How long does computer repair take at The Computer Cellar in Durham NC?

Most diagnoses and common repairs at The Computer Cellar are completed within 24 hours of check-in. If uncommon replacement parts are needed, they usually take 1-3 days to arrive. Walk in Mon–Fri 10AM–6PM at 720 9th Street, Durham NC.

Do I need an appointment at The Computer Cellar?

No appointment is needed at The Computer Cellar in Durham, NC. Just walk in Monday through Friday, 10AM to 6PM. We are located at 720 9th Street, Lower Level (basement of The Regulator), Durham NC 27705.

Does The Computer Cellar repair Macs and Apple computers?

Yes! The Computer Cellar repairs both PCs and Macs including MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Minis. We fix hardware and software issues. Visit us at 720 9th Street in Durham or call (919) 314-3327.

What computer repair services does The Computer Cellar offer?

The Computer Cellar in Durham NC offers virus and malware removal, laptop screen replacement, battery replacement, data recovery, water damage repair, hardware upgrades, custom PC builds, and refurbished laptop sales.

Where is The Computer Cellar located in Durham NC?

The Computer Cellar is located at 720 9th Street, Lower Level (basement of The Regulator bookstore), Durham NC 27705. Open Monday through Friday, 10AM to 6PM. Call (919) 314-3327.

"PXE-E61: Media Test Failure, Check Cable" — What This Network Boot Error Really Means - The Computer Cellar

If your computer boots up and shows something like “PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable” or “Start PXE over IPv4,” people often assume there’s a network issue. There isn’t. PXE is the network boot protocol, and seeing it usually means your computer fell back to it after failing to find any other bootable device. The fix has nothing to do with cables.

What’s actually happening

Modern computers have a list of devices to try when booting: the main hard drive, USB ports, network. If your main drive fails to respond, the BIOS goes through the list and ends up at network boot (PXE) as the last option. PXE then tries to find a server to boot from, fails (because there’s no PXE server on a normal home or office network), and shows the media test error.

So the error is actually a symptom, not a cause. The real problem is somewhere earlier in the boot list — your main drive isn’t being seen.

Why your main drive isn’t being seen

The same handful of causes that produce “No Boot Device Found”:

The drive has come loose physically
The drive has failed
The boot order in BIOS got reset and is pointing to network first
The drive cable is damaged
A USB device is hijacking the boot process

The fix flow

1. Disconnect every USB device. Yes, even though the error mentions a cable. The cable being referred to is the network cable, but the actual fix is usually upstream of that.

2. Enter BIOS. Press F2/F10/F12/Del during startup. Go to the Boot or Boot Order section. Confirm your main drive (often labeled “Windows Boot Manager” or by brand) is at the top of the list. If it’s missing entirely from the list, your drive isn’t being detected.

3. Check the Storage page in BIOS. If the drive shows up there, you have a settings issue and a few minutes in BIOS will fix it. If the drive doesn’t show up, you have a hardware problem.

4. Reseat the drive cables (desktops) or the drive itself (laptops). On desktops, a loose SATA cable is a frequent cause. On laptops, a slightly unseated M.2 SSD will produce this exact error.

When the drive itself is gone

If reseating doesn’t help and the drive is missing from BIOS, the drive has likely failed. PXE-E61 errors that suddenly appear on a previously-working computer are often the visible symptom of a drive that’s quit. Data is usually still recoverable as long as we get to it before further degradation.

Walk It In

If the BIOS-side checks don’t reveal an obvious fix, walk into our 9th Street shop in Durham. Most boot diagnostics are completed within 24 hours of check-in. Mon–Fri 10AM–6PM. (919) 314-3327.

Related errors: “No Boot Device Found,” “Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device.”