No keyboard response in DOS 1

[dexterdoo]

All of a sudden, my PS/2 keyboards now only work in Windows. I reset the CMOS and have the latest BIOS upgrade and there doesn't seem to be any PS/2 settings in there.
When I boot into DOS with a floppy, no keyboard entries are accepted at the prompt.
It seems strange that I can navigate with the arrows and keys while in the BIOS setup screens but not outside of there? Can't install any programs that use a boot cd or floppy since I can't select anything once the program loads! I'm at a loss. Any suggestions??

Windows XP Pro (sp3)
Microstar PM8M-VH
P4 3.2ghz
1gb ram
160gb hard drive
ATI All-in-Wonder

 

[kjv1611]

Do you have any other keyboards that you can try? It's possible (yes, rare) that the keyboard doesn't use standard drivers in DOS or in Windows or whatever OS you're booting to with your floppy - Linux, perhaps?

You can try a different keyboard, or look for a driver for that OS you're using, or don't use that particular OS. That really sums up the solution, I think.

Do you NEED to use the OS in question? If so, time to try a different keyboard.

 

[dexterdoo]

Thanks for the reply, kjv but as you can see, my post said keyboard(s) so I've tried more than one. And since I have no keyboard operation after booting from media, I couldn't install another OS even if I wanted to. I guess I may have to go out and by a USB keyboard just to find out if that will work or not???

 

[vacunita]

Are the keyboard lights on in DOS?

In other words can you turn the caps lock, num lock and screen lock on and off and see the lights go on and off?

Have you tried booting from a Live Cd. such as a Linux Cd, just to check if the Keyboard works there?

----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[dexterdoo]

The keyboardlights are dead in DOS! No caps lock - nothing. Don't have a Linux Cd but tried the XP Cd and when "press any key to start install" comes up, there's no response to keyboard so it just sits there ........

 

[kjv1611]

When I boot into DOS with a floppy, no keyboard entries are accepted at the prompt.

And since I have no keyboard operation after booting from media, I couldn't install another OS even if I wanted to.

That doesn't really match up. Installing another OS has nothing to do with running DOS from a floppy. DOS IS an Operating System.

What I was getting at was what vacunita mentioned - a Live CD version of a Linux distro, perhaps, such as Ubuntu.

I missed the s on the end of keyboard, so sorry about that one.

For a USB keyboard, do you have a friend or acquaintance who might loan you one for a day to try it out? At least you could try it out without buying one that way.

If the USB keyboard doesn't do the trick, then it very well could be a motherboard issue (hardware) or possibly a BIOS issue. You could check for the latest version of your motherboards BIOS to see if there were any major updates there for PS/2 compatibility You could also at least glance at your motherboard (inside the computer case), and see if there are any bulging capacitors, or anything perhaps odd looking... mainly in the area of the PS/2 connections.

However, I'm still going back to whatever keyboard(s) you have not having good DOS drivers. How new are the keyboards? What manufacturers? Since DOS is an operating system, just like Windows, just like Linux or Unix or Mac OSX, it has to communicate with the hardware somehow. If your keyboards are communicating with the motherboard - BIOS settings, but not within whatever operating system, then for whatever reason, there's a lapse in communication - which is where the driver comes in.

Have you tried searching the web for your particular keyboard(s) and DOS, to see if anyone has mentioned any related issues in the past?

 

[kjv1611]

I posted that last one before I saw your latest post...

"press any key to start install" comes up, there's no response to keyboard so it just sits there ........

That sounds like the BIOS isn't properly initializing the keyboard to me.

Did you ever make any changes to the BIOS settings? Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to try setting your BIOS to default or fail-safe settings.

 

[vacunita]

Either the motherboard is cutting power to the PS2 port once the BIOS check is done, or the PS2 port has gone off the deep end.

Another option which I saw mentioned in a few posts, I found was to reset the BIOS or flash a newer version.

Resetting being the easier option.


----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[edfair]

Not just resetting, which you can get to under the BIOS, but pulling the battery and taking it back to the beginning.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[dexterdoo]

Thank you all for your suggestions! After resetting the CMOS with the jumper again I noticed that the date and time were still retained! So I pulled the battery in addition and then when I fired it up again,things were back to normal. I logged back on to post my results and upon reading the comments it looks like Ed Fair hit it on the nose.

I've never had to pull the battery before. Using the jumper has always worked for me. What a painful learning experience. Thanks again guys for sticking this one out with me! :O)

 

[Lex87]

Wacky.. had to be a glitch really.

I've seen USB not work in DOS because the KB is set to the wrong mode in the BIOS (ABit MBs in my experience) but never a PS/2, in fact it's usually the opposite where the BIOS doesn't allow the PS/2 KB to function because it's not seeing a KB during POST.

Nice solution Ed.

 

[dexterdoo]

Yeah, that was definitely a weird one ........