Keyboard wont work when booting up windows.

My computer is 2.5 years old and is running windows XP professional.

It's been working extremely well. I regularly check it for Malware and have AVG free home edition as my virus protection.

A few nights ago I shut down the computer, that day I had been using programs as usual and hadn't installed or changed anything it was also working perfectly well. When I restarted I noticed that instead of going to the login screen which shows all users with their avatars, it went into the more old school windows login box with administrator as the user.

At this stage the keyboard and mouse stop working. I've tried opening windows in Safe mode but again it wants me to log in and the keyboard and mouse don't work. Without the keyboard and mouse I can't do it.

The keyboard and mouse are both USB and I have tried them in all the different USB ports. The keyboard works fine in DOS. I ran chkdisk and it said everything was fine.

I then tried to reinstall windows using the repair installation. All is going well the mouse is working fine and allowing me to press continue and so forth. Finally it's asking me to enter the key and of course the keyboard is still not working.

I'm really running out of options and I don't know what to do.

any advice would be most appreciated

 

Just some ideas, not sure if they will work or not.

1. Have you tried a ps2 keyboard? (I know that sounds basic but....)
2. Can you use the keyboard to enter the bios during startup?
- if so, just make sure you know what you are doing cause it could cause more issues. But there is usually something regarding USB ports that might be disabled or somethin

Good luck!

 

Hi Barry,

Thanks so much for your reply.

1. No I haven't, I don't have one in the house, i'm interested to hear if people think it will make a difference. If they do, I will go and buy one, or an adapter..

2. I have already enabled USB in the BIOS.

 

Thanks for you reply Pete, and thanks to you and everyone for making me feel very welcome!

Yes, my computer does have a PS2 socket so I went and bought a USB to PS2 adapter yesterday to try it out.

It doesn't seem to make any difference, the keyboard still works fine in DOS and right up till the point windows boots then is useless.

I have already set the USB Keyboard to enabled in the BIOS, I also checked this again just now and it's still set.

I agree this keyboard issue is just a symptom of a greater problem, but without the use of a keyboard during reinstall I'm flummoxed as to how to fix it?

Does anyone have any idea what is wrong with my computer and how to go about fixing it?

The window and the pavement 2 floors below is looking like a good option right about now

 

Another 2¢ ......

I'd try a regular PS2 keyboard, not an adapter. And, for all we know the problem could be the keyboard itself so you need to get a hold of a substitute. That should cost you about $5 online or $10-15 in a store. Regardless, you need to try a different keyboard first.

I've got a couple of other ideas but will hold further comment until a different keyboard has been tried.



No, I'm not the one that Pete asked for an opinion.

edit: not to be interpreted the wrong way - a tongue in cheek comment meaning, "hold on, there should be another opinion forthcoming. "

 

Hi,
I suggest going through the settings in the BIOS carefully. I have seen a setting for enabling USB outside the operating system and another for use inside the OS (it was somewhat confusing and took some trial and error).

You should change the CMOS battery on the motherboard, in case the BIOS settings are being "lost ". While you are there clean out any buildup of dust. If, say, the CPU is overheating, the BIOS can revert to "failsafe" default settings.

Matt

 

Perplexing problem - thought provoking.

Lets review a couple of things and dissect them a little more carefully. From the beginning of the thread:

First Issue - tried Safe mode ..... Without the keyboard and mouse I can't do it ..... The keyboard works fine in DOS ..... I ran chkdisk and it said everything was fine. Big Question - how did you get to DOS mode if you can't get into Windows? Should we assume you got into the recovery console? Without a working keyboard, this too would be an impossiblity. There is a contradiction here. Some clarification would be helpful.


Second Issue - If the only thing that stopped working was the USB keyboard and mouse, isn't a repair install a bit of a stretch? Logically, wouldn't one try a lot of other potential fixes before going this route? Again, further clarification would be helpful.

Now the commentary........

If and its a big [SIZE= "5"]If[/SIZE], the keyboard was shot, it wouldn't work at all but one gets the idea that it does work up to a point (kind of works). This leads one to believe that the keyboard behavior is symptomatic, not causal. Secondly, if the BIOS doesn't recognize it, then it doesn't recognize it in any shape, form or manner ............ but again, one gets the idea that it does work up to a point (kind of works). Third, if the keyboard fails as a USB keyboard or a PS2 (with the adapter) then its more than a controller issue. (Note: not all USB keyboards will work in PS2 mode with an adapter.)

I'm still of the opinion that a basic PS2 keyboard should be tried as the first approach. I would also disconnect any and all peripherals including any "card readers" that may be attached to an internal USB header.

By my thinking, it sounds like your problem is more driver or software related and Pete loosely alluded to this possibility in his first post. Is there anything else you can tell us leading up to this sudden change in your log on screen and the unauthorized vacation that your mouse and keyboard decided to take?



edit: from first issue outlined above - I guess it would be possible to get into the recovery console if the keyboard is (kind of) working up to the point of the API and drivers trying to load.

 

I can make it into the recovery console, or into the BIOS settings but as soon as windows boots up the keyboard fails.

I tried a few things, but I'm no expert by any means and thought after a week of trying I would reinstall windows. I have my files backed up and figured it wouldn't hurt.

I managed to try again with a PS2 keyboard today. The install was fine up until after the putting in the key. Then there were around 20 files that seemed to be miss named. Windows install tried to find them (mainly .dl files) and they were there but missing the file type ending (ie missing the .dl) even though when you looked at the files properties it said it was a .dl file. I couldn't add the file type as it's booting from a CD. So I just said to ignore the files.

After this everything went well, however, when the computer was restarted it went through the usual rigmarole until hangs on "applying computer settings ". At this stage the mouse and keyboard cease to work and nothing happens.

Can anyone give me any advice on what is going on?

The only two things that may have caused this to begin with is that I installed Adobe Lightroom (official bought copy) about 2 weeks before the issue. I had used it several times without a problem.

Also I hadn't cleaned my computer for dust in a few months. After it started playing up I opened it and found there was dust, but not in extreme amounts and I've since cleaned it throughly.

As for the last time I used the computer successfully, I was doing some 3D modeling using Rhinoceros, I saved the work then shut down the computer as usual. It was when I tried to boot up the next day that all this happened.

Is there anything else I can try?

Once again many thanks for all those who've answered by plees for help!

 

I have seen something very similar (see my previous post). I had the 'flu at that time and was not concentrating very well.

If you could post back with the make and model of the computer/motherboard, I (we) might be able to see something in the manual.

Matt

 

Just returned home and saw some more action in this thread. Yes, I too would be curious as to just how the new installation was done.

Along the lines of Matt's good thinking, there is a very basic setting in most BIOS menu's regarding PNP operating system installed with the choices being yes or no. If one selects yes, the OS will take control of certain devices and if no is seleced, the BIOS will maintain control. I'd recommend setting this at no. As an aside, I have never (and that includes considerably more than a couple few machines) set this to yes. There may come a day, but it hasn't come yet.

If the above does not correct the problem, suspicion regarding potential malware becomes a very real consideration (depending on how you answer Pete's question regarding the new installation). One can not rule out a RootKit and something is very odd about what has been referenced as .dl files which I am assuming is a misnomer for .dll files. Absent 20 plus files which were skipped because of this, I would not expect your system to run very well if at all. Echoing Pete's advice, I would strongly recommend a completely clean installation after deleting and remaking partitions. Incidently, that's your safest and easiest choice at this point if you have picked up a RootKit.