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completely new to Raspberry Pi here. The fact that nothing is working here is frustrating me to no end, please help.

So essentially I've followed every website tutorials' instructions that I could find on installing NOOBS to a 16 GB Micro SD card. I've formatted the SD card with SDFormatter, extracted the NOOBS zip file, copied all the zip files onto the stupid SD card. When I attempt to power the Raspberry Pi via inserting the card, it immediately displays a red light.

Lights problem: if I just power the Pi and insert my SD card, the red lights stays and a green light flashes once. In every other case I've tried, such as including the HDMI cable to a computer, there's just the red light. Nothing is booting, loading, anything.

Information: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B V 1.2

SD Card: 16 GB PNY Class 10 MicroSD card

POWER SUPPLY: Model: DCAR-052A5 || INPUT: 100 - 240 V AC : 50-60 HZ / 0.5A || OUTPUT: 5V-- 2.5A

A regular ass HDMI cable, to hook up to a laptop monitor.

So far based on what I've researched on this issue I need to install some OS or something... either that or the board is screwed up in some way, which would be very very bad.

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    I doubt you "followed every website tutorials' instructions", and even if I did you would have followed contradictory methods. You need to tell us what YOU did, and how the Pi is connected e.g. do you have a keyboard and monitor? If you connected a "HDMI cable to a computer" it won't work, and you may have damaged the Pi. DO NOT insert the SD Card after applying power.
    – Milliways
    Aug 30, 2016 at 6:44

2 Answers 2

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Your first problem is that the laptop HDMI port is an output not an input. The second problem is to use noobs you need a screen and keyboard (for the setup at least - after it is configured you can access your PI via SSH).

You have a few choices on how to proceed:

  • Hookup a monitor/TV with an HDMI input,
  • Connect to a monitor with a DVI input using an HDMI to DVI cable,
  • Use a TV with a composite input and the matching cable,

This will allow you to setup noobs

another option would be connect the Pi to your LAN via the Ethernet port, and download and flash Raspbian to the SD card. The Pi can then be accessed using SSH.

Note: I am assuming that you have just pulled the plug to reboot your Pi. This may have corrupted the card image and may need reflashing noobs, but without a monitor connected we can't tell.

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  • Apologies but I don't currently have a TV available... my only option would be the HDMI-DVI cable? And after that, the only required other connections would be the USB keyboard? The instructions manual here says to connect HDMI cable from Pi to laptop...
    – Anonymous
    Aug 30, 2016 at 7:19
  • You probably want an ethernet connection (if for no other reason than it is simpler and faster than wireless), and perhaps a mouse. Aug 30, 2016 at 7:48
  • I think I have it all figured... except the question regarding HDMI connection from Pi to laptop still remains unanswered and quite confusing for me. If you could deal with my stupidity one last time and inform me on the specifics, I would immensely appreciate that.
    – Anonymous
    Aug 30, 2016 at 9:03
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    You can't use your laptop as a monitor by connecting your lap[tops HDMI port to the PI. The laptops HDMI port is an output not an input. Aug 30, 2016 at 9:25
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    @KevinMoy wrt The instructions manual here says to connect HDMI cable from Pi to laptop then this manual is outright wrong (where is it from?). As Steve already pointed out both the HDMI port of a laptop and the Pi are outputs. Given the fact that the connectors allow for that to happen I would hope that the HDMI spec made it electrically safe to do so.
    – Ghanima
    Aug 30, 2016 at 10:14
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the HDMI from the laptop you have is an output not an input.This means you can display stuff on the laptop to a TV with an HDMI cable.If you have a TV try connecting the HDMI cable to the TV.If this does not work try getting a new Raspberry Pi.I hope this helps!

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  • Might have helped more if it weren't a month after the question was asked, but appreciate the effort.
    – Anonymous
    Oct 27, 2016 at 1:46

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