Win2000 Headless Problems!

[SteyrF88]

hi
im trying to get my windows 2000 pro PC running headless(no keyboard/mouse/monitor).
Thing is, it wont boot up without a monitor plugged in. I have tried just plugging a monitor cable extension lead in... still not good enough.
After hard reboot or soft reboot the system hangs and no beeps are heard, no activity on LED.
BIOS is set to halt on no errors, configured everything possible relating to monitor and still no joy.
sys specs are:
ABIT BH6 mobo (intel 440bx) - latest BIOS
Intel P3-500mhz CPU
384MB PC133 RAM(operating at 100mhz)
ASUS TNT2 Ultra V3800 32MB AGP Graphics Card
+ Soundcard, 2 x NIC, FDD, WD 40GB 7200 HDD, LG 52x CDROM.

Not sure what i have to do.... can u buy boards/cards that emulate a monitor? or is there a guide on which pins to short(risky i know but its so frustrating I dont care much about blowing my old TNT2, though i cant afford to blow the whole system).

Any help/ recommendations would be really appreciated.

Regards
sb


PS. NO I WILL NOT intsall Linux or alike just to get headless booting to work! :P

[Jason1971]

Hello SteyrF88, if I may ask why would someone want to do something like this??
:confused:

Thanks,
Jason

[SteyrF88]

hey jason
I want to do this because the box is my 'server'. I only run a 5 PC small home/office workgroup and there is no need for me to run 2000 Server(dont need the extra services and the cost far outways the advantages). The 2000 pro box is basically a gateway and file server for accounting software(which windows 2000 Pro runs flawlessly) - uptimes of 2weeks untill it needs rebooting to apply program updates/security hot fixes etc...
Like I said before it is a small home/office network so even the smallest cost + space savings are a huge benefit. The box is so located(between two desks that have 'client' machines) that if I used a KVM switch with one of the 'clients' and I needed to admin the server, I would have to boot the user off to access the server. If I can get it headless(currently its only got a monitor plugged in, that takes up a lot of space on the floor and blocks access to draws on one of the desks) I will be able to remote admin(like I do now) and I could remote restart(cannot with the monitor unplugged).
As the business is trying to save up to purchase a laser printer, we are trying to sell any old hardware we dont need, so if I can get the 'server' headless that will save money and create a space to put the laser printer :)
(I know my network is only peer-peer but it operates like a server-client network)

Regards
Stef

[CuratoR]

It won't boot up without a monitor plugged in!!!???
Its unlikely.
My PC boots up even without a video card.
U may have to buy a new mobo to solve the problem.

[Jason1971]

I learned something new today.... Thanks SteyrF88.. Good luck.......



Jason

[SteyrF88]

problem sovled.
tracked down a PCI vga card and sloted him in... PC now reboots without monitor woohoo :)
It does 4 short beeps before the single POST beep.. I assume this is just pc saying 'no monitor plugged in'?

thanks for your replys guys

regards
Stef