BIOS Screenshots and VGA Capture Cards

[Alan W. Smtih]

I'd like to take screenshots instead of using a camera to take pictures of the screen in the BIOS for documentation. I'm using an ASRock C2750D4I motherboard which has VGA output.

In theory, I could use a VGA Capture card (like this one VGA2USB - VGA Video Frame Grabber Capture Device via USB2) to mirror the screen on my macbook and take screenshots from there.

Seems simple enough, but I figured I'd check to see if folks here have experience/gotchas to share.

Also, is there a way to do this for less than $300?

 

[Ericloewe]

Also, is there a way to do this for less than $300?

Brace yourself, you're going to feel incredibly silly:

Make sure that the IPMI port is plugged in, browse to IPMI_IP_Address as indicated by your DHCP server. Launch the iKVM application (you may need some workarounds due to Java security requirements) and you'll find that you not only have the VGA output's framebuffer presented on your remote client, you can also issue commands using your keyboard and mouse.

 

[joeschmuck]

Um, doesn't your motherboard have IPMI? I thought it did. Through IPMI you can capture the screen.

Edit: Arg, beat to the punch line yet again.

 

[Alan W. Smtih]

Brace yourself, you're going to feel incredibly silly:

AhhhhHahaha. Right.

[insert Gif of me doing the V8 forehead slap]

I was using the VGA so I didn't have to hassle with Java. I've done it before, it was just a pain. But, it's way less of a pain than shelling out $300.

Thanks folks!