Screenshot before windows starts: without another computer?

I'm pretty sure that this must have been asked before, but haven't found a duplicate question, thus I shall ask again...

Is it possible to take a screenshot of my computer before the OS boots up WITHOUT an external computer or virtualization software like VMWare?? e.g. at the BIOS, or the "Windows is Loading" screen, even at the login screen?

Is it possible to take screenshots of BSODs as well?

EDIT: I'm using a desktop pc running Windows 7 Ultimate in a home environment.

Thanks.

Vervious

Posted 2010-04-09T01:56:09.033

Reputation: 4 654

Answers

On desktop computers, no. On server computers you can use the remote management utilities, if they support it. See:

ta.speot.is

Posted 2010-04-09T01:56:09.033

Reputation: 13 727

Well, thanks for answering. Guess I forgot to mention I'm using a home desktop computer :) – Vervious – 2010-04-09T01:59:59.510

2You can always take one with a camera! – Kravlin – 2010-04-09T02:00:20.960

I was hoping for something of higher quality :P without the gloss of a screen. – Vervious – 2010-04-09T02:01:01.257

It would have to be a utility that you build into the bios...Unless you have a company that wants that to happen or an open source bios i can't see it ever happening. – Kravlin – 2010-04-09T02:07:01.700

Well, if you're willing to pay for it you could use something like http://www.vgacapture.com/

– ta.speot.is – 2010-04-09T02:10:16.810

Well, it's probably not worth the money. I'll just take the answer as "no". :) – Vervious – 2010-04-09T02:12:25.277

or something put between the connections. That works too. software wise tho you're probably out of luck. – Kravlin – 2010-04-09T02:12:58.523

Back in the day if you pressed the PrtScn button while a printer was hooked up to the parallel port the PC would send the screen to the printer. This would even work in the BIOS screens.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/184193-48-print-bios-windows

I personally would just use a digital camera and put up with the non-perfect image.

Matthew Lock

Posted 2010-04-09T01:56:09.033

Reputation: 4 254