Headless Compaq desktop (boot without a keyboard attached)
Searching for the old Compaq nof1.exe utility (A utility to change a Compaq Desktop to boot without a keyboard attached) I came across the following tip:
1. Set a power on password (under security in the BIOS settings) 2. Go back into security menu and select the new item that appears just below power on password, it’s called password settings or suchlike. 3. Enable Network server mode
Your machine will now boot happily without a keyboard, and in case you wonder also without asking for the password you just set.
The keyboard, if anyone does plug one in, is disabled except during power up when you can still press F10 for setup. Doing so will then lead to a prompt for the password.
I tried the above tip and it works perfectly, for correctness: the “password settings” option in the BIOS is called password options instead of “password settings”.
