Running Parsec on a Windows host with no monitor attached causes two common problems: the host fails to capture a display, and the mouse cursor is invisible to connected clients. This article covers both. It applies to Windows hosts.

The host fails to capture a display

Windows and your GPU cannot capture video output when no display is connected, which causes host capture to fail. To give the system a display to capture, either:

• Attach an HDMI display emulator (also sold as a "dummy plug" or "headless ghost adapter"), which makes the GPU behave as though a monitor is connected. These are widely available from most electronics retailers. On Amazon, you can find them in the US, Canada, or the UK.
• Use Parsec's Virtual Display Driver, available to Parsec Warp and Parsec for Teams customers.

The mouse cursor is invisible to clients

Windows hides the mouse cursor when no physical mouse is present, and Parsec reproduces the hidden cursor faithfully, so clients see no pointer. There are two ways to keep the cursor visible.

Option 1: Install Parsec vUSB driver on the host machine and enable Virtual Mouse.

Enable the 'Virtual Mouse' setting in Parsec's settings, in the Host tab, for the affected host computer. This setting creates a mouse device that does not do any movement on its own, but Windows sees it and adds back the cursor. This setting requires our Virtual USB Driver, which you can download using the link below that same setting. If the setting is already enabled, it’s possible the host’s Parsec installation needs repairs to run as SYSTEM.

Option 2: Turn on Windows Mouse keys

If you would prefer not to install our vUSB driver, turning on Windows Mouse keys forces the cursor to render.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Accessibility.
3. Under Interaction, select Mouse.
4. Turn on the Mouse keys toggle.

The cursor now stays visible, and you can move it with the numeric keypad if needed.