Subj : Re: Bluetooth To Ethernet To : Barry Martin From : Ky Moffet Date : Sat Apr 18 2026 16:47:00 BARRY MARTIN wrote: > Hi Ky! > > KM> This is what a KVM is for.... one monitor etc, two to four > KM> systems. > > Agree-but. Here I have found it hand to have (at least) two > 'active' monitors: one is for the main system (which happens to have a > second monitor attached, hence the 'at least') and an additional separate > monitor which is on a HDMI switch (see later) for selecting multiple > video inputs. Oh yeah, sometimes that's useful. Some KVMs have more than one output, for this very reason. I'm half-looking at one of those ($$$) monitors that can do multiple inputs at the same time... that would be super useful! Meanwhile, I make do with two monitors... one on the KVM and one not. > > (Now the 'later'.) I haven't had that much luck with KVM switches. Some are good some not. > Well, the one I have here currently. Half-works: will sometimes > randomly switch from input to input (sometimes sequentially, sometimes > randomly) even though I'm not touching anything -- sometimes not on any > system in hours. Realize the computers do their thing which could > cause an apparent random switch. I've never seen a KVM randomly switch. If the computer does a complete power-down when it sleeps, that could cause the KVM to think it's powered off and switch away from it. My cheapie KVM will not switch to a system it thinks is not powered up. I have three in use plus my antique Belkin that's retired because it can't do above 1024x768. There's a problem currently -- a lot of 'em can't do above 1920x1080, so if you have a higher resolution monitor, something to be aware of. Also the KVM has to specifically support include EDID and HDCP signal emulation, or it won't work right with HDMI. What brand and model is yours? Some are a lot better'n others. > (I miss the rotary switch KVM of the CRT days!) LOL, yeah, I miss my Belkin with hardware switches and keyboard switching too, but it's 40 years old! and doesn't support any of these newfangled connections or resolutions. > > KM> With a low RAM system, VBox will run Win2K quite well, but > > KM> nothing larger. > > KM> So I discovered on the Win11 netbook, which only has 4GB RAM. > > KM> Win2K runs fine in a VM, XP won't even start. > > I'm surprised you haven't done some file editing. Probably not at all > KM> Isn't a file problem, it's a running dry of resources problem. > KM> Not enough CPU in a 1GHz celeron to spare the cycles, even if > KM> there was enough RAM. > KM> Conversely, Win2K will run on a 486 (it won't install, but it > KM> WILL run). So it runs fine. > > Sometimes it seems to be a problem of "programming phrasing": the real > OS won't work because it has a command the BIOS doesn't understand but > the virtual machine will work because the VM knows how to work with that > command. (Super-overly simplified!) Or rather, the virtual machine emulates what the host system cannot do. I know there are instances where this doesn't work because the CPU doesn't have the right instruction set, and there are limits to what can be emulated. In this case, not the issue. The netbook's CPU already runs at 90-100% of cycles used just from Win11, and only has about 600mg RAM to spare, and that doesn't leave enough to run Virtual Box AND the WinXP VM. However Win2K will run on a fraction of the resources (the dead minimum is a better 486 with 8mb RAM -- won't install on that, but it WILL run) and it behaves just fine. þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com (454:1/1) .