MS wireless keyboard not being detected

[BritJim]

My Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 700 worked fine until recently, when the keyboard was suddenly no longer detected during boot. Mouse continues to be OK. Even when keyboard not working (after each reboot), the LED of the associated wireless receiver blinks when keys pressed suggesting battery & reception conditions are good. Keyboard works perfectly as soon as I unplug & replug the wireless receiver USB connector... until the next reboot.
Device Manager shows all USB controllers healthy. Just in case, I reinstalled the VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller driver.
Event Viewer lists Kbdclass Error 9 (twice in succession) at every boot: "Could not enable interrupts on connected port device \Device\KeyboardClass0"
I'm running MS Intellitype Pro 5.2 (but I've also tried 5.5 and 6.1 to no avail) and Task Manager shows the 5.2 application process "type32.exe" to be running OK immediately after reboot.
Any ideas anybody?
________________________________________________
Win2K Pro, V5.0.2195 Bld 2195, SP4 + all updates
AMD Athlon 1.8GHz processor with Cool'n'Quiet
Award Modular BIOS V6.00PG
1GB RAM
Firewall ZoneAlarm Pro Version 7.0.337.000
Kaspersky AV V6.0.2.614
Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird, both V1.5.0.10

 

[kestrel1]

Check in the BIOS to see if USB keyboard is enabled. I can't see why it would be working & then not though, if this option was enabled/disabled in the BIOS. Unless your CMOS battery is getting low & the settings have changed. Have you plugged the wireless receiver into another USB port? Have you put brand new batteries in the keyboard, although I doubt that it will be that.

 

[BritJim]

Thanks for your ideas, kestrel1...
To my surprise, both USB keyboard and USB mouse were indeed disabled in my BIOS. I enabled both, but sadly this made no difference to my problem. (Since my mouse had been working perfectly and only the keyboard is not detected at boot, maybe these particular settings only affect USB mouse & USB keyboard in DOS mode, but I'm only guessing. I've checked that the newly-enabled settings in BIOS remain enabled. Also, the standard USB and enhanced USB settings were both already enabled in my BIOS.
The CMOS battery voltage shouldn't be getting low in a PC less than 2 years old (I've read they should last 10 years or so), but I haven't checked with a meter because I'm not seeing any other problems that might point to low battery such as loss of date & time accuracy.
I've plugged the wireless receiver into other USB ports, but this doesn't help (other than to fix the non-detection at boot time).
I've replaced the keyboard batteries with new without any improvement.
My only other keyboard is a wired PS/2, so I've not been able to try a wired USB keyboard.
New ideas welcome!!

 

[kestrel1]

I know CMOS batteries are supposed to last, but some motherboard practically eat them. I manage a network & have some machines that I have had to replace the batteries after 6 months to a year. However, I don't think this is your problem, if the settings are staying unchanged.
Is the wireless reciever for both the mouse & the keyboard? I suspect not.
Are you able to enter the BIOS with the USB wireless keyboard?
Have you tried it out on another machine?
At present I suspect that either the keyboard has gone faulty or the wireless reciever has.

 

[BritJim]

Thanks kestrel1 for your continued interest!
Yes, the wireless receiver for mouse & keyboard is one and the same (see

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=071)

Yes, I can consistently enter and control BIOS with the USB wireless keyboard, but after I've exited from the BIOS, Windows still doesn't detect the keyboard.
I'm not easily able to try the keyboard & receiver on another machine, but I'll find a way if this seems to be the only remaining check to be carried out.
You say you suspect either keyboard or wireless receiver to be faulty, which may of course be the case, but even when Windows is refusing to react to the keyboard, the receiver LED always flashes with every keystroke, as if the problem is between receiver & Windows. There can't be a problem between receiver & PC per se, I assume, because as already said, I can control BIOS with the keyboard.

 

[kestrel1]

This is starting to sound like a driver problem. Go to Control Panel/Keyboard & click on the hardware tab. What driver is it using? Are you able to get a new driver for this keyboard or re-install the existing one?
If you are able to use the keyboard in the BIOS, I don't think there is a hardware problem. It is more likely that the driver has become corrupted or the wrong driver is in use.

 

[BritJim]

What I see is the following:
Control Panel, Keyboard, Hardware, HID Keyboard Device, Properties, Driver...
Date: 19/06/2003
Version: 5.0.2195.6717
Driver Details, HID Keyboard Device, Driver Files:
C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers\Kbdclass.sys, File Version 5.00.2195.6666
C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers\Kbdhid.sys, File Version 5.00.2142.1
Any help?

