Missing keyboard folder in Device Manager

[Guest]

I'm sure this problem is my fault.

The computer came with a basic Compaq keyboard and scroll mouse. I swapped
the keyboard for a Microsoft Natural Multimedia keyboard and the mouse for a
Logitech optical mouse (both of which we already had). Initially the keyboard
and mouse worked fine, but next day on rebooting the mouse was fine, but when
I used the keyboard both it and the mouse froze. In troubleshooting the
problem, I intended to remove the keyboard driver [which is currently
Microsoft PS/2 keyboard (Intellitype Pro)], but instead of doing it _right_,
highlighted the keyboarrd driver and hit "delete," rather than using the
correct uninstall procedure.

As it stands now, if I boot with the original OEM keyboard and Logitech
mouse, the device manager shows the folder for "keyboard," and the keyboard
driver is listed. If I boot with the Microsoft keyboard, the device manager
has no folder for keyboard drivers.

I've also tried removing (correctly) and reinstalling the mouse driver and,
per a suggestion from Compaq Presario support, downloaded and installed an
update for Terminal Services, and made sure that it was set to load
automatically. Their current advice is to go back to a restore point where
the Microsoft keyboard worked -- but, of course, it apparently never seemed
to work properly.

I haven't found any other reference to my problem in searching the Web.
Obviously somewhere XP has stored an identification for the Microsoft
keyboard, but I haven't found any information on modifying/deleting that file.

Any ideas or pointers to information?

Compaq Presario SR1020T, Pentium 4 3.06 GHz, 512 Mb RAM, XP Home w/SP2 and
updates.

Thanks,
Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Mon, 15 Aug 2005:

I haven't found any other reference to my problem in searching the Web.
Obviously somewhere XP has stored an identification for the Microsoft
keyboard, but I haven't found any information on modifying/deleting that file.

Any ideas or pointers to information?

Hi Northe

It's possible you might have a "ghost" of the incorrectly installed
Microsoft keyboard hanging around the preventing the system from
re-installing it correctly. Try this:

Open a Command window and type:
set devmgr_ show_nonpresent_devices=1 <enter>
then type:
devmgmt.msc <enter> (Device Manager opens up)

[*Important!* Don't close the Command window yet -- otherwise the option
you just set will be lost.]

In Device Manager go to the View Menu and check Show Hidden Devices. Now
have a look and see what you have under Keyboards. If you see, as well
as your current keyboard, a grayed-out "ghost" of the Microsoft
keyboard, delete the ghost and OK your way out.

Shut down system, plug in the Microsoft keyboard and boot, and hopefully
Windows will detect it; check in Device Manager when you reach your
desktop. If it's a USB keyboard, you may need to unplug it and plug it
in again once Windows is running to make the system notice it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

:

Hi Northe

It's possible you might have a "ghost" of the incorrectly installed
Microsoft keyboard hanging around the preventing the system from
re-installing it correctly. Try this:

Open a Command window and type:
set devmgr_ show_nonpresent_devices=1 <enter>
then type:
devmgmt.msc <enter> (Device Manager opens up)

[*Important!* Don't close the Command window yet -- otherwise the option
you just set will be lost.]

In Device Manager go to the View Menu and check Show Hidden Devices. Now
have a look and see what you have under Keyboards. If you see, as well
as your current keyboard, a grayed-out "ghost" of the Microsoft
keyboard, delete the ghost and OK your way out.

Shut down system, plug in the Microsoft keyboard and boot, and hopefully
Windows will detect it; check in Device Manager when you reach your
desktop. If it's a USB keyboard, you may need to unplug it and plug it
in again once Windows is running to make the system notice it.

Hope this helps.

I will definitely give it a try! Thank you!
Northe

 

[Guest]

Northe wrote on Mon, 15 Aug 2005:

I haven't found any other reference to my problem in searching the Web.
Obviously somewhere XP has stored an identification for the Microsoft
keyboard, but I haven't found any information on modifying/deleting that file.

Any ideas or pointers to information?

Hi Northe

It's possible you might have a "ghost" of the incorrectly installed
Microsoft keyboard hanging around the preventing the system from
re-installing it correctly. Try this:

Open a Command window and type:
set devmgr_ show_nonpresent_devices=1 <enter>
then type:
devmgmt.msc <enter> (Device Manager opens up)

[*Important!* Don't close the Command window yet -- otherwise the option
you just set will be lost.]

In Device Manager go to the View Menu and check Show Hidden Devices. Now
have a look and see what you have under Keyboards. If you see, as well
as your current keyboard, a grayed-out "ghost" of the Microsoft
keyboard, delete the ghost and OK your way out.

