The Mrs' laptop is a bit broken. Internally it's fine, but externally it's been through the torture that is having a two-year-old in the house. The screen has cracked and is now completely blank, the hinges have long since fallen apart, 6 or 7 keys are missing and the mousepad is... subject to mood swings.

I have a wireless USB keyboard and mouse kicking about, so I was thinking of keeping it permanently on the shelf below the TV and plugging it into the TV to use as a media centre. Trouble with this is that the TV will only come on once windows starts. Is there any way of having it route everything through the VGA port all the time so I get an image on the TV right from BIOS startup?

No*

I use external tv tuner to run tv when windows is shut down.

Quote from Crashgate3 :

Trouble with this is that the TV will only come on once windows starts. Is there any way of having it route everything through the VGA port all the time so I get an image on the TV right from BIOS startup?

You have image on your TV when windows starts, later no?
Probably laptop change to different resolution when enter windows, and that resolution TV cant show. (my case)
Try connect standard monitor to laptop, switch to lowest possible resolution.
And then plug it in TV, do you have picture on TV now?

If you dont have monitor, try enter windows in safe mode (F8 while booting)

Quote from DANIEL-CRO :

You have image on your TV when windows starts, later no?

No it's the other way around for him

well, I guess it's something you hav to deal with. But it also depends on the type of connection, I assume.

On my PC, I use an older TFT that is connected via DVI and a full HD tft hooked up via HDMI, and even thought he latter is my main screen, it doesn't show anything untill windows starts to load up, whily I can see the bios and startup on the secondary screen.

Also, ironically, there might be a bios setting to use the external output over the internal monitor.

Quote from ColeusRattus :

Also, ironically, there might be a bios setting to use the external output over the internal monitor.

*shakes a fist impotently at the uncaring sky*

WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME.....?!!