 

[kestrel1]

Those drivers are fairly old now. If you go to the link that you gave, there is a software download section. Select the correct product from the list & get the software. When you have installed it, go back to Control Panel, Keyboard, Hardware & see if the date for the driver is any different. I would hope that an updated driver would help.

 

[BritJim]

OK, thanks! The strange thing about that URL is that although it's specifically for the MS Wireless Optical Desktop 700 that I possess, the product drop-down list doesn't include the product number 700. I've read somewhere on this or a similar MS Desktop Set webpage that the solution is to choose the closest similar product and go with that software, so I'll have to do a bit of investigation to decide which is closest to the 700. Having said that, as indicated in my initial posting I've tried several versions of the (I assume) latest versions of the MS s/w on this site (Intellitype 5.2, 5.5 & 6.1) and they didn't bring any improvements in my problem. Sadly I didn't think to check the driver file versions after each installation, so I can't say if the drivers were changed each time or not.
I'll give this some attention over the coming days and report back what I find, but as always if you've any immediate comments, feel free to post again!

 

[BritJim]

Decided not to hang around. Here are the results of installing new keyboard software. Since as already said there's no 700 to choose, went for Wireless Optical Desktop 3000 instead. For Win2K this ended up sending Intellitype Pro 6.1 that I'd tried before, but at least its product number is newer than the 5.2 & 5.5 versions.
Anyway, no changes to the drivers were made (or the same files were overwritten) during the processes of uninstalling the older and installing the newer Intellitype s/w: date remained 19/06/2003 as in my 27 May posting.
Details:
kbdclass.sys 19/06/2003
in C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers
and C:\Winnt\ServicePackFiles\i386
kbdhid.sys 04/10/1999 (even older than 2003!)
in C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers
and C:\Winnt\System32\Dllcache
Searching in MS Download Center produces no hits for these two drivers. As yet I also can't find anything useful via Google.
Could it be a red herring?

 

[kestrel1]

OK, Just had a look at my setup. My keyboard is a Logitech USB wireless with mouse. I must admit I have this plugged into the PS2 ports as I do not posses enough USB ports for my needs. Anyway, the driver that it is using is the Standard 101/102 keyboard drivers. Do you have PS2 ports & do you have addapters? if so you could try it in the PS2 port to see if it will work. Have you tried manually changing the drivers? Got to the keyboard section in Control panel. choose Hardware/ Properties & then Driver. go to Update Driver & in the following window choose install from a list radio button, click next & then click on the dont search I will choose radio button. It should show all compatable drivers. Choose one that you are not using now.

 

[BritJim]

Yes, I have a PS/2 k/b port and a USB>PS/2 adapter. A wired PS/2 keyboard works in the port, but the MS Wireless Receiver via the adapter does not (no k/b function & Receiver LED goes out).
I tried the manual driver-changing process you recommended, but things weren't as simple (or manual) as I hoped. At no time did I see a list of drivers so that I could choose. Whichever options I chose in the various dialog boxes (that are such that it would take an A3 sheet and a flow chart-style sketch to detail these properly), ultimately a Wizard appeared that always ended with the message that Windows has finished installing the software. At no time did the driver details as reported in my 27 May posting change. It seems to me that Win2K has drivers under its control and any updates would be provided via the automatic Windows Update (as is the case I presume for kbdclass.sys of 19/06/2003 in \System32\Drivers and \ServicePackFiles\i386 detailed in the 27 May posting).

 

[kestrel1]

At present I think the only option to ensure that the keyboard & reciever are really OK would be to connect them to another PC, either running Windows 2K or Windows XP.
As I am writting something has popped into my head. You could try a Linux distro, to check the keyboard out. Pop along to

http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=1

& go to the downloads section. In that section choose 1 & then download version 2.16. Burn the ISO to CD & boot your machine from that CD. This does not install to your hard drive unless you want it to, it is a live CD. this will not change anything on your hard drive either. Anyway, if the keyboard works in Linux, then it has to be a windows driver problem. This also saves you taking the keyboard to another machine.
If it will not work under Linux, I can only think that there is a hardware problem that only manifests its self when an OS is installed (very strange)
Let us know how you get on.

 

[BritJim]

Well, I don't know if this is good news for me or bad, but the keyboard worked instantly as soon as the PC booted from the Linux CD, so it looks like you're right in thinking the problem might be a driver or Windows problem. However, given that I can't find new Win2k HID keyboard drivers out there on the 'net and given that Win2K seems not to want to present me with any and in any case won't let me install any manually, I don't really know where this leaves us -- I say 'us' in the hope that you've the time and interest to continue the hunt for a solution!

