[Johnnie2x]

Please forgive my computer ignorance, i'm on my last leg here. I have a laptop (Compaq Armada M700) Microsoft XP Professional is the OS and it just wont boot AT ALL..

When I start I get the COMPAQ screen and it looks as if it's going to boot, but then I get this:

PXE-E61: Media Test Failure, Check Cable

I have tried Boot Disk, Restore Disk, the system just doesn't seem to want to read from the disk drive either... When I do that it gives me the "Non-System disk or disk error replace and strike any key when ready" message...

After I do that, it just flashes the laptop screen repeatedly and pops back up the SAME MESSAGE

Keep in mind, there are no disk installed at this time, and the only thing connected to the laptop is the AC Power Cord...

What can I do to get it to boot??

I'll even WIPE the HardDrive and reload the XP Software if need be, I just need to get around this "PXE-E61: Media Test Failure, Check Cable" message..

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated..

[toto]

See if this helps:

Deskpro/workstation - Error: PXE 61 Test Media failure
Last Updated: 2002-06-17 Solution-id: 260.0.10233996.3024914
Environment:
Deskpro
Workstation AP
Evo Notebook
Problem Description:
Error: PXE 61 Test Media failure
Error at boot
Solution:
Put 'Hard Drive C:' before 'Network' in the boot order
(If the hard drive does not appear in the boot order, that's why the PXE network boot agents start)

Note : Check that the hard drive is seen in the BIOS setup
Cause:
PXE (pronounce Pixie) is an agent used to boot on to the network
It's using the DHCP protocol to localise a server where the image of the OS is located
In order to PXE boot press F12 at startup or configure the boot order in BIOS to display 'Network' before 'Hard Drive C:'
If, for any reason, the hard drive is not seen the computer will attempt to boot on the network controller.
That is caused by the hard drive is missing, unplugged or failed

http://www.compaq.com/support/askkcs...6_3024914.html

[Johnnie2x]

Thank Toto, but that was one of my FIRST tries this AM... I was on Compaq's site at about 9AM today and I still have NOT found a solution...

*pulling hair our*

I can't even get to DOS mode to wipe out the entire hard drive and start from scratch..

It just keeps giving me the PXE-E61 message... Now I see why IT technicians make so much money, the problems they encounter are worth every penny.

Still taking advice on how to just CLEAN the entire hard drive and start over...

A new Hard Disk is my last option i'm thinking... That's a $239 waste... *sigh*

[brianF]

Is the hard drive a removable, if so, remove it and reinsert it.
Also check in the bios for the ide configuration screen, is the hard drive being detected and showing the proper size.

[Johnnie2x]

Brian, i've taken the hard drive out and reinserted it, it's a Compaq Armada M700, so I had to unscrew a small screw, flip the latch up and pull it out... I put it back in and secured it...

I have no idea what the other stuff you're speaking of is, i'm a Paralegal, so this may be just a tad out of my spectrum of understanding...

What's a BIOS and IDE??

I press F10 when it seems to start up, it gives me a blue screen in the middle of a dark background and asks for a
SETUP PASSWORD, after that it takes me a to "Computer Setup" screen, there I can adjust Boot Order, get System Information and some other options (Serial #, Language, Passwords)....

I am completely lost....

*don't laugh at me, i'm trying*

[brianF]

should be a menu option in there for ide or standard settings. This is where the hard drive would be configured, hopefully it says autodetect, if not, it will need to be manually detected until it shows the hard drive's correct size. Look around on the other pages, has to be there.

[Johnnie2x]

Brian, an overview of what I see here.

Setup Password (to get in)

Computer Setup 1.00 (the program)

3 Menu Option (followed by sub-menus)

FILE - System Info - Product Name - Compaq Armada
Notebook Model- M700
Processor Type - Intel Pentium III
" " Speed - 450 MHz
" " Stepping - 1
Cache Size - 32/256KB
Memory Size - 128MB
Rom Date - 11/27/1999
Rom Family - 686H
Serial #s

Save To Floppy
Restore from Floppy

Restore Defaults
Ingnore Changes and exit
Save Changes and exit

SECURITY - Setup Passsword

Power On Password

Device Security - Serial Port - Enable
Infrared Port - Enable
Parallel Port - Enable
Floppy Drives - Enable

CD Rom Boot - Enable
Floppy Boot - Enable
Floppy Write - Enable

System ID's

ADVANCED - Language

Boot Option - Quick Boot - Enable
Multi Boot - Enable

Boot Order
MultiBay - Second
Hard Drive - First
Ethernet - Third

[Jedi_Master]

If I may offer my humble 2 pennies here...

Can you power the laptop down, hold down the FN or FTN key down, power up the laptop, while holding down the Ftn or FN key start tapping the F11 key, you should get a box asking you to save settings, make sure that OK is highlighted, then press enter...

I've worked on several of the Armada series ( don't remember working on a m700 though, so it may not work, but wouldn't hurt to try ) laptops and what this does ( per a Comapq tech I talked to ) is reset the BIOS to factory defaults...

[Johnnie2x]

Jedi, you've gotten me the furthest so far, but still no luck...

I powered down, then powered back up holding the "Fn" key, then tapped F11 until it beeped...

I got the basic red "COMPAQ" screen (with "F12=Network Service Boot" at the lower right corner of the screen)

then, It read:

"Initializing Intel Boot Agent Version 2.6 (build 004)"

then it take me back to another screen that says..

"Remove disks or other media. Press any key to restart"

There are no disks inserted, nothing but a power cord hooked to the laptop, and even if i press any key, it just flashes the laptop screen and pops right back up....

I'm about to take it out front and "Rock Bottom" it a few times.... The frustration is setting in.. How do you guys do it??

[Johnnie2x]

Hey, maybe this has something to do with it also....

Yesterday, I tried (got the info OFFLINE) to group the partitions.. meaning my laptop was broken down into 2 drives C:/ an D:/.... I wiped D:/ and wanted to move all the space C:/ to make one complete drive... maybe I broke it myself... *sigh*

I used the Management Software in Control Panel Settings to do it...

worked FINE til I restarted...

[Jedi_Master]

Hmmm...looks like it is not seeing the HD...

Will it boot to a floppy now ?

[Johnnie2x]

It worked FINE on the initial ReStart, I used it for a few hours after that, and then shut it down...

This morning when I tried to start it up to finish some work... NOTHING...

won't even let me start from the floppy to get to DOS mode or anything... just keeps giving me the error message, and telling me to "Remove disk or other media"...


You'd think it'd recognize that there is NOTHING in there...

okay, simple solution, how to I kill it?? I mean just delete everything, and i'll just reload XP tomorrow...

I can't start from the Floppy, so i'm guessing when I change out the drives, it's going to NOT let me start from the CD-ROM either to load the XP again....

Any quick ways to wipe out the system.. or is taking out the hard drive and just putting in a new one, the only way??

*I can easily borrow a hard drive from my office, they use the same notebooks there... got this one thru a discount program at work... can't I just take one of their hard drives.. me and the IT guy are pretty cool*

[Johnnie2x]

No, won't boot from Floppy either, even when there's a disk in the drive at Start-Up, it gives me the red COMPAQ screen then acts as if it's going to boot with the INTEL screen, then gives me the error message and pretty much says "take the disk out and press any key"... when I do that, it just flashes the screen and says it again...

If I take the hard drive out and change it off, stick a new one in, I wont have this same issue...

*on the phone with IT guy now, he may have a spare hard drive for the M700 in the office*

[Johnnie2x]

Im convinced, my IT guy's an idiot also..

He says he sends them back to Compaq when he can't fix something, and just gives the user a loaner...

How sick is that??

[Jedi_Master]

HMMM...odd...it still should've booted from the floppy...

Go into the BIOS and make the Multibay the first boot device...

Can you make another floppy boot disk and see if it will boot from it ?

Or...

Remove the floppy drive, and reinsert it, and see if it will boot from the floppy...