Member Avatar for dukeassa

It does go to BIOS SetUp and runs cd-rom when I insert operating system installation cd.

The problem is:

when i start the laptop, there's very strange noice going around the hard disk and it shows the following error in red

"Hard drive not installed...
If operating system not found...
re-installl hard drive...
Hit any button to exit"

And when i click any button, it tries to go the windows, I guess. But it shows another error: " PXE-EX61 Media test failure, check cable. Operating system not found"

i have my own 2000 as well as XP. And when I insert one of them, it kinda does what an installation cd of the OS does. but it stops and no movement, stuck, after saying "Setup is starting windows"

I would really appreciate if any could help me., please. My finals are coming soon, and i need this laptop everytime. it's like part of my body.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by janebush08

Dani AI

Generated

A quick diagnosis based on the thread: the red "Hard drive not installed" message plus a PXE network-boot attempt means the BIOS is not finding a bootable internal disk. The unusual clicking/grinding noise strongly points to a mechanical hard‑drive failure; the installer stalling at "Setup is starting Windows" is consistent with the installer hitting a dead or unreliable disk (less commonly it can be bad RAM or damaged install media).

Practical checklist (ordered by how quickly each item isolates the fault):

  • Confirm in BIOS whether the drive is listed and note any model/size shown.
  • If the drive is not listed: power down, remove battery/AC and reseat the drive and its connector; inspect the bay and connector for visible damage.
  • If the drive is listed but makes clicking or grinding noises: treat it as likely mechanical failure. Remove the drive and attach it to another PC or a USB‑to‑2.5" adapter to attempt an immediate copy/image of critical files. Avoid running destructive tests or a full zero-fill if data recovery matters.
  • If the drive is detected but unreliable, run a bootable diagnostic from the drive maker or a generic drive test to confirm bad sectors; failing tests mean replacement.
  • If Windows setup freezes even with a known‑good CD, test memory (memtest) and try a different bootable disc/USB to rule out RAM or optical/media problems. The PXE error is just the BIOS falling back to network boot because it found no bootable HDD.

This builds on suggestions from and about identifying the drive and consulting the service/manual for removal. If deadlines are tight and the drive is confirmed failing, the fastest recovery path is to replace the drive and restore important files from any successful image or backup; for critical, unrecoverable data, professional recovery should be considered.

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Member Avatar for lasher511

What sort of lapto do you have?

Member Avatar for dukeassa

What sort of lapto do you have?

Thanks for replying.
My laptop is IBM Thinkpad 23 having speed of 900MHz, 256MB RAM, 30GB.
My guess is that the problem is with the hard disk.
Please advise me how to fix this thing. I reallly need a laptop.

Member Avatar for TT4Titans

Take the HDD out see who makes it and then go to there site and download there diagnostic software.run it on the machine in question and it will tell you if it is bad or not bad do a zero write to it with there software.

Member Avatar for lasher511

try this website it should give you a very good idea as to where everything is and how to remove/replace parts etc. These manuals also have some trouble shooting from what im aware of

Hope this helps

Member Avatar for Lother

hello, I have himself problem with a T20, desire to know if you could solve the problem, and if you could, how and what you did.
thanks.
greetings

Member Avatar for dukeassa

hello, I have himself problem with a T20, desire to know if you could solve the problem, and if you could, how and what you did.
thanks.
greetings

i`ve tried in different ways except the one above. i`ll let you know if i fix it. yet i`ve no time sticking with it

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