Server & VM installation (no-GPU mode)

Server & VM installation (no-GPU mode)

This guide explains how to install and run WinDEETS on servers and virtual machines that do not have an available GPU. It covers the installer checkbox, command-line fallback, Microsoft Store packaging, why GPU resources are recommended, and what limitations to expect in no-GPU mode.

Why WinDEETS normally needs a GPU

WinDEETS uses an embedded Chromium-based renderer for its UI and may use hardware acceleration for certain optional on-device tasks. GPU drivers provide hardware-accelerated rendering, video decoding, and faster execution for some compute workloads. On desktop systems with a supported GPU, these features improve UI responsiveness and may speed optional local ML or acceleration-backed features.

What "no-GPU" mode changes

• Chromium will be instructed to disable GPU acceleration and run in software rendering mode to avoid driver initialization failures on headless servers and VMs.
• Optional GPU-accelerated features will fall back to CPU implementations; this can increase CPU usage and be slower for heavy workloads.
• Core functionality — event log inspection, system exploration, and troubleshooting tools — remains available in no-GPU mode.

Installers and available download options

We provide the following download choices so administrators can pick the right package for their environment:

• Standard installer — default installer for desktop systems with GPU support.
• No-GPU installer / option — installer variant or installer option that configures WinDEETS to launch with GPU acceleration disabled. Recommended for headless servers, cloud VMs, and systems without usable GPU drivers.

Microsoft Store: When available, the Store listing will indicate the standard package and clearly call out a no-GPU variant or a link to the server/VM documentation so administrators can choose appropriately.

Installer UI: checkbox for no-GPU mode

Where the installer UI supports it, the setup flow will include an option such as "Always start in no-GPU mode". When installing on servers or virtual machines, be sure to check the NO GPU checkbox to configure the application to launch with the equivalent of the --no-gpu flag.

If the installed package does not offer a checkbox, use the CLI flag at launch as shown below.

For clarity, the installer step where you enable no-GPU looks like this (check the box before continuing):

Command-line install & running on servers / VMs

As a fallback, or for scripted installs, you can start WinDEETS with the --no-gpu switch. This applies whether you run the installed EXE or a portable build.

"C:\Program Files\WinDEETS\WinDEETS.exe" --no-gpu

If you extracted a portable ZIP to C:\WinDEETS:

"C:\WinDEETS\WinDEETS.exe" --no-gpu

Many installers also accept silent-install switches. Example (installer-specific; check the installer help for exact flags):

WinDEETS-Setup-1.2.3.exe /S --no-gpu

Limitations and recommendations

• Performance: Software rendering is slower; expect higher CPU and possibly memory usage for tasks that can be GPU-accelerated on desktop systems.
• Feature differences: Certain optional acceleration-backed features may be disabled or slower in no-GPU mode. Core investigative tools remain functional.
• Remote/GPU passthrough: Some cloud platforms include GPU drivers but do not expose acceleration; use no-GPU mode when drivers aren't available to avoid startup errors.

Recommendations: For production servers and VMs, be sure to check the NO GPU checkbox or use the no-GPU package. For desktop systems where UI performance matters, use the standard installer.

Quick troubleshooting

• If WinDEETS fails to start on a headless VM, try launching with --no-gpu and inspect logs at %LOCALAPPDATA%\WinDEETS\logs.
• If you see GPU driver errors in logs, switch to no-GPU mode.