Re: [vox-tech] Phoenix BIOS Blind Video Switch

["Mark K. Kim" <lugod@cbMAPSreak.org>]

What do you mean the connector is "smashed"?  If the conductors inside the
connector are live, you can stick a wire into the holes and temporarily
connect them to a monitor -- just need a female DB15 connector (HSC may
have some?) and smoe soldering tools.

Also, this probably isn't applicable, but it used to be that some
computers complained if you didn't have any monitor or video card attached
to the computer.  If that's the case, you may need to press a key (F1, F2,
DEL?) at a different time before going into the BIOS.

If you wanna be funky: Install a dual-head X configuration on the hard
drive from a different computer then stick it into the computer?

Or you might wanna try: Find another computer with the same hardware,
setup the BIOS as you would like on your computer, back up the BIOS using
a BIOS backup tool on that computer, then move over to your computer
restore the BIOS onto it (it's usually a DOS tool -- make a boot disk with
AUTOEXEC.BAT setup to update the BIOS automatically on boot.)  BIOS data
are usually structured differently from BIOS to BIOS, but there's a data
location reserved for BIOSes that are used by all BIOS vendors, so backing
it up and restoring it is same for all vendors.  I think some vendors use
extended memory areas, though, so you should double check before using the
backup tool.

Are you sure you can't just start using the new video card just by
sticking it into the BUS?  I'm sure you could if the on-board video is
just totally broken and unavailable for access to the BIOS!  Just smash it
some more and see what happens! =P

Just some ideas!

-Mark

Disclaimer: Don't do anything that breaks things...


On Wed, 29 Dec 2004, Jeff Newmiller wrote:

> Friend of mine gave up on this P4 2.6Ghz computer, seems a waste though.
> His wife got frustrated one day trying to move the computer and broke the
> onboard video connector (yes, those are screws on the side of that
> connector)... it is pretty smashed. I took out their hard disk and put it
> into another of their computers, and they gave me the rest of the cpu box.
> I may end up buying a $60 mobo, but wouldn't mind running it headless if I
> could throw a $10 video card into it to set up the machine with.  The
> problem, of course, is that the mobo doesn't have an internal video
> override jumper... you have to use the Pheonix BIOS to switch to "Primary
> video = PCI".  I've tried to do this blind with an old PCI video card
> plugged in, but it isn't working and of course I can't figure out why.
> The keyboard lights blink at the appropriate times, so I am changing
> something.
>
> Anyone have any ideas, or is this mobo just really hosed?
>
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Mark K. Kim
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