can not boot system without monitor attached (gf2-mx)

[Minora]

I am running a few of my systems without monitors. I use VNC to connect to them.

http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/index.html

The problem is that the system starts to boot without the monitor cable attached (i.e I hear and see the HDD IDE LED flashing) then it stops. If I connect the cable while it is running the LED on the monitor turns green but the display is black when the space bar is pressed a white thin vertical line flashes running down the middle of the screen then it goes black again. The only way to get it going is to press the reset button on the tower.

It will then boot to the boot menu selecting the safe mode option.
If booted with the normal option a warning box will pop up that says "There is a problem with your display settings. The adapter type is incorrect,or the current settings do not work with you hardware" The display is in 16 color mode all I do then is to select 16bit and it asks to reboot. After that it will work just fine with the monitor cable attached.

Note that I can boot the system with the monitor power cable disconnected (i.e. the monitor is turned off) and the signal cable connected to the display card.

The BIOS is set to halt on "no error" so its not that. Sometimes it boots to windows without a problem but is more the exception than the rule.
Any idea's ?

My setup:
Power Color Powergene Gf2-mx driver version 650 Nvidia official
m/b asus P3B-F Intel 440BX
P3-500@500 Katmai
128 MB RAM (kingmax 64 MB and Winbond 64 MB)

Thanks

 

[butchrecon]

Now some video card M/B combos can detect when a monitor is plugged in or not. If it is not the system will not boot (I have run into this). Plug the monitor back in and it boots fine. As I recall it was always with systems that had the 440BX chipset.

Anyone have any thoughts. James Collins
Computer Hardware Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

 

[Minora]

I have been thinking to get a old monitor cable (i.e. only the cable) to connect to the system. To fool the graphics card. What do you think ?

 

[edfair]

How about forcing the monitor to standard vga in display properties. the card shouldn't be looking for any smarts from either generic vga or generic svga. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Minora]

Hi edfair

I am afraid that did not work either.
Maybe I should install a pci graphic card and set boot sequence to pci/agp as all my other machines are runnig fine with their pci.

 

[edfair]

I was afraid it wouldn't. Time for a new card. The dumber the better. And a cable only wouldn't help, the card is looking for something attached on the other end. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[dunn4]

i have a geforce 2 mx also and i believe that this card can detect if the monitor is hooked up and will give you trouble if it is not attached. i found this out when i moved my computer one day and forgot to attach the cord, anyway you might want to email nvadia see if they can steer you to a new driver or something that might correct this.