Windows 7 Media Test Failure – Troubleshooting

Another computer problem relating to Microsoft Windows operating system. This time an individual was having problems with Microsoft Windows seven operating system. Here is the original initial question quoted verbatim.

Hi I am having trouble starting it. It will load with the Thinkpad logo and then I will be taken to the boot menu I am given a “media test failure” or something phrased that way…it quickly goes away and the boot menu will appear it is a Thinkpad W520.

This individual was using an International Business Machines ThinkPad W520 laptop. Microsoft Windows seven was the operating system installed. Their hard drive was an available option in this laptop’s basic input output system boot menu.

You can power off your computer. Then you will want to power it back on and immediately start tapping your F8 function key until an advanced boot options menu opens. You can try to make certain to start pressing your F8 function key before Microsoft Windows seven operating system tries to boot.

Then you will want to choose “Last known good configuration” from a menu of choices. If that does not work then you can try “Safe mode”, “Safe mode with networking” or “Safe mode with command prompt” from that same advanced boot options menu. This individual was not able to successfully enter the advanced boot options menu.

I was able to find the recovery keystroke in the International Business Machines ThinkPad W520 user guide. Many modern computers have a way to enter a special recovery environment, where you can reinstall the operating system with a recovery partition on the original hard drive that came with that computer. This is known as factory recovery, factory restore, rescue, etc.

You can turn the computer on and immediately start tapping the F11 function key. You will want to make certain to press the F11 function key before Microsoft Windows seven operating system tries to boot. Hopefully, that "Rescue and Recovery" tool opens successfully.

This individual was not able to successfully enter the rescue and recovery environment. Yes, it might say recovery, restore, etc. on the compact disc read only memory. You can try to boot off of that disc and see you are able to access "Rescue and Recover".

You will want to insert that compact disc read only memory disc. Then you will want to power on that computer. You can boot off of a Microsoft Windows seven operating system installation compact disc read only memory disc. You do not need to load any additional drivers.

You will want to choose to reinstall the operating system if that is a choice. Aslo, you can try “Repair this computer” or boot into safe mode and run system file check and check disk scans. Chances are that this Microsoft Windows seven operating system was corrupt to the point that you could no longer boot into any Microsoft Windows seven operating system modes.

However, the hard drive was detected by the computer basic input output system. Also, they were not able to access the rescue and recovery environment. This could be user failure or I have seen hard drive recovery partitions become corrupted.

You could potentially run a check disk scan on the recovery partition to repair it. This individual had a Microsoft Windows seven operating system installation compact disc read only memory disc, so this gave them the ability to fix the problem or just reinstall the operating system. With Microsoft Windows seven operating system, you can legally reinstall the operating system as long as you enter a legitimate product key.

You can look for a Microsoft Windows seven operating system certificate of authenticity sticker. On this sticker you should be able to view a twenty five character product key. It is always a good idea to have your important data backed up and to save any recovery, restore, reinstall compact disc read only memory, digital video disc, universal serial bus flash drive, that comes with your computer.

These instructions were written for an International Business Machines ThinkPad model W520 with Microsoft Windows seven operating system installation. However, they can be used as a basis point for other computers with Microsoft Windows seven operating system installed and potentially other Microsoft Windows operating systems.

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Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows seven Media Test Failure: Causes and Solutions

Introduction:

Microsoft Windows seven has been one of the most popular computer operating systems, but occasionally, end users may encounter issues that can disrupt the overall end user experience. One such problem often reported by Microsoft Windows seven operating system end users is the "Media Test Failure" error message. In this post, we will delve into the possible causes behind this error and explore some effective solutions to resolve.

Understanding the Media Test Failure Error:

The media test failure error typically occurs during the booting process, just after the computer powers on. The error message usually states, "Media test failure, check cable," or something similar. However, this issue does not always indicate a hardware problem with the cables. Instead, it usually signifies an issue with the boot process or the computer system's network boot capabilities.

Causes of Microsoft Windows Seven Media Test Failure:

Boot priority order issue:

Sometimes, if the boot priority settings are incorrect, the system may try to start from a network boot device instead of the hard drive, resulting in the media test failure error message.

Basic Input Output System Settings Misconfiguration:

Certain basic input output system settings can affect the boot process and subsequently lead to this error. Incorrect settings related to network booting, preboot execution environment boot prioritization, or a corrupted basic input output system can all contribute to this issue.

Network boot enabled:

If network boot is enabled in the basic input output system and there are no bootable network connections available, the system will be unable to boot properly and display the media test failure error.

Solutions to Resolve the Media Test Failure Error:

Check Boot Priority Settings:

You can restart your computer and enter the basic input output system settings by pressing the appropriate key which usually is the DEL, F2, or F10 keyboard key during the boot process. You can ensure that the hard drive containing the operating system is set as the first boot device. You can select save changes and exit the basic input output system settings to restart the computer system.

Disable Network Boot:

You can access the basic input output system settings as mentioned earlier. You can look for any settings related to network booting and disable them. Finally, you can save the changes and restart the computer to check if the error persists.

Reset Basic Input Output System to Default Settings:

In the basic input output system settings, you can locate the option to restore default settings, usually labeled as "Reset to Defaults" or something similar. You can confirm the reset and restart the computer to see if the issue is resolved.

Update Basic Input Output System Firmware:

You can visit the motherboard manufacturer's website and check for any available basic input output system updates. You will want to download the latest version compatible with your hardware and follow their instructions to update the basic input output system. This may address any compatibility or corruption issues causing the media test failure error.

Seek Professional Assistance:

If the aforementioned solutions do not resolve the error, it is recommended to seek help from a qualified technician. They can diagnose the system more thoroughly and identify any potential hardware-related problems.

In Conclusion:

While encountering the "Media Test Failure" error during Microsoft Windows seven operating system booting can be frustrating, it is reassuring to know that several troubleshooting methods can help alleviate this issue. By understanding the causes and applying the appropriate solutions mentioned above, end users can overcome this error and resume normal system functionality. Remember to take caution during basic input output system settings modification and always back up important data before making any changes.

How to Fix Microsoft Windows 7 Media Test Failure Video Transcript

0:01

this is Aaron with anetcomputers.com with

0:04

another video for you

0:06

today another Microsoft Windows

0:09

problem imagine

0:12

that how to fix Microsoft Windows 7

0:16

media test

0:19

failure this was the original request

0:22

from this individual hi I am having

0:25

trouble starting

0:28

it it will load with the syn pad logo

0:31

and then I will be taken to the boot

0:33

menu I am given a quote media test

0:36

failure unquote or something phrase that

0:39

way it quickly goes away and the boot

0:41

menu will appear it is a ThinkPad

0:45

w520 now they were using a International

0:48

Business Machines ThinkPad with

0:50

Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System

0:57

installed and they were actually able to

0:59

see SE are hard drive in the basic input

1:02

output system now here are some

1:06

instructions that you can try to

1:08

troubleshoot this issue first you can

1:11

try to power off your

1:13

computer then you will want to power it

1:16

back on and immediately start tapping

1:18

the f8 function key which that should

1:21

open up an advanced boot options

1:26

menu what you want to do is you want to

1:28

keep tapping the f function

1:31

key before right after you power on that

1:34

computer and before Microsoft Windows 7

1:37

tries to

1:38

boot if that window opens up

1:41

successfully you want to choose the last

1:43

known good

1:46

configuration if last known good

1:48

configuration does not fix your issue

1:50

you can try safe mode you can try safe

1:52

mode with networking and you can also

1:54

try safe mode with command

1:57

prompt now this specific individual was

2:00

not able to enter the advanced boot

2:02

options menu which is Mu M no bueno

2:05

that's a bad sign but so is Microsoft I

2:12

mean now I was able to

2:15

find a recovery key stroke that you can

2:19

use to perform a factory reset in the

2:22

International Business Machines ThinkPad

2:25

w520 manual that is linked in my blog

2:29

post at computers.com uniform resource

2:31

locators highlighted on screen type that

2:34

into the address bar of your web browser

2:36

bam you can access that portable

2:39

document

2:41

format user guide you know what I'm

2:45

saying okay so there is a special

2:48

recovery environment where you can

2:51

actually reinstall the operating

2:54

system with a recovery partition now

2:57

there's different names for it one is

2:59

recovery one is factory restore one is

3:02

rescue and there may be even some other

3:05

words to describe the

3:07

same

3:09

process on this specific computer now

3:13

this is just for obviously an IBM

3:15

Thinkpad WF 520 you would have to look

3:19

up on the Internet or you know if you

3:21

have the user manual or you already know

3:24

you're going to have to find out the

3:25

keystroke or keystrokes plural to enter

3:28

the recovery mode this computer you

3:30

would

3:32

press the f11 function key as soon as

3:35

you turn on the computer

3:37

then and that's as soon as you turn on

3:40

the computer and before Microsoft

3:42

Windows 7 tries to boot if successful

3:45

you would see a rescue and recovery

3:48

tool now they were not able to

3:51

successfully enter a you know rescue and

3:55

Recovery environment the

3:58

ThinkPad

4:00

factory restore you know what I'm saying

4:03

however they did have a compact disc

4:06

readon memory which also had a rescue

4:10

and recover option so what you if you do

4:13

have such a disc you would just insert

4:16

it into the optical drive and then boot

4:18

off of it you would power on your

4:20

computer and it may or may not

4:23

automatically boot off of it you may

4:25

need to enter the basic input output

4:27

system menu and and or some computers

4:31

have a special function key that allows

4:34

you to choose the

4:35

boot the boot option you know what I'm

4:38

saying so they might might require

4:40

additional steps from

4:43

you if successful you will be able to

4:47

then boot the Microsoft Windows 7

4:49

operating system installation compact

4:51

dis readon memory now it you will not

4:55

need to load any additional drivers and

4:58

but look for a

5:00

recovery

5:01

option or if that's not available you

5:04

know look for factory recovery rescue

5:08

you know restore another there may be

5:11

there's a typo right there oops also

5:13

that should be also okay you can try

5:17

repair this computer or also boot into

5:19

safe mode and then run file system check

5:22

and check this scans you you did know

5:25

that right did you know that if you have

5:27

the Microsoft Windows 7

5:30

installation disc you can actually boot

5:33

off of the that disc into safe mode or

5:38

you could try repair this computer if

5:40

you're able to boot into safe mode then

5:44

it will be a command line and you can

5:46

run

5:47

this what is known as sfce which is an

5:50

Acron which stands for system file check

5:53

also you can perform a check dis which

5:56

is

5:57

chkdsk you'll need to look look up those

6:00

commands on your own because I'm not

6:01

going to include those instructions cuz

6:03

that's quite lengthy and those actually

6:04

are two separate videos basically you

6:06

know what I'm

6:07

saying

6:11

okay so none of the you know at the

6:14

beginning you hit the f8 and try to get

6:17

to the advanced boot options none of

6:19

those advanced boot options would work

6:21

that's how corrupt and crooked Microsoft

6:24

Corporation is I mean no that's how

6:26

corrupt that this Windows Microsoft

6:29

Windows 7 installation became that's

6:32

common it's not rare you know what I'm

6:35

saying but the hard drive may not have

6:38

had a problem because the basic input

6:40

output systems still detected the hard

6:43

drive they were not able to access the

6:47

rescue and Recovery environment remember

6:48

the f11 key

6:53

option I deduced that maybe the end user

6:56

had no clue what they were doing or now

7:00

this is another possibility oh yes yes

7:02

yes especially on Microsoft microcraft

7:05

excuse me microcraft micr slop Wind

7:07

Blows operating system it could be that

7:10

the recovery partition itself became

7:12

corrupt and that does happen oh yes and

7:15

it's not yeah I don't know what the

7:17

percentages were when I was a computer

7:19

repair technician with my own business

7:21

but it was not out of the realm of

7:24

possibility you know what I mean and on

7:27

occasion I was able to fix the recovery

7:29

partition I would copy it to another

7:32

computer and run you know scans on it

7:34

that's that's a very that's over

7:36

convolute and complex for this video but

7:38

I'm just stipulating that that does

7:40

occur you know what I mean and you're if

7:43

you can't fix that file that recovery

7:45

partition your basically so you know

7:48

what I'm saying but that's where a disc

7:50

here's a tip even

7:55

nowadays I'm at the 8 Minute mark my

7:58

time is up I'm in into overtime even

8:01

with modern Microsoft operating systems

8:03

if you can get your hand on a compact

8:06

disc or a digital video video

8:08

disc or a universal cobus flash drive

8:13

with Windows 10 or 11 you can go into

8:18

the you

8:21

know they're different than Windows 7

8:23

but you can boot off of them and go to a

8:26

a command prompt and then run some

8:28

system scan

8:30

you know what I'm saying on on the

8:31

actual hard drive oh yes you can they

8:33

will Mount the hard drive yes yes yes

8:37

okay anything further now this is

8:39

Windows 7

8:41

so they did have a Microsoft Windows 7

8:45

operating system installation compact

8:47

disre only memory they were able to fix

8:50

the

8:52

problem which would give them ability

8:55

they could either run some scans on the

8:57

existing you know file system system or

9:00

the recovery or they could just say [ __ ]

