I have several HP Mini PCs running Windows 10 Pro in remote locations without monitors or keyboards. Physical access is difficult, so I added smart plugs to force remote power cycles. However, after some outages or reboots, the machines sometimes stop at a pre-login screen showing a Windows Backup prompt, which prevents TeamViewer or Tailscale from connecting until someone visits the site.
I'm considering replacing Windows with Proxmox and running Tailscale on the host so the system is reachable after every reboot. Would that reliably solve the problem, or is there a better way to provide out-of-band access and recover these machines remotely?
5 Answers
Avoid relying on a smart plug as the main recovery method. Repeated hard power cuts can corrupt the filesystem and don’t help when the machine needs input at boot. Use a graceful remote reboot where possible, and reserve the smart plug for last-resort power cycling alongside proper out-of-band management.
Before changing the operating system, check whether the HP Minis support Intel AMT/vPro. AMT provides out-of-band management, so you can power-cycle the machine and access its console even when Windows is hung, logged out, or stuck before login. It does require compatible hardware and proper firmware/network configuration.
Running Proxmox could make the host reachable if Tailscale starts correctly, but it won’t automatically provide a console for problems with firmware, boot, or the physical display. You would still need a management path into the guest or a separate KVM. If these PCs only run Windows workloads, fixing the Windows configuration and adding AMT or KVM access is likely simpler than converting them to Proxmox.
The backup screen sounds more like a Windows setup or consumer-style prompt than a hardware failure. Check whether the PCs are fully patched, properly activated, and joined to a domain or Entra ID if appropriate. Systems managed in an organizational environment generally don’t show the same first-run backup prompts as standalone consumer installations.
A network KVM is another solid option if vPro isn’t available. Devices such as a PiKVM or a small commercial KVM-over-IP unit connect to the PC’s HDMI and USB ports, letting you view the screen and send keyboard input remotely. That would allow you to dismiss the backup prompt or troubleshoot boot problems without traveling.
I’d verify the exact edition and trigger first. If the machines are already Windows 10 Pro and still stop there, remote console access is probably more useful than simply reinstalling the operating system.