Question I need help installing Windows 10 with no display output on laptop ?

[shafat]

So I just replaced the screen of a Sony Vaio VPCCA laptop. The SSD that was in it was wiped and it had no operating system,

I tried to boot into the BIOS after replacing the screen but I noticed that it must not detect the display as the screen remains black. Prior to replacing the sceen, the broken screen (barely usable and disposed of now) could partially display the BIOS. Please note the following:

• When booting off Windows Installation media with F11 key, it does boot, however I can't see anything because the display isn't detected. External monitors do not work either even with the F7 key.

• When I boot off linux media, it boots into the OS with the display is working and external monitors also working. I can install and use Linux perfectly fine, the BIOS is still unusable however.

I tried to install Windows 10 on another PC with the same SSD and transferred it to the laptop and it doesn't boot. If I try to press a key, I notice the HDD light blink on and then off. This tells me that the BIOS is trying to display the "Operating System Not Found" message and it refreshes whenever I press a key. I have also tried to use an unattended installation of windows. This somewhat worked, I noticed the HDD light flashing many times for a while when it was booted from the Windows Installation media, but eventually resulted back to the OS not found screen as evident from the HDD light blinking on key press. But, viewing the contents of the hard drive from another PC shows that Windows was actually installed, but it couldn't boot to it.

I'm stuck here, not sure of what to do. Can someone assist me here?

 

[Aeacus]

MoBo replacement is in order, IF you want to use Win** with it.

Why?
Win10 uses newer firmware, called UEFI, to boot. While GNU/Linux uses older firmware, called BIOS, to boot (aka Legacy boot).

It is possible that UEFI on your MoBo also got corrupt and Windows, trying to access it, detects corruption within UEFI. Hence why you can't enter into BIOS as well. But since GNU/Linux uses BIOS/Legacy boot, it works.

** Here, it is possible, that when you install Windows in MBR partition (e.g Win7, which you could upgrade to Win10 afterwards), would work with your laptop. But fresh Win10 install will be in GPT partition, which only supports UEFI. Btw, MBR only supports Legacy boot and will not work with UEFI.

TLDR;
You have these options:

1. Use laptop with GNU/Linux.
2. Install Win7 in MBR, use Legacy Boot and afterwards upgrade to Win10.
3. Replace MoBo, if you want Win10 in GPT and UEFI boot. + If you want to access BIOS on MoBo.

 

[geofelt]

Look to an error in the screen replacement.
Either defective hardware or something not connected properly.

When you power on a pc, you should be able to see the bios screen.

 

[Aeacus]

Either defective hardware or something not connected properly.

Possibility? Yes. But unlikely since GNU/Linux works fine, but Win doesn't. This points towards UEFI/Legacy issue.

 

[geofelt]

Even with linux, he says the bios is unuseable.
There must be a connection to a button or something to enter the bios
That connection is missing in the replacement process.

 

[Aeacus]

Even with linux, he says the bios is unuseable.

Yes, but here, i think OP misidentifies UEFI as BIOS. The fancy graphical "BIOS" we have today, is actually UEFI. But i guess it's easier to call it "BIOS" than "UEFI", that, and old habits die hard as well.

In a nutshell, UEFI on the left, BIOS on the right:

Since for OP, UEFI is corrupt, OP can not enter into it, nor make Win10 bootable. But it seems the UEFI also supports BIOS (MBR) boot, hence why GNU/Linux works and also shows image on the screen.

So, laptop supports two different boot options;

1. Legacy Boot
BIOS -> MBR -> Boot Loader -> Kernel -> OS (GNU/Linux or Win7/Win10 in MBR)

2. UEFI Boot
UEFI -> GPT -> EFI Boot Loader -> Kernel -> OS (Windows 10)

1st one works, 2nd one doesn't.