No Operating System. [moved from laptop support]

cattlesnake · 01-13-2009, 01:13 PM

Hello, I have a Gateway m-1617 that ran Vista until I decided I could no longer handle it and tried to install Ubuntu. My plans went awry when I tried using "wubi" to install it within Windows, the rest of what happens was rather fuzzy, but it had accessed my partitions, began installing and then birthed an error and ceased.

Rebooting my PC has given me the following error:

Intel Base-Code, PXE-2.1 (build 083)
Copyright (C) 1997-2001, Intel Corporation
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM.
Operating System not found

I have tried rebooting again using the Ubuntu CD, but it never loads from the CD and goes directly back to that error. I have tried changing the BIOS to no avail. I can say with certainty it has to do with my botched installation.

Now, I have the potential for a a deux ex machina -- I have a D: Recovery Drive. I have hit F8, F11, Fwhatever, but none have worked. If there is a way to restore from the D: and get Vista back and be happy with it as a cruel yet working OS, I would be happy.

Thank you.

**Bartender** · 01-13-2009, 04:22 PM

Well, it's too late to say it now, but you shoulda made your recovery discs right off the bat.

I think when it says PXE the PC is trying to boot from a network.

Are you sure you're saving your changes in the BIOS? Once you set it to boot from the optical drive it should access that first. And if you have a good Ubuntu/PCLinuxOS/Suse/Mint CD in the tray the PC should boot from the CD.

It's tough to tell what's happening from afar...

cattlesnake · 01-13-2009, 05:18 PM

It's quite perplexing on my end as well. I've disabled anything in PhoenixBIOS that has to do with networks (LAN and Bluetooth), as well as trying every possible boot order.

F8 (or F11) is supposed to bring me to system restore, but that option does not work.

I'm reasonably certain that my Ubuntu disc was formatted correctly. It worked once, which is how all this began.

Is there no way to summon a prompt or get to my recovery drive?

**Bartender** · 01-14-2009, 04:58 PM

Well, let me ask you something. Are you SURE you still have a D: drive? Do you have a GParted LiveCD that you can boot from? The CD will show you what partitions you have. I'm wondering if the Ubuntu CD was not burned properly, or was incompatible with the laptop somehow? Maybe it wiped out Windows and failed to install Ubuntu?

Can you boot ANYTHING from the optical drive?

I copy/pasted your PXE16 error message into Google. Got lots of hits. Here's one
http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/1...ia-test-2.html

01-13-2009, 01:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
cattlesnake Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Vista	No Operating System. [moved from laptop support] Hello, I have a Gateway m-1617 that ran Vista until I decided I could no longer handle it and tried to install Ubuntu. My plans went awry when I tried using "wubi" to install it within Windows, the rest of what happens was rather fuzzy, but it had accessed my partitions, began installing and then birthed an error and ceased. Rebooting my PC has given me the following error: Intel Base-Code, PXE-2.1 (build 083) Copyright (C) 1997-2001, Intel Corporation PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM. Operating System not found I have tried rebooting again using the Ubuntu CD, but it never loads from the CD and goes directly back to that error. I have tried changing the BIOS to no avail. I can say with certainty it has to do with my botched installation. Now, I have the potential for a a deux ex machina -- I have a D: Recovery Drive. I have hit F8, F11, Fwhatever, but none have worked. If there is a way to restore from the D: and get Vista back and be happy with it as a cruel yet working OS, I would be happy. Thank you.

01-13-2009, 04:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: No Operating System. [moved from laptop support] Well, it's too late to say it now, but you shoulda made your recovery discs right off the bat. I think when it says PXE the PC is trying to boot from a network. Are you sure you're saving your changes in the BIOS? Once you set it to boot from the optical drive it should access that first. And if you have a good Ubuntu/PCLinuxOS/Suse/Mint CD in the tray the PC should boot from the CD. It's tough to tell what's happening from afar...

01-13-2009, 05:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
cattlesnake Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Vista	Re: No Operating System. [moved from laptop support] It's quite perplexing on my end as well. I've disabled anything in PhoenixBIOS that has to do with networks (LAN and Bluetooth), as well as trying every possible boot order. F8 (or F11) is supposed to bring me to system restore, but that option does not work. I'm reasonably certain that my Ubuntu disc was formatted correctly. It worked once, which is how all this began. Is there no way to summon a prompt or get to my recovery drive?

01-14-2009, 04:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: No Operating System. [moved from laptop support] Well, let me ask you something. Are you SURE you still have a D: drive? Do you have a GParted LiveCD that you can boot from? The CD will show you what partitions you have. I'm wondering if the Ubuntu CD was not burned properly, or was incompatible with the laptop somehow? Maybe it wiped out Windows and failed to install Ubuntu? Can you boot ANYTHING from the optical drive? I copy/pasted your PXE16 error message into Google. Got lots of hits. Here's one http://forums.techguy.org/hardware/1...ia-test-2.html Last edited by Bartender; 01-14-2009 at 05:02 PM.