Keyboard Problems

[CR Geissler]

I have just reinstalled WinXP Home on my other computer. When I am
prompted to enter the CD Key, I can't type 1, 5, 0, w, a, s, z, t, y,
n, m, k, l, some punctuation and some other keys. Even those numbers
on the keypad don't work.

So, I figure the keyboard is bad. I try another PS2 keyboard -- same
problem. So I figure PS2 jack is bad, so I plug in a USB Keyboard --
same problem. I have restarted and tested each keyboard multiple
times.

I can't try the onscreen keyboard, because I can't even enter the
product Key into windows to start up winXP.

Can there be a problem on the Motherboard causing this?

Thanks,
C

 

[Unknown]

What happens when you DO type those characters? Get wrong character?
Nothing?

 

[CR Geissler]

nothing, nada, zip. I did some more troubleshooting ...

I did boot to the bios setup screen and it appears the keys that don't
work do work. When I go to establish a password on the bio setup
screen all keys make a * when pressed -- I don't know what value is
being entered, but something is registering.

So I disconnected the newly formatted drive that I just installed
WinXP Home on and connected an older drive that had WinXP Home
installed on it. The computer booted fine, WinXP came up fine, I
opened notepad and all the keys work.

So I reconnected the new formatted drive (disconnected the old one)
and booted up -- when I get to the screen to enter the product key --
the same keys do not work.

So this doesn't appear to be a hardware problem. The keyboard works
in the Bios setup and under a different version of WinXP, just not
during the product key entry screen in a New version of WinXP.

Any suggestions? I think I will format the harddrive and reinstall
WinXP again.

Cheers,

 

[The Todal]

nothing, nada, zip. I did some more troubleshooting ...

I did boot to the bios setup screen and it appears the keys that don't
work do work. When I go to establish a password on the bio setup
screen all keys make a * when pressed -- I don't know what value is
being entered, but something is registering.

So I disconnected the newly formatted drive that I just installed
WinXP Home on and connected an older drive that had WinXP Home
installed on it. The computer booted fine, WinXP came up fine, I
opened notepad and all the keys work.

So I reconnected the new formatted drive (disconnected the old one)
and booted up -- when I get to the screen to enter the product key --
the same keys do not work.

So this doesn't appear to be a hardware problem. The keyboard works
in the Bios setup and under a different version of WinXP, just not
during the product key entry screen in a New version of WinXP.

Any suggestions? I think I will format the harddrive and reinstall
WinXP again.

Before doing that, try downloading Malwarebytes and do a thorough scan.
Seems unlikely but worth a try.

 

[Unknown]

Are both drives of the same type? SATA ATA? Check connections carefully?

 

[CR Geissler]

Unless I don't understand malware -- there shouldn't be a problem as
this was a clean installation on a fdisked and formatted harddrive.
To test if it was a hardware issue I installed Win2K and there was no
problem. I will try winXP again (or maybe just go straight to
linux ...)

Thanks for all the suggestions.