Disabling the F1 Keyboard Prompt on a Compaq Deskpro

The Deskpro series were very well-built, quiet and reliable PCs and they suit the task of a dedicated SOHO server extremely well. Using the default BIOS configuration they however complain bitterly about not having keyboard plugged in. It is most amusing being first told there is no keyboard and then being asked to press 'F1' to continue.

Here are the steps required to run your Compaq with no keyboard or mouse in 'Server Mode'.

1. Press F10 when prompted at startup to enter BIOS setup.
2. Go to the Security menu and select Power-On Password.
3. Assign a password and press F10.
4. In the Security menu, a new option should appear called Password Options.
5. Open this item and set Network Server Mode to Enabled.
6. Save the changes and exit.

The computer will now boot without any prompting and disable the PS/2 keyboard port, turning it into a dedicated server.

If you need to perform maintenance from the console you can press F10 at boot to enter the BIOS setup and enable the keyboard again. You can also plug in a USB keyboard and it will work normally while the operating system is running. In this mode a BIOS setup password is also recommended. My preferred method however is to use a remote desktop tool such as VNC Server/Viewer to provide remote management.

Older Deskpros that do not support network server mode need a 'No F1 Bios Patch' from Compaq to kill the F1 prompt. Even though I have used this patch successfully on three different Compaq machines, I have only provided this as a convenience and will not accept any responsibility for any damage done to your computer.

Have fun with this, ...Robert