Question:
No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key error on my toshiba laptop?
Elliot
2012-08-13 02:37:44 UTC
I just randomly got the message this morning, it appeared after the toshiba laptop startup screen. I have not screwed around with any files and I have not tried resetting my laptop previously. Also, I have tried that restore thing where you hold down the 0 key and all I get is a beeping noise. Also, I can't remember well but I know there are some messages before saying it was looking or something else for Ethernet also there's something about Media not found! PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN SOLVE IT. I HAVE NO REBOOT DISK AND I CAN'T AFFORD ANY NEW SOFTWARE PLEASEEEEEE HELP
Three answers:
darrenforster99
2012-08-13 02:54:19 UTC
You get this message when for some reason the laptop doesn't receive a response fast enough from the hard drive.



When a computer first boots up it looks for things it can boot off, depending on the BIOS it can do it a number of orders - quite a few are either set up as follows:



CD/DVD Drive

HDD

Floppy

Network

Other



or



HDD

CD/DVD

Floppy

Network

Other



obviously all depending on what is installed.



It seems that your computer at first is asking the HDD are you a bootable device, and either the HDD isn't responding or it's sending the message that it's non-bootable.



It's then going to the next item in the chain CD/DVD - is it bootable? no ok move on to the next...



Floppy - if you haven't got one then of course it's not bootable, so move onto the next...



Network - This is what is causing you the ethernet message... this is normal, most modern PC's don't have the option to boot from network but some of the older ones, and some of the more business style modern ones do still have an option for network booting. This is something that isn't really done that much any more except with thin clients, but if you do have Network set as an option in the boot list, the PC will attempt to find a server on your network it can boot from (and normally unless your on some kind of major LAN or WAN it will come back failed) so don't worry about that.



Anyway now we have to figure out why you are getting this message.



This message can come up due to a number of reasons



1. General glitch, this can be just 'cos the hard drive hasn't activated fast enough on that boot, it does happen every now and again, and the best solution with this is just press CTRL+ALT+DEL and the computer will reboot. I had one computer once that just wouldn't work any other way, you had to do the initial boot, and then ctrl+alt+delete reboot as the hard drive just didn't fire up fast enough from a cold boot, but from a warm reboot the hard drive was already initialised - also if you try this make sure you use the ctrl+alt+delete method to reset the computer not the power button as this will perform a warm reboot which means the hard drive shouldn't need to be initialized which gives it a greater chance of success.



2. Loose cable somewhere - Take the bottom cover off your laptop where the hard drive is (it should be a panel with a hard drive symbol on it), carefully unscrew the hard drive, and remove it, then push it back in, and see if that rectifies the situation, sometimes it can be as simple as one of the pins not quite making a full connection. I had a computer in for repair recently where the computer had been taken on a plane and it wouldn't boot up, an it was a simple fix 'cos the baggage handlers must have knocked it and half the hard drive was disconnected, just pushed it back onto it's pins and it worked.



3. Hard drive failure - worst case scenario - hard drive failure means you need to go and buy a new hard drive, and if you didn't create those recovery discs when you first bought your computer you may also need to find a Windows installation CD for your computer from somewhere. As long as it matches the version printed on the label underneath your computer (e.g. Windows XP Home, Windows XP 64-bit Home, Windows Vista 32-bit Home, etc) then it doesn't matter which disc you use as the licence to use the software is the sticker not the disc.
anonymous
2012-08-13 02:45:49 UTC
First make sure you have no CD inserted, and no usb flash drives plugged in. This often makes the machine try to boot from a non bootable disk. It then goes to the network card to see if there is a local server to load from. /if there are no disks connected, it is likely your hard drive has failed. This would need you to replace it. You would also need to have recovery disks to install the operating system. This is why these machines advise you to create a recovery disk set when you first use them, unless they are provided with a recovery disk. MOST Toshiba do come with disks. Otherwise you can buy a set from Toshiba for the cost of media and posting.
janga
2012-08-13 02:46:09 UTC
OK you don't need to worry you have a some problem with you hardware if you can open it just screwed and try to install the RAM memory card, it must be memory loose if not you need to change harddisk.


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