Help! My laptop is fucked!

Randy Marsh · #1 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:01 PM

Im having to use another laptop at the moment.

Basically, my laptop screen froze last night which meant i had to then switch it off from the main power button.

When i turn it back on now, all i get is one black screen with white text on. At the top it says "INTEL UNDI, PXE-2.1 blah blah blah", but then further down the page it says "PXE-E61: MEDIA TEST FAILURE, CHECK CABLE", then underneath it says "OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND". And thats it, i cant get fuck all else out of the thing!

Any help greatly appreciated!

wiiksie · #2 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:06 PM

Sounds like either your hard drive cable has come loose mate, or the drive itself is fucked. Only way you'll find out is to get the case open and make sure the cable going into the hard drive is secure.

There is a slim chance your BIOS settings are wrong, but you'll need to find your computer's manual for how to restore the BIOS to factory settings (I'd do this first before arsing about with the case etc).

If you are a mong and can't find the manual/can't read, let us know the make/model and I'll tell you the steps to go through.

Randy Marsh · #3 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by wiiksie

Sounds like either your hard drive cable has come loose mate, or the drive itself is fucked. Only way you'll find out is to get the case open and make sure the cable going into the hard drive is secure.

There is a slim chance your BIOS settings are wrong, but you'll need to find your computer's manual for how to restore the BIOS to factory settings (I'd do this first before arsing about with the case etc).

If you are a mong and can't find the manual/can't read, let us know the make/model and I'll tell you the steps to go through.

Cheers Wiiksie!!

Nick Leeson · #4 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:18 PM

There's more than a slim chance. Every now and then a CMOS battery might have a bit of a flid and lose some settings. Telling it which drive to boot from again quite often fixes this. Just restore the default BIOS settings.

Uncle_Meat · #5 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:23 PM

Sounds like the HDD has chucked its hand in.

Can you get into bios (F2 for a lot of the newer ones) and see if the HDD is being detected there?

*edit* That's what happens if you read a post, type out half a reply, go to make a cuppa and don't recheck the thread. Other nerds get in there before you.

Randy Marsh · #6 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 01:35 PM

Cheers for the advice fellers. Ive got to go and pick a mate up from the airport now so ill be away for a couple of hours but il have a go at the things you've advised me on when i get back. Thanks again!

Randy Marsh · #7 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 05:00 PM

Right, all that happens when i press F2 is the same screen reloads itself. Thats it...

Uncle_Meat · #8 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 05:31 PM

OK. F2 might not be the one for yours. What laptop is it? Does it prompt you for any particular key to enter BIOS?

Randy Marsh · #9 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 05:45 PM

On the opening screen before this black screen loads up, it does say "[F2] BIOS SETUP". So i take it that is the right button, just fuck all happens.
The laptop is an Advent 7104 Model No. EAA-88. Chears mate

Uncle_Meat · #10 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 06:33 PM

Keep tapping the F2 key, there is usually only a smallish window of opportunity where it'll detect the keypress and therefore go into bios setup.

On those advents, the recovery partition is stashed on the hard disk, so if the HDD is knackered you'll be a bit stuffed for reinstalling back to factory spec unless you used the recovery media creator in windows to make backup disks for it. You *did* make backups, right?

If the HDD is only partially knackered and the recovery partition is still alive, switch on and repeatedly press the F10 key. That should start the recovery process.

Randy Marsh · #11 (**permalink**) 21st July 2008, 09:00 PM

Chears mate, ill have a go!!