Boot issue, PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM | Linus Tech Tips | Page 1

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 2:57 AM

#

Okay so I stripped down my buddies Alienware 15 r2, it's older and overheating, fans were completely plugged. Replace the thermal paste and all that jazz. Everything went smoothly but now I'm getting this error upon boot..

Check cable connection!
PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

Reboot and select proper boot device...

The thing is, when I go into the "F12 boot options"
and select the hard drive it boots. But the bios doesn't have any options other than Windows boot manager, and a couple NICs for UEFI, and under legacy I've tried all the possible orders lol.. it's only 1 nvme for boot and games and a 1tb HDD for storage.. I think the nvme is listed as a "Diskette Drive" under legacy in bios..

You'd think a 3grand laptop would have a sensible BIOS, negative.

#

rn_image_picker_lib_temp_8f463193-e210-46a0-8e9b-68113a457e65.jpg

#

rn_image_picker_lib_temp_2f353598-4ec4-4877-88af-84c29852345a.jpg

#

#

In UEFI I just get stuck in the Automatic Repair loop.

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:05 AM

#

make sure you have hard drive as the prime and disable the pxe in the boot options and if its still not showing up, then the windows boot loader is corrupted and needs a fresh install of windows

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:09 AM

#

Ok.. I can select it here and it boots no problem

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:11 AM

#

dont set it to legacy

#

just load up the optimism defaults on the biso

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:12 AM

#

10-4

#

Trying it now

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:13 AM

#

you want uefi unless they installed it with legacy mode on but if its the pre-installed windows then its with uefi enabled

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:17 AM

#

Yea UEFI just lands me in the loop again... No option to disable pxe in boot menus either.

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:19 AM

#

what is it saying when you try and boot it? cause it can be the windows boot loader is crupted

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:20 AM

#

Just preparing automatic repair

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:20 AM

#

leave it

#

thats a good thing

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:21 AM

#

Takes me to the typical menu.. does nothing

#

Just a loop.

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:22 AM

#

well at lease we now know windows is uefi and its the boot loader

#

follow this https://petri.com/windows-boot-manager-fix-startup-errors/#:~:text=To repair the boot sector,sector to the system partition.

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:23 AM

#

Yes, image if the "Startup repair" actually worked lol

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:23 AM

#

i would say just reinstall windows and let it do its thing unless you have a recovery media for the laptop already then follow that

#

also see if you can use the recovery from the startup repair menu by following this
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General-Read-Only/Resetting-Alienware-15-R2-to-Factory-Settings/m-p/5623162/highlight/true#M124742

RE: Resetting Alienware 15 R2 to Factory Settings

I've Factory Reset my 17R3 a couple of times already. It should be the same for the 15R2. As long as you haven't deleted the recovery partition from your C drive, this should work. One small note-- there is probably a faster way of finding this option, so my apologies in advance. Also to restate th...

#

and if you cant find it, this should help you out https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/osiso/recoverytool/wt64a

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:30 AM

#

I got it! I think, Just used the "add boot option", the nvme was there and added to the list. Booting perfect now

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:30 AM

#

good

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:30 AM

#

He asked me not to reset it lol. Glad I didn't have to go that route

#

#

Thank you for the help... Its awesome having someone to bounce off of!

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:32 AM

#

let me ask, how much does he know about computers and bios?

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:34 AM

#

Nothing.. he probably doesn't know it exists.. he's a typical Newfie fisherman who just plays farming simulator... I've been giving him some friendly shit for buying this laptop for years lol. Especially now that he's talking about upgrading. The 965m isn't doing so well with farming sim 22 lol

#

Why do you ask?

tulip hazel Apr 20, 2023, 3:35 AM

#

cause someone really messed up the bios

umbral chasm Apr 20, 2023, 3:37 AM

#

Yeah I have no idea. It's the first time I've been in there. He told me I was the only person to open up the case ever. This is my second time, the first was when I put in that stupid terabyte hard drive he bought like 3 years ago, and that was the five minute job that barely required intelligence.

#

When I pulled it apart this morning though I think it might have been in sleep mode... I definitely did not check and shut it down before I started the work. Could have corrupted something, who knows.

It's working tho so I'll deal with any issues when the time comes.

#Boot issue, PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM