After weekend maintenance and updates, a user contacts the help desk because the computer will not boot. During troubleshooting you notice the workstation is attempting to start over PXE (network boot), which is not correct for this system. What should you do next?
Replace the failing HDD or SSD that is causing PXE failover
Reconfigure the BIOS/UEFI boot order so the local disk has priority
Restart the PC and manually select the HDD or SSD at startup
Boot into Safe Mode and correct the PXE network address
PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) is only used when the firmware cannot find a suitable local boot device or is told to look at the network adapter first. If the machine suddenly tries to PXE-boot, the most likely cause is that the boot order in BIOS/UEFI was reset so the NIC is ahead of the hard drive or SSD. Enter the setup utility and move the internal storage device to the top of the list (or disable PXE entirely). With the local disk first, the PC will attempt to load its installed operating system before falling back to any network option.
Ask Bash
Bash is our AI bot, trained to help you pass your exam. AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What does PXE stand for and how does it work?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
How do I access the BIOS to change the boot order?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What could cause a computer to boot from PXE instead of the local disk?