9:02

it if they didn't have that important

9:04

data or they were they had it backed up

9:07

already so here is a obvious tip before

9:11

you would proceed if your data on that

9:14

hard drive is ex extremely important to

9:16

you you would want to back it up if you

9:18

do not know how to back up data without

9:20

a booting operating system you can take

9:22

it to a computer

9:24

repair speaking of computer repair I

9:28

have partnered with a third- party

9:29

company that have hundreds of computer

9:32

technicians at your disposal that are

9:34

vetted and

9:37

verified you can communicate with them

9:41

over real time chat text

9:45

messaging

9:47

Telephone video and even remotely they

9:50

can remote Connect into your computer

9:53

and if it now in this scenario they

9:56

wouldn't be able to but you know what I

9:58

mean because the computer does doesn't

9:59

boot up so duh but if the operating

10:01

system was you know booting up and it

10:03

had network connection to the internet

10:06

then yes they could possibly remote in

10:07

and fix some some other issues or

10:10

whatnot you know what I'm saying now as

10:12

far as maintenance yes sometimes you

10:14

could run a sfc scan and a check dis

10:17

once in a while just to make sure that

10:18

there's no problems with the operating

10:22

system so if you ever need online

10:24

computer technical support you can ask a

10:26

computer technician now and solve your

10:28

computer problem you can browse to anps

10:31

decom the

10:33

homepage is where you could submit your

10:36

your issue or you could click on get

10:38

Tech help okay back to this

10:43

video

10:48

now yeah I just lectured about a

10:51

backup oh if you do have a Microsoft

10:55

Windows 7

10:58

installation compact disc read only

11:00

memory or maybe possibly a digital video

11:03

disc although I don't know if they ever

11:05

created dig video desk for Microsoft

11:08

Windows 7 I don't think so I think with

11:11

I don't I think the operating system was

11:13

that big

11:14

anyways and then you needed to reinstall

11:17

you would have to then enter in your

11:19

product key so you would have to have

11:20

your your product key now Windows 10 and

11:24

11 are different just really quickly you

11:28

if you if it's it's installed once with

11:30

the same Hardware you don't have to

11:32

enter in your product key a second time

11:34

if you want to go to reinstall but

11:36

Windows 7 no you had to enter as a

11:38

product

11:40

key and it's a 25 character product

11:46

key I think that's enough that's enough

11:49

you know what I'm saying I gave you some

11:51

additional tips on how you can trouble

11:53

shoot you know blah blah blah and when

11:55

it doubt if you can't get any of the

11:59

advanced boot option to work or a

12:02

factory recovery then sometimes you have

12:05

to resort to pulling out the old compact

12:08

disc readon memory or digital video disc

12:10

and you know try to fix your operating

12:13

system that way or just reinstall the

12:15

operating system so here's a final

12:17

possible goal

12:19

tip whenever you buy a computer or any

12:23

op device with an operating system and

12:25

it comes with discs whether they are

12:27

Factory recovery discs rescue

12:31

discs installation discs save them save

12:36

them save them because you never know

12:39

when you're going where where do you

12:41

want to go today eron how about a blue

12:43

screen how about Microsoft Windows not

12:46

booting up Aaron get to work Aaron it's

12:49

a test Aaron you failed already Aon

12:52

you're wasting time get it you never

12:55

know when you're going to enter into a

12:58

quagmire

13:00

adios you can always browse to anom

13:02

computers.com to fix your most common

13:04

computer problems you can also find out

13:06

at anps dcom the other platforms I'm

13:10

available youtube.com/ anet computers

13:12

Twitter twitch Instagram Facebook

13:16

trouble. live twitch.tv and

13:20

Rumble

13:22

adios