keyboard failure 3

[ColinC77]

I have a Dell Optiplex with 512mb ram & 1.8 P4 - We used a Microsoft Wireless Desktop Elite (keyboard - PS2 & mouse USB & PS2. I upgraded the machine to Windows XP Pro - now, only the wireless mouse works on bootup. The wireless KB freezes & you cannot perform CTRL+ALT+DEL. The mouse continues to work but the KB is frozen & you can only power off. The same thing occurs under safe mode. Is there some glitch with Microsoft products under XP Pro Upgrade? I connected 3 different PS2 keyboards to no avail. Any suggestions??
ColinC.

 

[satrow]

Keyboard connector can be damaged by pluggin/unplugging whilst the machine was on. (very) Old motherboards had a replaceable fuse which blew; more modern 'boards have had a 'polyfuse', which should reset itself.

Can you get hold of a cheap USB keyboard? You would still have problems installing it.....

Andy.

 

[bcastner]

See as possible help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q257729

http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBK/tip5300/rh5301.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;138354&Product=win2000

 

[ColinC77]

Thanks for the tips. I will probably have to get a USB keyboard since the USB mouse still works. I used the recovery console but there's no difference. I then tried the registry fix but I couldn't use regedit32 only regedit. I then tried to go thru the registry using REGEDIT.EXE but when I attempted to connect to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE thru the network, as soon as I went to the remote machine I got an error message "cannot open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: error while opening key"
I tried the first 2 links from bcastner but they didn't work. I am now trying to look for a bios update. (grasping at straws). Anyway, thanks for the suggestions & if you have any other thoughts, I'd appreciate them.
Colin C.

 

[bcastner]

Is it absolutely necessary to do this remotely?

If you could at the actual workstation:

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm

 

[satrow]

Colin,

Can you get into the Bios on the workstation? This should rule out a hardware fault...

Andy.

 

[ColinC77]

OK here it is... the remote registry hack as well as most of these other machinations is because I can't CTRL+ALT+DEL on that machine. The Recovery Console part is a working method if I can find how to introduce the correct driver. I followed the procedure before & renamed the keyboard driver then copied a new driver in its place. I will try again using a different driver.

 

[satrow]

Recovery console should work if the hardware is ok.

Andy.

 

[ColinC77]

Thanks for the tip, Andy. I was able to get past the CTRL+ALT+DEL obstacle by using "GoToMyPC". We use this to connect from the road to our office PCs. One of its tools is the ability to send "CTRL+ALT+DEL" to the client machine. Once past this, I d/l new drivers for the keyboard & mouse. The keyboard still did not work but at least I was able to use a regular PS2 keyboard thru Control panel.
I will check out these drivers since that may be the bug.
Thanks Tek-Tips.

 

[satrow]

Phew,

Well done Colin...you deserve a star for being able to access it remotely to effect a cure!

Andy.

 

[bcastner]

Colin,
I have found the PS/2 very probelmatic on workstations in the past. Unless you are an amazing wizard with a soldering iron, the connection breaks on the motherboard and a new MB is called for. I stopped using the PS/2 port on COMPAQ, HP and IBM for this very reason. (Thouugh COMPAQ was by far the worst).

The motherboard to PS/2 connection just seems to brittle to trust. USB for me. But see this other curiosity of the PS/2 port:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325975