catastrophic boot up

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greenecj1

New Member
I just moved back to the states from Germany (military), and I just received my computer. It won't boot up. It runs the typical start-up routine, recognizes the RAM, then stops and gives me the following:
Intel Base-c=Code, PXE-2.1 (build 083)
Copyright....
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0E: Exiting Intel PXE ROM
Boot Failure System Halted

I'm almost positive the problem is not with my RAM, but I'm not too sure about the hard disk or motherboard. I can access the BIOS, but it won't recognize my hard disk, it will see my DVD drive. Anyone have ANY ideas???
 
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greenecj1

New Member
Did that, and even did some looking around on the internet and found that many times this error is given due to trying to boot from a LAN. I disabled it from the BIOS and took my NIC out, now all I get it "Boot failure, disk error". It doesn't even seem to recognize anything in my system. During BIOS initialization, it'll run the RAM test, then when it's supposed to recognize the disk and drives, it hangs. Even when I go to enter the BIOS, it hangs for quite a while. I'm going to try removing the CMOS battery, then let it sit overnight and see what happens. Do you think it's a HDD?
 
DCIScouts

DCIScouts

VIP Member
Yeah, make sure that the hard drive is connected all the way... If you can access the BIOS, what is the first thing that your computer should recognize that it doesn't... More than likely that is your problem (and like alan said, I think that's your hard drive). Furthermore, your hard drive might be fried... Oh! and you're sure that you have the right voltages set for your system now that you're back in the States?
 
DCIScouts

DCIScouts

VIP Member
No, I think that your boot device got set to the LAN somehow, set it to the hard drive, and that should fix it... (ignore my previous post, I was completely off... sorry :()
 
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greenecj1

New Member
Yes, auto switching power supply, no switch anywhere on the power supply, plus it says "switched" on the recepticle. I "assumed" that this is what it meant, hopefully I wasn't wrong. It gets to the point where it should be recognizing my removable drives, HDD, CDROM, DVD, etc, but it doesn't. It won't even boot from floppy or DVD drive, either. When I enter the boot sequence in the BIOS, there are only 2 options where I thought it would have HDD, CDROM, floppy, etc, but it doesn't. Does this help?
 
riddick

riddick

New Member
Wow...sounds to me like you are not booting onto the HD. Which could be several things...all of which have been addressed in this thread. Do you have access to another PC? If so test the HD and see if it works. Sounds to me like it may have taken a bad drop and killed the HD. You bios settings that is a mystery....
 
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greenecj1

New Member
It's got a Intel DB45GB mainboard with P4 2GHz processor
Western Digital WD1200 120GB HDD
Sound Blaster Audigy
G4 TI4200 Video
Pioneer DVD-RW
Floppy

I was thinking it was the HDD too. I left it plugged in overnight, and tried it before work this morning. It booted up just fine, so I shut it off and went to work. Got home, won't boot again. If it was the HDD, why won't it boot from floppy or DVD?
 
Praetor

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
I was thinking it was the HDD too. I left it plugged in overnight, and tried it before work this morning. It booted up just fine, so I shut it off and went to work. Got home, won't boot again. If it was the HDD, why won't it boot from floppy or DVD?
Click to expand...
From what i understand, your errors are all during POST so the HDD doesnt play an issue there ... my guess from what you've described is somehow your BIOS got screwed up ... you can try to reset the BIOS, that might fix things up
 
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