Booting into XP without a GFX Card

Lump

Hello,

I have a machine that I use as a server via VNC, although generally it's only used with Utorrent WebUI and accessing the network drives. Anyway, it's in my room and relatively loud, is there any hack so I can boot into windows without having the GFX card connected, it pumps out heat and is loud with the fan. I only need it to work until I move house in April - The computer will go into lounge or somewhere that I don't sleep, so I don't want to have to buy a new card.

Anyway, had a look online and can't see anything.

SouperComputer

Its hardware/BIOS requirement so its not really feasable. Heres what is feasable....

1) Crappy PCI 4MB graphics card, youc could get one for free/2e and it will display XGA and well above (up to 1600x1200 with 4MB IIRC) without any issues.
2) Underclock existing card to a point where you can significanly slow the fan.

Personally, id be going 1. less heat to pull from the case, which means lower HD temps and potientally the capability of slowing other fans down and less power consumption.

Lump

Yea, I thought I'd need a new old card Just a pain finding one, I have one but it's an old skool connection oh well I'll consider what to do, I might revert back to using the pentium 333 that I've just upgraded from - it ran 2000 and was quiet and cool. Just a pain to reinstall everything

SouperComputer

By old school connection do you mean the monitor or the internal connector?

Honestly, adverts.ie "wanted POS PCI graphics card" Its much less of a PITA than a reinstall.

5e tops and you are sorted.

Lump

I just need to get a PCI card or an old AGP card that doesn't need power, I'll have a look on Ebay, I'm in England so adverts.ie isn't ideal.

Khannie

I took the noisey fan off my work computers graphics card. I got a 80mm fan and have it blowing directly onto the graphics card heatsink (I removed the shroud surrounding the noisey fan too). It's actually cooler than when the original fan was on it. Works a treat and is totally silent (give or take).

TerrorFirmer

Got plenty of old cards here, drop me a PM and I'll send one to you. Few PCI S3 cards, with regular d sub. Also have some Nvidia Vanta Agp's - but these are not tested. Best of all I have a working agp Voodoo 3 with tv-out and d sub. All are passively cooled.

Take your pick.

edit: England, hmmm..

This should cost 3 or 4 quid tops inc. delivery.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/S3-Trio-3D2X-Graphics-Card-Video-AGP_W0QQitemZ150149900744QQihZ005QQcategoryZ3762QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

Snowbat

SouperComputer wrote: »

Its hardware/BIOS requirement

Depends on the BIOS. AMI can be configured to boot without a graphics adapter.

Can *Windows* boot without a graphics adapter is a whole other question though. Linux and BSD certainly can. I think I tried it with Windows 98 once and failed - maybe it is possible in later versions?

zilog_jones

Don't know about using VNC, but with Remote Desktop the display is completely independant of what's going to the graphics card (unless you do /console) - if you go to Display Properites it says nothing about the graphics card, etc.

My headless box at home has a crappy Compaq BIOS (can't even turn off halt on no keyboard so I have to stick a spare one behind it :mad:) and onboard graphics so I can't really try it out myself. Actually, I wonder what will happen if I deleted all the graphics drivers?

Stephen

If you remove the graphics drivers windows should just revert to its built in crappy VGA ones.

Lump

It's ok now, I took a hammer to the case last night, and cut out some excess cables. I removed the hard drive holder, meaning I can now lay the 4 hard drives in the PC out on their own reducing the heat build up. The computer is running at 50 degrees - the PC is in a Wardrobe, so it's not too bad. When I move house the PC will be living in its own room.

zilog_jones

Stephen wrote: »

If you remove the graphics drivers windows should just revert to its built in crappy VGA ones.

Yeah, I was hoping there was some way of removing them too!