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Toshiba Satellite A85 S107 has the following message:

\"Windows Root>\\System32\\NTOSKRNL.exe.
Re-install a copy of the above file.\"

Can't get any farther. F2 & F12 don't work at this point.

Do I use XP disk to re-install? Do I have to \"Repair\"?

Also he has vacation pictures that are no where else.

Should I try to \"slave\" his drive and see if I can copy pics before trying the re-install or the re-install fairly safe.

Took out the HD and it's readable as a slave.

Put it back in and now getting the following message:

For Realtek RT8139(X)/8130/810X PCI FAst Eathernet Controller V2.13 (020326)

PXE-E61:Media Test Failure, Check cable
PXE-M0F: Existing PXE ROM

You plugged the cable backwards on the second one of the cable is not tight.

One the first error, if you can copy the file over form a CD or something, go for it.

What am I looking for that's not plugged in correctly? Don't normally work on laptops.

The cable if there is one that connectst he hard drive to the laptop. You can also go into the BIOS and make sure it's not set to boot from NETWORK.

The hd connects directly to a connection on the mobo.

Can't get into Safe mode, Setup......

Try running a restore instead of SAFE MODE. As a last resort, tell it to do a complete factory restore.

You me w/ a restore disk?

Either the restore CD or the Restore partition on the drive. Newer laptops have a seperate partition with that on it.

Not booting to CD ROM and I can't get to Safe Mode or Setup.

Any ideas?

Take the drive out, copy the pictures to another drive. Then I'd say bring it in for servicing. Seems it's a major issue.

Got the pics off so.....I'll ruminate over taking it in. I hate to give up but......

Thanks for the posts.

Press F12 at bootup to access boot menu and select CD Drive. Using a regular Windows XP disc boot with the disc, then press the R for repair to enter the repair or recovery console. Select the operating system, then enter your admin password.

Type: Expand d:\\i386\\ntoskrnl.ex_ C:\\Windows\\System32.
You should get a prompt asking you if you want to Overwrite the File. You should enter Y for yes, the press <ENTER> to Overwrite.

If that works, you are probably done.
To know for sure, shut down the computer, then run a cold boot with the <Start> button. Wouldn't hurt to type in the run box \"sfc /scannow\" to check for damaged/missing system files.

Good Luck

Canuck, didn't read at the beginning F2 F12....don't work. But thanks.

Is there a BIOS password set, or something?

Also, the key to get into the BIOS is sometimes F1 or Delete or some other key.

To choose boot device Press F12, then use the arrow keys to move to boot device and then press enter... this doesn't get you into bios but a boot menu splash screen. Do you get a splash screen?

No password and the screen at the bottom says F2 Setup abd F12 Boot devices and F8 is Safemode.

I don't mind snooping around inside the case if I new what part the error message was pointing to. Any idea? What cable am I looking for?

===================================================

\"For Realtek RT8139(X)/8130/810X PCI Fast Eathernet Controller V2.13 (020326)

PXE-E61:Media Test Failure, Check cable
PXE-M0F: Existing PXE ROM

===================================================

thewolfe wrote:No password and the screen at the bottom says F2 Setup abd F12 Boot devices and F8 is Safemode.

It's very strange to me that you can't at least get into the BIOS setup via F2 (or at least get a password screen for it).

My friend,who owns the computer changed out the keyboard about a week ago.

Maybe that's why I can't get in.

If it’s a USB keyboard and the old one is PS2 you may be correct.

Keyboard is part of the laptop.

Keyboard is part of the laptop.

Oh yea, laptop, silly me…

Maybe he botched the job, there my foot is even farther into my mouth…

So when you push F12 can you highlight the CD icon?

Nothing happens with any of the function keys.

So you see a splash screen, I-LIGHT the CD Drive ICON, and press enter and nothing happens even with an external keyboard attached?

I see a banner across the bottom that says F2.....F12....and then that goes away in about 1 1/2 seconds and the error message starts scrolling down the screen a few times.

An external keyboard does not work.

Can you remove the drive, slave it in a system, copy over the file and re-install drive into the laptop? Sounds like it could be the motherboard at this point. If an external keyboard doesn't work then that is a bad sign. Perhaps his keyboard/cable in the laptop is bad and is shorted somewhere. Remove the lappy keyboard and then plug an external one if the external keyboard works now that is a good sign.
Good Luck.

At this point I don't know what file to copy over and where to copy it to.

thewolfe wrote:At this point I don't know what file to copy over and where to copy it to.

Expand d:\\i386\\ntoskrnl.ex_ C:\\Windows\\System32

More pieces of the puzzle.

The HD wasn't seated properly so the second message is gone and we're back to \"Windows Root>\\System32\\NTOSKRNL.exe.
Re-install a copy of the above file.\"

Also the keyboard only works intermittently but a usb keyboard does work.

Even though I can get into Setup and change the boot order it does not see the Restore CD. I also tried a WinXP cd.

Now I would like to see if I can copy NTOSKRNL.exe from my hd to his while it's \"slaved\".

I can copy the file from my hd but there's no option to \"paste\" on his. I'm in the CAB files if that makes any difference.

Hmm ... Seems to me that your system has multiple problems. Some are a direct result of other problems, and I'd almost bet the problems are with the controller which is built in to the motherboard. Guess which item you're probably gonna replace?

You have to use an XP CD and then type in \"cmd\" in run box, then type in;

Expand d:\\i386\\ntoskrnl.ex_ X:\\Windows\\System32
Where X = the drive letter of the slaved drive.

I am assuming \"d\" drive is your cd drive with the XP CD. If not then substitute the drive letter that contains the XP CD. The expand command unpacks the file from the CD CAB files and places it into the X:\\Windows\\System32 location. This is the proper way to copy system files over.

Looks like the motherboard is flaky on that laptop.

after reading all this I hafta agree it sounds like a motherboard issue or when he replaced the KYBD he put the wrong one in. Just because the ribbon looks the same does'nt mean it is. Also why did he replace the KYBD? Did something get spilled on the old one and make it sticky? and if not was the KYBD ever the real problem, it may boil back down to a bad motherboard.

A couple of the keys came loose.

I'll try the cd with the command prompt

I can no longer see the hd as a slave and when I press on spots around the keyboard I get a long beep so I assume there's also some kind of short that accrued when he replaced the keyboard.

I also ran a diagnostic test from a CD and it found no hd.

I'm going to have my friend open the puppy up again and look for shorts and then buy a new hd.

Thanks for the post.

Bought a new hd and still get the \"PXE-E61:Media Test Failure, Check cable
PXE-M0F: Existing PXE ROM\" error.

No \"F\" keys work.
Doesn't see \"Restore\" CD.

Would formatting the HD make a difference?

Make the HD a cable select drive by moving the jumpers and see if you can jumper the CD drive to cable select as well, disable boot from lan. If you still get crap there are several possibilities or combinations here. The HD socket has broken pins, the motherboard/HD Controller is bad, the keyboard/controller is wrong/bad, the CD Drive/Controller/dock pins are bad.

Is this laptop really worth this much work? Years ago there were computer vendors that in order to save the cost of buying Bios chips they partitioned the HD to have a virtual bios. In order to install a new HD or reload you had to Partition and load the Bios before anything else. That hasn't been used for a while however and does not apply in your case.