[bryanc]

Hi.

I have a Mini which is connected to my home theater. Most of the time, OSX does what I want to do, but for a few applications I'd like to boot into windows (ok I admit... it's a game).

I installed XP, SP2. It boots just fine if I have an LCD connected to it, but when I have it connected to the television, it boots showing the plain white screen as normal, then goes black, then nothing. I've waited quite a while to see if it would come up and I never hear the Windows startup sound (which I would if it were getting that far).

If I let windows boot fully with the LCD connected, then swap the cable to the television, it works just fine. Obviously I don't want to keep a spare LCD next to the entertainment center just to enable booting into Windows though.

I did search both these forums and the internet at large, but didn't find anyone referring to this problem (mostly stuff about windows not booting with external drives connected). EDIT: Found a thread elsewhere describing my exact problem, sadly no solution yet.

Any ideas? Maybe Vista would fare better? (I already owned XP -- I wouldn't mind upgrading but don't want to buy it if it's going to have the same issue).

[ghporter]

Windows is reacting to the fact that there is no monitor connected. XP doesn't like to run headless, and really NEEDS a monitor to be there. Using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter to connect your TV does not provide XP with the information it needs to "see" the TV as a monitor, so it won't boot.

You could boot with your LCD attached, and then disconnect it and plug your TV in. Alternatively (and probably more effective) if your TV has a DVI or VGA input, you could connect to that and XP would probably boot.

[mduell]

XP boots fine without a monitor or connected to a TV via a DVI/HDMI adapter.

Sounds like a "Bootcamp is still half assed" issue.

[mfjonker]

There are several threads that exactly describe the issue, but there doesn't seem to be a real (software) solution?? If anyone got the same issue with XP and solved it without changing the hardware, please let us know!

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mduell 

XP boots fine without a monitor or connected to a TV via a DVI/HDMI adapter.

Sounds like a "Bootcamp is still half assed" issue.

The adapter is what allows XP to believe there's a monitor attached. It's not "Bootcamp is still half assed," but rather XP (and probably Vista) which is half assed.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The adapter is what allows XP to believe there's a monitor attached. It's not "Bootcamp is still half assed," but rather XP (and probably Vista) which is half assed.

XP doesn't care if there's a monitor attached or what it may be; XP boots just fine all day long without any connected displays or with a TV connected.
AFAIK this issue is unique to Mac hardware using BootCamp drivers.

[ghporter]

Interesting. I had been told that Windows 98 and XP (and presumably all previous versions) REQUIRED a monitor to be connected before it'd boot. That may have been due to a BIOS limitation, but it was a pretty universal limitation since I had a number of homebrews that would simply not do anything unless a monitor was connected.

[dvdnet]

YAY. Finally found a thread related directly to the problem I am having.

BOOOO!!!! That there is no current solution.

Surely if it is driver related that this issue would be addressed by Apple sometime?