Installing Windows on headless computer

How can I do a completely headless install of Windows remotely? No keyboard, no monitor connected to the computer I want to install it on. Or what if I just want to watch the boot sequence of a headless computer, such as a NAS? About 2 weeks ago, I ordered the Aurga Viewer from an ad on FB. I received it today and I am blown away by what it can do. You plug it into an HDMI and USB port, and connect to it via WiFi. It will either connect to your network or it will create a hotspot. You can use the hotspot or bluetooth to do the initial setup. As long as the Aurga has power (via USB) and you are connected to it with their software, you can see whatever the computer is putting out of its HDMI video port. As long the Aurga is also connected to a USB port on the computer, you can send remote keystrokes to the computer even during the boot sequence. This allows you to send whatever keypress you need to get into the boot override menu and boot from a USB flash drive. You can also use a remote mouse. Basically it is RDP without needing any drivers or OS on the remote computer at all! (It is proprietary software, though, not RDP.)

My main use for it is to be able to watch (and control) the boot sequence of the headless computer that is running my NAS. Here is a video of using the device to get into Windows setup from a remote Windows computer. It also has apps for Android and iPhones so you could even do Windows setup remotely from a tablet or phone. The video is poor because it was in a Window and not full screen. In full screen mode it is just as clear as a monitor connected directly to the computer.
Here is a link to device:

That's an interesting product. I have a headless Windows 10 file server in another room, but I use low-tech equipment to manage the things I can't do over Remote Desktop, i.e. a 10" monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse, all of which I store in a nearby drawer. It takes a couple minutes to drag it out and set it up, but it's so infrequent that I have to do it, I don't mind too much.

That will be an interesting project regardless of the outcome at least. But one way I had to bypass a dual monitor setup to in a sense be working headless was to the free version of the Teamviewer app which allows you to connect remotely to a desktop and could help you out with your NAS Cloud project. First you would need a monitor to connect temporarily however until you are situated and are able to control things from a laptop or desktop remotely allowing you to set up and configure the fresh copy of Windows you are aiming to see go on.

Mind you that you first would need to be able to install the program and carry on with the Windows installation. As a rule this would be best used as a means of monitoring thing once you have OS portion resolved. Windows

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I have been looking for something like this for years. Servers often have a "lights out board" that have this sort of capability but that requires specific support for the card in the BIOS. This is pure genius. Thank you posting about this here.

Am I correct in assuming that I should even be able to get into the BIOS setup on the machine to which this is connected?

I was able to find the answer in a YouTube video. Apparently, you can set it to automatically keep pressing the keyboard shortcut needed to get into the BIOS as soon as you power on the remote computer (would be great with wake on LAN).

This looks like a killer device.

You wouldn't be getting into the bios. What you bring to your remote system would be the desktop for the host machine rquired for the NAS setup in order to be able to monitor the ongoing situation. If something should happen you can at least catch it in the act of misbehaving which can end up saving you from a world of hurt.

While having it situated here almost 10yrs. ago I could monitor activities on at another site and still walk away and catch a movie not have to be glued to the computer desk 24/7. I still had the normal access to the admin board but remotely. The host PC still has to be running while the dual monitors didn't in order to keep an eye on things. As for the bios mainly the only time you would want to be in there would be to change a setting or at least review what options there are and how they are set. the remainder of the time you would be at the desktop until away and then can view things remotely.

It's a fascinating product and I wonder if the Chinese government is subsidising it?

"Among the types of Personal Data that AURGA collects, by itself or through third parties, there are: Tracker; Usage Data; first name; last name; phone number; VAT Number; company name; profession; physical address; country; state; county; email address; ZIP/Postal code; various types of Data; city; User ID; website; unique device identifiers for advertising (Google Advertiser ID or IDFA, for example); Data communicated while using the service; username."

This seems to be very intrusive and if I were a business, I would have security concerns. The cost seems too good to be true.

Kelper's post is spot on.
This is their privacy policy - Aurga privacy policy
I was particularly struck by, "Users are responsible for any third-party Personal Data obtained, published or shared through AURGA and confirm that they have the third party's consent to provide the Data to the Owner.".


Denis

Night Hawk said:

You wouldn't be getting into the bios.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same thing or not, but absolutely you can get into the BIOS. I watched the videos demonstrating this. In fact, the software specifically has a feature that will make the device repeatedly press the hotkey at POST that is needed to enter the BIOS.

Night Hawk said:

You wouldn't be getting into the bios.

Click to expand...

What is unique about this is that it does allows you to get into a headless system BIOS remotely which is usually needed to change the boot order to boot from an OS installation drive.

As far as security, you do not need to connect the Aurga device to your network. You can use it's built-in hotspot and you never have to provide any of your network passwords to the device. Aurga's privacy policy is no different than many social media or entertainment websites that the public commonly uses such as Netflix: https://help.netflix.com/legal/privacy

If there is a security concern with their viewer app, then run it in a jail or other type of secure space on the client computer. There is no software for the device needed on the computer it is connected to, it is only receiving video from the HDMI port and sending keystrokes and mouse movement/clicks to the USB port. (Of course, there is always the possibility of a virus in anything connected to a USB port.)

Nice find @NavyLCDR - and I'm with @hsehestedt - this is a great thing. Being able to even see output when the remote first boots, and / or enters the BIOS / UEFI is a huge win.

If you use Aurga to boot into the BIOS settings, will there be any output to its HDMI port? Has anyone actually accessed a headless computer's bios remotely this way?

I don't think TeamViewer could do this as it needs to load its own video drivers.

kelper said:

If you use Aurga to boot into the BIOS settings, will there be any output to its HDMI port? Has anyone actually accessed a headless computer's bios remotely this way?

Click to expand...

Think of it this way - If you have a monitor connected, you would see the the BIOS screen when you entered into the BIOS, right? So anything that a physical HDMI monitor would see, you would see with this device, and that includes BIOS setup. No driver is needed, it's all hardware on the side where the device is connected. You only need the software on the other side to access that device.

Aha, yes! But is that true on a laptop?

Most, yes. a few finicky ones, maybe not.

kelper said:

If you use Aurga to boot into the BIOS settings, will there be any output to its HDMI port? Has anyone actually accessed a headless computer's bios remotely this way?

I don't think TeamViewer could do this as it needs to load its own video drivers.

Click to expand...

Seems like you did not click on the video I posted.

kelper said:

Aha, yes! But is that true on a laptop?

Click to expand...

Unless the screen and keyboard were broke on a laptop, it would not be headless.