disabled keyboard cant startup from boot disk

I am writing from a compaq, winXP about a second PC I acquired 2 days ago from it's year long hiatus in a basement: a 366c e-machine, win98 OS.
Having only one keyboard I was flipping it between pc's via the usb port.
I've gotten registry error msgs. (could be from uninstalling aol). I thought I needed to update windows so I went on-line to download a 17 item list of updates. The server eventually timed out.
I then downloaded a program that would tweak the e-machine. During a prerequisite installation of vbr v6.0 I got a fatal exception msg and pretty much ignored it. Any msg screen disables the keyboard
and the PS2 mouse so I'd have to re-start via on/off button. Last msg screen my pc is stuck on:
"A device file is specific in the SYSTEM.INI file is damaged. It may be needed to run windows. You may need to run the windows set up program again. If the file is included in another software pkg you may need to reinstall the software that uses the file.
NTKERN "

All that said, here's the problem:
I shut down the e-machine 3 times and got the same SYS.INI msg each time. I can't escape the screen because my keyboard & mouse are disabled. I attached a PS2 adapter to the keyboard's usb connector, turned the pc off then on to restart & keyboard's still rendered useless. I thought if I put
in the floppy and the cd of a win98 startup, that it would run on it's own without tabbing to select a disk to start from. OK, fine, I got further that way except I still have to hit enter to let the disk operate and can't.
How do I get Windows to run if I can't use the keyboard or mouse to press enter?
thanks
nancy

 

Form a PM message.

This not a bit unusual. Adaptors do not always work.

That is exactly I why I never use a USB keyboard or Mouse.

Please keep all correspondence here on the BBS. That way we can all see what has been been suggested and work accordingly.

Another resaon is that I myself am not familiar with OEM machines. My ideas may not even come close on them.

The two machines may not be capable of using the same keyboard.

BillyBob

 

Unless "Legacy USB support" is enabled in BIOS, the USB keyboard will ONLY work in Windows, after USB drivers have loaded.

 

bikerchick4God,


Reboot is correct, without that USB legacy support turned on then your keyboard will not work outside of windows.

Solution to this would be to use a keyboard with a ps/2 style connection on it. This will allow you to use the keyboard outside of windows.

Once you get the keyboard going then we can address the other issues.

Cheers,

ICE