Troubleshooting • Pi4 no display, can't tell if boot is failing.

I have a 16GB SD card that I copied Raspbian 64bit to using the Imager. The Imager verified the image. I am using an old Dell monitor that I use daily for other stuff as my monitor and I connect it via a USB hub that has the HDMI port for the cable from the monitor. I also have the power (new from Adafruit) connected to the hub and then connect the hub via the micro USB to the Pi. I also have a PiFan for the device.

I inserted the SD and then connected the hub the first time. There was no image on the monitor. After a few minutes of waiting, I disconnected the hub (power and monitor). I tried connecting again. No image.

I started to wonder if there was a some kind of problem with the Pi. I read a little bit and saw something about reinstalling the EEPROM. I've done that multiple times. I used the minimal unattended OS from here: https://github.com/FooDeas/raspberrypi-ua-netinst Nothing seems to work. WIth multiple attempts at trying Raspbian, I've never once seen the monitor with a signal. This was a brand new unit.

I read viewtopic.php?f=28&t=58151 (STICKY: Is your Pi not booting? (The Boot Problems Sticky)) and viewtopic.php?f=91&t=83372&p=1250211#p1467093 (Re: STICKY: Common Pitfalls for Beginners). I don't think I've committed any of the 7 deadly sins (#27), however I'm not sure. I had the PiFan connected to the device when I started it, but I might have removed it at one point while the device was powered. Would that cause the device to fry itself?

Also, I'm honestly confused by a lot of what's written in the Boot Problems Sticky section regarding the Pi4. If I power on the device with nothing connected, should the green LED stay solid or not? Mine is solid. Does that mean it's fried? It blinked when I had the EEPROM on the SD card, but with the Raspbian OS on there, the green LED stays solid.

Statistics: Posted by rpiguy2 — Mon Oct 05, 2026 10:07 pm — Replies 1 — Views 36

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