Headless server with no video card ok?

[jptheripper]

I am hours away from getting off my HTPC as a client and use it as a dealess server (ordering an hd300).

My question is, it does not have onboard video. (Its a gigabyte ga-ma770-ds3 rev1). And i will not have a slot available for a video card. Is this ok? Can vnc/logmein type solution be used if there is zero video in the machine?

Thanks.

That being said, if it ever doesnt boot (i.e. no vnc), what are the options? pull a card and add a video card temporarily? Is there usb video?

[Spectrum]

Most non-server class motherboards will beep bloody murder and refuse to POST without a video card. Might want to see if yours will let you run without a video card or you may need to re-evaluate your plans/options.

If you can get the system to boot without a video card then using VNC, remote desktop, etc would work fine for normal day to day stuff.

[jptheripper]

Yeah my problem is:

1. Want to add 4x pcie raid card
2. Server only has i pcie16x slot (rest are 1x)
all other slots are full.

so options are
1. Buy USB video card
2. Buy 1x Video Card and ditch a tv tuner
3. Use old pci video card and ditch a tv tuner
4. Replace motherboard, start from scratch.

ideas anyone?

[KeithAbbott]

Your BIOS has a "Halt On" setting for "No Errors", which means that the system boot will not stop for any error. You might want to try that setting, although it feels like the option of last resort to me.

[jptheripper]

Yeah unfortunately looks like i am gonna be down a hvr-1600 . grrrrrrr....

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by jptheripper

Yeah my problem is:

1. Want to add 4x pcie raid card
2. Server only has i pcie16x slot (rest are 1x)
all other slots are full.

so options are
1. Buy USB video card
2. Buy 1x Video Card and ditch a tv tuner
3. Use old pci video card and ditch a tv tuner
4. Replace motherboard, start from scratch.

ideas anyone?

Get a pcie 1x card and ditch the 2250. Then get an HDHR. Problem solved. The only other option you have is to get a motherboard with on board graphics. I tried to find a usb graphics card and couldn't or I would have suggested that. I don't think any mobo will post with no graphics card. Could be wrong though.

Originally Posted by jptheripper

Yeah unfortunately looks like i am gonna be down a hvr-1600 . grrrrrrr....

You posted too fast. Don't do that, just get an hdhr so you don't have to give up any tuners. Unless you can live with it.

[jptheripper]

USB video cards are $50. The 2250 is the best tuner i have.

Besides losing the 1600 i can use an existing PCI video card from the junk box (read : free).

I gonna try the bios no halt and see if it will boot.

[Beefcake550]

dude.. you only need the video card when you are trying to boot it up the first time or two. Once you get the thing booting reliably (even if it isn't your final system config), yank out the vid card and RD/VNC into it and finish up the install/config. This is exactly what I do/did and it worked out great!

[jptheripper]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

dude.. you only need the video card when you are trying to boot it up the first time or two. Once you get the thing booting reliably (even if it isn't your final system config), yank out the vid card and RD/VNC into it and finish up the install/config. This is exactly what I do/did and it worked out great!

AWESOME!!! what OS are you running? and did the BIOS B*(%h at you for no video? my main concern is that there is no onboard vid either.. guess i will jsut try it before i freak out.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by jptheripper

USB video cards are $50. The 2250 is the best tuner i have.

Besides losing the 1600 i can use an existing PCI video card from the junk box (read : free).

I gonna try the bios no halt and see if it will boot.

True enough. I got rid of my 1600 and haven't missed it. Those cards say they work with your video card so I took that to mean it was an easy way to add another monitor. If you can boot without the video card you'll be in business. Let us know how it works. This is something I'd like to do as well.

[jptheripper]

Good news. Booted with no video card (and no onboard video) no problem. Connected with HD100. All good.

Bad news.

VNC in - black screen.

Remote desktop (vista ultimate) - was not enabled, enabling now.
-tested, working with video card installed, will test again with video card removed.

LOGMEIN - not tested yet, installing now.
-tested, working with video card installed, will test again with video card removed.

[jptheripper]

great. install logmein, enable remote desktop. reboot with video card. all good

remove video card.. nothing

put video card back in, blue screen F)^%*$#&%)( Hive File *%#&%)# registry error.. friggin POS.

[TechBill]

Try teamviewer

http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx


But I suspect you need a video card to be able to remote anyway cuz you needed to set the resolution of the desktop

And setting resolution of the desktop can't be done without a video card then the remote software probably got confused when it cannot determine what resolution your desktop is set at to make it fit on the remote computer.

It my best guess why it not working without video card.


.

[Beefcake550]

I am running WHS. Remote desktop works great headless. Was there a problem with that setup? I've always found RD to be the best of all worlds.

[jptheripper]

My WHS does not have enough slots .. and is separate from my HTPC (in fact, it is being "deprecated" as soon as possible.

[TommyWillB]

From:
http://superuser.com/questions/29664...ealvnc-windows


1) VNC and RDP are two very different protocols despite being used for similar purposes.

With VNC, the remote system is basically sending you the pre-rendered output of the remote system's video card at whatever resolution it is currently running at. With RDP, the remote system is simply sending over logical information about what needs to be drawn on the screen. Your system then renders that information using the local video card at whatever resolution your RDP client has connected with.

If that's the case, then it would explain why you could RDP to a machine with no video card but could NOT do the same over VNC.

[Fuzzy]

Yes, VNC will require an actually working desktop to function, as it basically mirrors the console session. RDP should not, as it works in a background session, and NOT a console session. RDP, really, is the better protocol, if you can use it.

If you are 'deprecating' your WHS machine, have you considered just moving WHS onto this hardware that DOES have enough slots, and consolidating in that way?