How to disable Video Drivers...??

[opers13]

Guys,

I'm trying to run an appliance software on VMware.....the actual appliance has the video card disabled. You can only get to the appliance via Web interface.

So every time I try to boot the virtual appliance in VMware, VMware tries to load the video drivers and it crashes.... any ideas???

thanks

opers13

[paulo_meireles]

I'm trying to run an appliance software on VMware.....the actual appliance has the video card disabled.

Which OS is it based on?

So every time I try to boot the virtual appliance in VMware, VMware tries to load the video drivers and it crashes.... any ideas???

Its not VMware who loads the drivers, but the virtual appliance's OS, which may not like VMware's virtual VGA. Unless we know more details we can't help you...

Paulo

[chrisbuzby]

did you load vmware tools? I am guessing that is where your OS started thinking it had a head...

[opers13]

It runs on 2000 server. I can't install vmware tools until the vitual OS is up running correct?

any way to disable the virtual VGA?

thanks

[paulo_meireles]

any way to disable the virtual VGA?

I doubt there is. I also doubt there is the need for it. Probably the problem is somewhere else.

You say "it crashes". Does it BSOD? Can you tell us what appears on the screen? Maybe it's just something related to storage or to networking...

How did the software get into the VM? Did you use some sort of "recovery CD"? Did you P2V it? If so, how?

[chrisbuzby]

Boot into ssafe mode then, remove all the drivers associated with the video card, maybe that will work?

[grasshopper]

This is experimental so proceed at your own risk and understand that YMMV.

STEP 1:

If you are able to gain access to the OS (i.e. via boot cd of some sort), you can add the following switch to the boot.ini:

/BASEVIDEO

This switch causes Windows to use the standard VGA display driver for GUI-mode operations, similar to the old school NT4 option.

STEP 1A (optional)

If you somehow get full access to login to the OS, and are unsure about editing the boot.ini, you can use the 2 commands listed below. These assume there is currently only one boot entry. The first line will make a copy of your current default boot (ID 1), then the second line adds the required /BASEVIDEO switch (note... this is shortened to "/BV", no quotes, when using the bootcfg tool).

bootcfg /copy /ID 1 /d "VGA Mode"

bootcfg /Addsw /BV /ID 2

Step 2

Once you boot the VM, click in the console so the window has focus, then arrow down to select VGA Mode. Then log into the OS and go to device manager (devmgmt.msc) and disable the VMware SVGA card, say yes and reboot.

Don't forget to manually arrow down each boot until you decide you like this config. If desired, you can make it the default.

I'm expecting this OS you are virtualizing will have many more challenges besides the video issue. Best of luck.