Media test failure

I am trying to fix a laptop for my mechanic. This is a Toshiba M45-S359, I just loade windows xp and loading the needed drivers. However, at boot (black screen) there is a line saying PXE E61: Media test failure . Check cable. What does this mean, what cable do I have to check. I noticed the computer keeps rebooting while in windows, but when it is in safe mode it is fine. I tried doing a check disk where it goes through the 5 steps at boot up, but when it gets to the 4 of 5 check, it freezes.
Any help on this from anyone? I don't know if one thing is related to the other.

 

You have a bad boot sector in your hard drive, time to get a new hard drive.

 

Thanks Arie, I had just experienced this same ordeal in two laptops and I wasn't sure if there was a way to check the hardrives. In one of the gateway laptops I can't see the cd rom either, I noticed one of these diagnostic tools requires me to make a floppy, I'll try it that way.

Do you know where theer is a tool for the fujitsu hardrive?
thanks

 

I can't access these drives from anywhere, I've tried using an adapter on my desktop, maybe I should have used a jumper. My desktop viewed these 2 hardrives as other accessories. I was able to use the cd to boot the older laptop with the hitachi drive, but still to o avail,the software told me that the drive was empty. Is it stil too early to assume these drives are dead?

 

Thanks for helping me out here Arie, I took the HHD out of the laptop but it's a toshiba drive (I didn't even know they made HHDs) Will one of these diagnostic programs work with this drive?

 

Go into your BIOS & disable booting from LAN or something similar. Also check if the BIOS tests the LAN cable before boot or has BootAgent enabled.

 

http://askiris.toshiba.com/ToshibaS...iceId=&dialogID=70082583&stateId=1 0 70084249
Seems to agree with what rsinfo was saying.

 

Well, I tried the change in the boot order and that part is taken care of. How ever I am still having problems with the chkdsk so I am trying to format the drive (not quick format) and it gets to 85% and stop. Does this mean that I am looking at a bad HHD? This Toshiba laptop is driving me crazy.

 

Most probably yes.

See if you can find the hdd manufacturer info & download utility from its website to check the hard disk.

 

I had to bump. I tried looking for utilities to check the drive and I did find one. However, I bought a new HHD for this laptop and installed windows xp pro load all the needed drivers and it was doing fine until windows started updating and installed SP3, then the computer started rebooting by itself. I deleted the sp3 and it still reboots every once in a while. Do you think I should update the BIOS? I don't know what else to do with this computer. While it is in safe mode it will run good for ever without rebooting. I think I am over my head on this one.

 

Uptdated the BIOS from Toshiba website but that did not cure the problem. I think I will do what I don't like doing, I will give up on this one and give the computer back to my friend, the machanic. He may lot want to fix my car anymore ofter this. LOL