium 286 motherboard and seeing a campfire smoke come out of it.

Yeah....Just don't open it.....

Even playing around with the BIOS is dangerous so just make sure you change only the boot order. If you don't know what we are talking about, just give it to someone and they can fix it and just watch them do it.

You can learn two ways....by doing and by watching...

I read a lot and watch a lot of videos on the web even before I put my hands inside a machine in the name of fixing it. These days you can get video's on almost anything..

[DragonMaster Jay]

Set Hard Drive as the first in the sequence. Are you able to follow the instructions on the BIOS setup screen? (Cool tip: Hard drive is also known as Internal HDD or HDD)

[metaxy6]

Ok,

Hard drive has been 1st in the sequence.

It reads:
Hard Drive
USB
Removable devices
CD-Rom
Broadcam PXE

I've just exited w/o saving any changes since hard drive was at top of sequence.

[DragonMaster Jay]

Did you reboot? Did it start up?

[metaxy6]

To be clear - I never changed the boot order; the Hard Drive was on top when I checked.

Yes, rebooted. No, did not start up. Ideas?

[kiruban]

Do you hear any beeping sounds when you boot? If so how many? 1-1-1-2, 1-1, etc.
Anything unusual taking place when you boot?

try this link from microsoft

Microsoft support

[DragonMaster Jay]

Have you tried to boot from your Windows install disc?

[metaxy6]

For some reason - totally beyond me since i didn't make any changes in BIOS - the system boots up today.

So, issue resolved, i guess.

Thanks for your help Jay and Kiruban!

Edited by metaxy6, 15 April 2009 - 11:51 AM.

[DragonMaster Jay]

Very good. Glad to be of service. Anymore questions that you may have about this issue can be directed to this topic. This topic will remain open for you to get help about this same problem, if needed, in the future. Everybody else reading this should start a new topic.

[rubbermaid]

Hi, I don't know if I should reply here or start a new topic or what.. But I'm experiencing the same issue as metaxy6. Like verbatim.. And I was wondering if you guys could help me out since his issue kind of resolved itself...