KVM switch not working with VISTA

[daviddschool]

I am hoping there is a quick solution to this :

I have a system running XP with a motherboard that has 1 X ps/2
keyboard and 1 X ps/2 for the mouse.
My vista machine has only one ps/2 (dual I am guessing).

XP - 1 X ps2 mouse and 1 X ps2 keyboard
Vista - 1 X dual ps/2 mouse/keyboard.

So here is where the problem lies - with only one ps/2, I can only
plug one of the ps/2 from the KVM into it. So I went and purchased a
Ps/2-to-USB cord because therefore I could plug the 11mouse into the
machine (the VISTA machine was using the dual ps/2 keyboard). But
this doesn't work. It recognizes the keyboard running through the
KVM, but not the mouse (running through the KVM, but with the addition
of a ps2-to-usb.

So as it stands, the KVM is running just the keyboard. I have had to
resort to running a second mouse (with USB) into usb port in the VISTA
machine for it to work.

Any ideas why the MINI KVM or the VISTA machine is not recognizing the
PS/2-to-USB cord?

 

[the wharf rat]

Any ideas why the MINI KVM or the VISTA machine is not recognizing the
PS/2-to-USB cord?

KVM's are kludgy iffy things in general unless you spring
for a very high dollar one... Serial to USB "connectors" are also
kludges... It's not at all surprising that they don't work. It can
be anything from wrong signals to signals too low to driver problems...

Luckily USB kvm's are pretty cheap these days, bite the
bullet and go buy one... What you're seeing is a very common problem.

 

[daviddschool]

KVM's are kludgy iffy things in general unless you spring
for a very high dollar one... Serial to USB "connectors" are also
kludges... It's not at all surprising that they don't work. It can
be anything from wrong signals to signals too low to driver problems...

Luckily USB kvm's are pretty cheap these days, bite the
bullet and go buy one... What you're seeing is a very common problem.

Thanks for that. I will give this one to my dad.

I am just hesitant because I am running the 2 X ps/2 on XP and the
usb & ps2 on the VISTA. Are the newer models more able to handle this
sort of thing?
I couldn't find any drive for my MINI KVM, let alone the company that
made it, so I am not sure if a driver will help.

 

[the wharf rat]

I couldn't find any drive for my MINI KVM, let alone the company that
made it, so I am not sure if a driver will help.

I meant the usb/serial drivers on the hosts...

It's best not to try and mix connections. Just use all usb.