I just got a Toshiba Satellite A70 from a friend who was gonna trash it. It took a nasty fall and now when you turn it on it displays:

"For Realtek RTL8139(x)/8130/810x PCI Fast Ethernet Controller v 2.13 (020326)
PXE-E61: Media test faillure, check cable
PXE-MOF: Exiting PXE ROM"

repeatedly, I have followed one of the guides for dismantling the laptop but I cant find this so called cable the error is talking about. Has anyone had experience with a PCI fast Ethernet controller on a laptop or do you know how it looks so I can try and salvage this laptop?

I would be so grateful for any tips.

Sounds like the Ethernet port/controller (the one you plug your network cable into) has been damaged. At what point do you get this error message is it before or after the Bios Screen if it is after then go into your bio usually f2 or something similar and disable your "ethernet controller" then save and exit and see if you can boot up then.

If this is the case then you will need to go out and buy either a PCI(goes into the empty slot in the side if a laptop) or USB ethernet controller and use that instead of the onboard one.

This may not have been the only thing damaged in the fall but seems like the first place that we should start and then work from there.

Upon further analysis I noticed that one of the pins of the hard rive slot had broken off so when I boot it goes directly to the PCI card. I have a feeling I will have to do some soldering.

ahh nasty. Would'nt it just be easier to buy a new hard drive and install that then?

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