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No Signal

By @tod
    2024-07-02 13:31:03.896Zassigned to
    • @cghague

    Hello,

    A few months ago, we purchased a TinyPilot Voyager 2a. We use this device to assist our customers with remote Windows reinstallation. Before reinstalling Windows, we need to access and modify the BIOS/UEFI settings of the customer's computer.

    However, we've encountered an issue where we receive a "NO SIGNAL" message on our end when the customer connects the TinyPilot to the computer. Despite not seeing the image, we instruct the client to reboot the computer and then press the corresponding key to access the BIOS/UEFI menu.

    In some cases, the client successfully accesses the BIOS/UEFI menu, but we've found a temporary "solution" to view the image on our end. While the BIOS/UEFI menu is open, we ask the client to close the computer screen, reboot, and attempt to access the BIOS/UEFI once again for us to see the image.

    Although this method works for some newer PC models, there are exceptions where this approach doesn't help. We would like to avoid the screen flipping workaround as it's inconvenient and confusing for both the customer and us, and can lead to communication errors.

    I've been in email communication with Eric F. regarding this issue for some time, and I'm very grateful for his assistance with TinyPilot. Our situation is quite delicate, so I'm reaching out for help in clarifying and finding a solution.

    I stumbled upon a post discussing a similar problem and I'm wondering if there's a way to consistently view computer screen through TinyPilot. Would using a USB-connected video capture device be a potential solution, or would it not change the situation?

    Reply
    • 7 replies
    1. C
      Charles Hague @cghague2024-07-02 21:43:12.315Z

      Hi @tod, thank you for your message. I've reviewed your other post and your conversation with Eric, and I understand that you're having problems viewing some laptops' UEFI/BIOS screens through TinyPilot.

      The issue is that a subset of laptops will only display the UEFI/BIOS on their built-in screen. In some cases, workarounds exist, such as changing the UEFI/BIOS settings or booting the laptop with the screen closed, but these vary by make and model.

      Unfortunately, using a USB video capture device won't help, as the problem is that the laptop itself isn't outputting the UEFI/BIOS over HDMI to your TinyPilot device. The only solution we're aware of is persuading the computer to output the UEFI/BIOS over HDMI.

      I understand you've already tried a few solutions with Eric, so in the interests of expediency, I've listed a few of the workarounds we've previously seen other users have success with below:

      • Boot the laptop with the screen closed
      • Close the screen while the UEFI/BIOS is displayed
      • Use function keys (if present) to switch to external display mode
      • Reboot into the UEFI/BIOS from Windows (where the facility exists)
      • Check if the UEFI/BIOS has a setting to allow external displays
      • Contact the laptop manufacturer for advice

      I appreciate that you were looking for a different answer than this, but hopefully, the suggestions above will reveal a way forward. Please let me know if you have any questions.

      Reply
      1. T@tod
          2024-07-10 07:11:39.685Z

          Hi there,

          My supervisor wonders if it's possible to mirror the image instead of extending it.
          Since TinyPilot is running on Linux, ChatGPT4 suggested the following solution.
          Do you think this could work?

          ChatGPT4 answer.

          If you are using a Linux system, you can use the xrandr command to configure the display settings to mirror the display. Here’s how you can do it:

          Open a Terminal:
          Open a terminal window on your Linux host machine.

          List the Displays:
          Run the following command to list all connected displays:

          bash
          Copy code
          xrandr
          This will output the names of the connected displays (e.g., HDMI-1, VGA-1, DP-1).

          Set the Displays to Mirror:
          Use the xrandr command to set the displays to mirror mode. For example, if your primary display is HDMI-1 and the TinyPilot is connected to VGA-1, you would run:

          bash
          Copy code
          xrandr --output VGA-1 --same-as HDMI-1
          This command sets the VGA-1 display to mirror the HDMI-1 display.

          Reply
          1. CCharles Hague @cghague2024-07-11 01:27:20.608Z

            Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, ChatGPT misunderstood the scenario, and those instructions wouldn't help.

            TinyPilot behaves like an external display, showing whatever the target computer outputs over HDMI. If you set the target computer to extend its display, TinyPilot will receive an extended display. If you set the target computer to mirror its display, TinyPilot will receive the mirrored display.

            You'll need to configure the target computer to use the correct display mode, not the TinyPilot device. We recommend using mirroring mode, as extending the display can cause problems with mouse input.

            Reply
        • T
          In reply totod⬆:
          @tod
            2024-07-15 13:55:45.907Z

            We are currently using TinyPilot Voyager 2a to remotely install Windows. However, we ran into an issue when we couldn't run a full Windows installation due to technical limitations - TinyPilot only supports emulation of a 2.2 GB drive. To address this, we obtained the NTLite Pro version, which was able to reduce the Windows ISO from 6 GB to 2 GB. The challenge now is that after the installation, we have to rebuild Windows, and it takes a long time before it resumes. We are seeking a solution to install the complete version of Windows using TinyPilot. Any ideas?

            Reply
            1. CCharles Hague @cghague2024-07-15 22:24:29.105Z

              Hi @tod, thanks for your question about installing Windows.

              You are correct about this limitation, and I'm sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused. The best workaround is to use WinPE to bootstrap into the full Windows installation. There is an excellent tutorial on this process by another of our customers that you may find helpful.

              I appreciate this is a bit of a hassle, but I'm optimistic it'll be a suitable solution in this scenario!

              Reply
              1. T@tod
                  2024-07-16 05:24:53.469Z

                  Thank you for your prompt reply. We have reviewed this manual previously and have tried using multiple WinPE or WinRE. Many of our customers utilize computers without a LAN connection, and there is no way to connect to WiFi after integrating WiFi drivers. We are considering using a USB/LAN adapter, but this would mean using additional equipment, which goes against our aim to simplify the entire process. If there is no other solution, then we will have to opt for an all-in-one adapter.

                  Reply
                  1. CCharles Hague @cghague2024-07-17 03:01:29.333Z

                    Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I'm sorry that using WinPE isn't viable for you.

                    The virtual media size limit only applies to CD-ROM mode, so an alternative solution could be to use imaging software instead of installing Windows directly.

                    I appreciate this isn't the answer you were hoping for. We have internal tickets open to look into alternative ways to install Windows, but those are at an early stage.

                    Reply
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