Bugged out video - how to install an OS?

[xBlizzDevious]

I acquired an old Dell Poweredge 1900 a few months ago and installed Windows on it. I've been using it for a few useful things but I now want to change the OS it's running and play around with some other stuff.

 

Unfortunately, a few weeks after I got it all set up, the GPU in it went - or something like that, I guess, as the screen is now completely broken whenever I switch it on (the screen is completely covered with weird lines and/or dots). Fortunately, I set it up with Remote Desktop and can use that just fine so it's not been a problem.

 

However... I'm wanting to install a new OS but I can't see anything on the screen from the moment I start it up. So... How the heck do I get a new OS installed?

 

Any ideas? Is this possibly a common fault for this old (VERY noisy) beast that's perhaps fixable?

[seabass9990]

I dont think its possible without a new card, even a cheap one

[xBlizzDevious]

I dont think its possible without a new card, even a cheap one

 

It's using the onboard graphics. Hmmm... Wonder if I can run my other server without a GPU (at all - it doesn't have onboard) and then throw that in this one instead... I'll have to check if the 1900 has a PCIe slot first, though!

[Ryan Bellune]

You could try removing the internal storage for it and attaching it to another computer. From there you should be able to install another OS onto it. The only challenge would be getting drivers downloaded onto the drive beforehand

[Godlygamer23]

Is the BIOS splash screen screwed up too?

[willielikesmonkeys]

You could try removing the internal storage for it and attaching it to another computer. From there you should be able to install another OS onto it. The only challenge would be getting drivers downloaded onto the drive beforehand

This, if youre running a version of linux it wont matter what machine you install it on, and of course you can always borrow another GPU from any other system for an hour while you set it up, or of course they do sell cheap $35 GPUs that are really meant for this sort of thing, trouble shooting or just getting basic output on an older machine. They also make PCI legacy GPUs if that machine for some reason has another connector or you ever come across a machine like that.

[xBlizzDevious]

You could try removing the internal storage for it and attaching it to another computer. From there you should be able to install another OS onto it. The only challenge would be getting drivers downloaded onto the drive beforehand

 

 

This, if youre running a version of linux it wont matter what machine you install it on, and of course you can always borrow another GPU from any other system for an hour while you set it up, or of course they do sell cheap $35 GPUs that are really meant for this sort of thing, trouble shooting or just getting basic output on an older machine. They also make PCI legacy GPUs if that machine for some reason has another connector or you ever come across a machine like that.

 

That's good to know. I know that Windows doesn't like installing on different computers, but I had no idea that I could make a Linux install on a computer and transfer that without any issues. That may be what I end up doing, then!

 

 

Is the BIOS splash screen screwed up too?

 

Yup. From the moment I turn the screen on, all I get is screwed up picture. Like this:

[Ryan Bellune]

That's good to know. I know that Windows doesn't like installing on different computers, but I had no idea that I could make a Linux install on a computer and transfer that without any issues. That may be what I end up doing, then!

 

 

 

Yup. From the moment I turn the screen on, all I get is screwed up picture. Like this:

20141223_164952.jpg

 

This may seem stupid, but have you verified that the cable is working? That looks to be a older VGA panel, and I know that those cables are notorious for causing weird graphics issues when they go bad.

[xBlizzDevious]

This may seem stupid, but have you verified that the cable is working? That looks to be a older VGA panel, and I know that those cables are notorious for causing weird graphics issues when they go bad.

 

It's from a Dell that I got in about 2003. I use the screen just fine with that exact cable on another server that's right next to the one there. So yeah, it's definitely the computer rather than the monitor or its cable.

[Ryan Bellune]

It's from a Dell that I got in about 2003. I use the screen just fine with that exact cable on another server that's right next to the one there. So yeah, it's definitely the computer rather than the monitor or its cable.

 

Fair enough. It was hard to tell from that picture.

[willielikesmonkeys]

It's from a Dell that I got in about 2003. I use the screen just fine with that exact cable on another server that's right next to the one there. So yeah, it's definitely the computer rather than the monitor or its cable.

funny, I have the same monitor as an auxiliary display for music and stats and stuff. Something you might try is once you install the OS with another machine and get it running, make sure you can see its mac address on the network, then you know it actually even boots at all.