 

[kestrel1]

Do you have the latest service pack (4) & windows updates installed?
Can you re-install SP4?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/sp4Eng.mspx

This may or may not help. I am wondering if there are some windows files that are corrupt, that is why I am suggesting the SP4 re-install.

 

[BritJim]

Yes, I have SP4 installed and all updates since, thanks to Bill's automatic update service.
Yes, if I have to I could reinstall SP4, but I assume I'd have uninstall it first (I can see "Update Rollup 1 for SP4" in Add/Remove Programs), re-downloading and then reinstalling all updates (I see no uninstalls anymore in Add/Remove Programs probably thanks to CCleaner) and with my slow powerline Internet connection it all will take an age (no DSL in this part of town thanks to some bright spark having decided to replace all underground twisted copper with glass fibre some years ago).
If there are corrupt Windows files, wouldn't sfc.exe deal with these? I'm not sure how this facility handles files changed by SP1-4 and Windows Updates over time since it would ask for the original CD to be inserted, but maybe it looks in C:\Winnt\ServicePackFiles\i386 as well as in the CD...

 

[BritJim]

An update on my updates:
I said I have all updates installed, but having checked this manually, the following 'non-critical' updates are not installed (I can't imagine they would impact my keyboard problem):

Update for Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0 Service Pack 1 (KB934268)
...has improved reliability, security, conformance with the XML 1.0 and XML Schema 1.0 W3C Recommendations, and compatibility with System.Xml 2.0

Root Certificates Update
Download size: 233 KB , less than 1 minute
...updates the list root certificates on your computer to the latest list that is accepted by Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Root Certificate Program. Adding additional root certificates to your computer enables a greater range of security enhanced Web browsing, encrypted e-mail, and security enhanced code delivery applications to work seamlessly.

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0: x86 (KB829019)
Download size: 22.4 MB , less than 1 minute
...improves scalability and performance with improved caching, application deployment and updating with ClickOnce, and support for the broadest array of browsers and devices with ASP.NET 2.0 controls and services.

Microsoft Base Smart Card Cryptographic Service Provider Package: x86 (KB909520)
...allows smart card vendors to more easily enable their smart cards on Windows with a lightweight proprietary card module instead of a full proprietary CSP.

 

[kestrel1]

No, I don't think any of those updates would affect the keyboard. I have suggested a re-install of SP4, as this would restore any corrupt files. I know SFC should deal with this, but I don't always trust these programs (that's just me).
I have done this with SP2 on Windows XP & it has sorted out a few problems in the past. You shouldn't need to un-install SP4 first, it should just go in over the top. Mind you if you don't have broadband this could be a pain. I am trying to think of ways around this without a total re-install. At present that is all I can think of. There must be some sort of corruption that is causing this, as the hardware is clearly OK if it will work fine in Linux. I suppose another option is to do a repair install of the OS.

 

[BritJim]

Thanks for your latest input, although I had hoped to catch you before you exepnded any more brain power on my problem -- I had just prepared the following posing when yous arrived:
I'm back again to report that I'm pretty sure I've resolved my problem.
Since we were obviously looking for some sort of strange needle-in-haystack behaviour, I decided to try slimming down my system to the basics...
What worked was unplugging the (cheap) USB hub serving equipment rarely connected to my PC (camera, film negatives scanner, PDA).
Until recently(!!!) these had been served via the USB hub built-into my monitor, which I decided to upgrade to a larger screen size. The new monitor has no hub, hence I was forced into connecting a stand-alone hub and unfortunately I went for one that seems to have caused my keyboard problem. Yes, I know, I should have thought of this before -- sorry! In my defence, the wireless receiver has always been plugged into the PC direct and not via the old or new hub).
I'm now going to try a series of reboots to see if any one of the attached devices is causing the hub to misbehave, but if it's the hub itself then I'm going to have to replace it with one that works. To avoid my having to select the new hub by trial & error, I'd welcome any advice you might be able to give as what constitutes a good hub -- or maybe you avoid all hubs since you mentioned using PS/2 because of a shortage of USB sockets!

 

[kestrel1]

Is your current hub powered externally? If not it will be drawing power from the onboard USB. Even if it is powered it will affect the onboard USB, but not as much. Maybe I should have thought to ask the question previously, but still there you go. One thing I would suggest would be a PCI USB 2.0 card.
You can get some that also come with external ports for the front of the machine, taking up either a 5.25" bay or a 3.5" bay. May be a better idea than a hub. Never have been keen on hubs myself, unless they are powered externally. Even if they are they can still cause problems.
Anyway, I hope that your keyboard problem is sorted & also it is good to keep in mind for the future. Not something that had sprung to mind straight away, I must say.
Keep us posted.