Shut down system, plug in the Microsoft keyboard and boot, and hopefully
Windows will detect it; check in Device Manager when you reach your
desktop. If it's a USB keyboard, you may need to unplug it and plug it
in again once Windows is running to make the system notice it.

Hope this helps.

Nightowl,

I tried your suggestions for both user accounts on the computer -- didn't
find any "ghost" drivers. I just may try booting with the Microsoft keyboard
and use the onscreen/accesibility keyboard to go through the procedure and
see what the device driver shows.

As it stands, when I looked for the device drivers under device manager, I
found :
c:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\i8042prt.sys
c:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\kbdclass.sys
c:\WINDOWS\system32\mskbcoin.dll

Again, thanks for your help!
Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Tue, 16 Aug 2005:

I tried your suggestions for both user accounts on the computer -- didn't
find any "ghost" drivers. I just may try booting with the Microsoft keyboard
and use the onscreen/accesibility keyboard to go through the procedure and
see what the device driver shows.

As it stands, when I looked for the device drivers under device manager, I
found :
c:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\i8042prt.sys
c:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\kbdclass.sys
c:\WINDOWS\system32\mskbcoin.dll

Again, thanks for your help!
Northe

Hi Northe

It's not the drivers but the "devices" in Device Manager I was
recommending you have a look at -- for instance, under Keyboards, at the
moment my Device Manager says: "Standard 101/102 key or Microsoft
Natural Ps/2 keyboard".

I was wondering if you might see a ghost of the Microsoft keyboard
there, as well as the one you have currently working. Remember you have
to check Show Hidden Devices in the View menu after setting the option
in the Command window.

Just out of interest, I checked my drivers, and I have the first 2 you
mentioned.

Is the problem keyboard a USB? If so, have you tried hot-plugging it in,
with the system running?

 

[Guest]

Hi Northe

It's not the drivers but the "devices" in Device Manager I was
recommending you have a look at -- for instance, under Keyboards, at the
moment my Device Manager says: "Standard 101/102 key or Microsoft
Natural Ps/2 keyboard".

I was wondering if you might see a ghost of the Microsoft keyboard
there, as well as the one you have currently working. Remember you have
to check Show Hidden Devices in the View menu after setting the option
in the Command window.

Just out of interest, I checked my drivers, and I have the first 2 you
mentioned.

Is the problem keyboard a USB? If so, have you tried hot-plugging it in,
with the system running?

I did follow your steps, activated the devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
function and the _Show Hidden Devices_ in the device manager for both user
accounts (both accounts have administrator privileges). Both accounts listed
only one keyboard device. In my case it says : PS/2 Keyboard (Intellitype
Pro) -- even though I don't have Intellitype Pro currently installed (removed
via the add/remove software function).

After that I opened up the device listing and that's where I found the
files I mentioned.

Is the problem keyboard a USB? If so, have you tried hot-plugging it in,
with the system running?

No, both keyboard and mouse are PS/2

Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Tue, 16 Aug 2005:

No, both keyboard and mouse are PS/2

OK. . . well, it might sound a little drastic <grin> but I think if it
were me, I'd delete the current keyboard from Device Manager, shut down
(with the mouse and then reboot with the problem keyboard, and see
if that makes Windows re-detect it.

It can't actually do any harm to try; if it doesn't work, you'd just
need to reboot again with the working keyboard instead.

By the way, when the Microsoft keyboard was freezing in Windows, did you
have occasion to notice whether it worked during boot-up, or at the
login/welcome screen, if you use a password to log in?

 

[Guest]

OK. . . well, it might sound a little drastic <grin> but I think if it
were me, I'd delete the current keyboard from Device Manager, shut down
(with the mouse and then reboot with the problem keyboard, and see
if that makes Windows re-detect it.

It can't actually do any harm to try; if it doesn't work, you'd just
need to reboot again with the working keyboard instead.

By the way, when the Microsoft keyboard was freezing in Windows, did you
have occasion to notice whether it worked during boot-up, or at the
login/welcome screen, if you use a password to log in?

I'll try it tomorrow morning (it's my wife's computer and I get up before
her).

I don't have password set, so I can't say what happens prior to or at the
logon screen.

Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Tue, 16 Aug 2005:

I'll try it tomorrow morning (it's my wife's computer and I get up before
her).

Good luck -- let us know what happens.

 

[Guest]

Northe wrote on Tue, 16 Aug 2005:


Good luck -- let us know what happens.

This morning, I removed the keyboard driver, connected the Microsoft
keyboard and rebooted. XP didn't detect it -- no keyboard folder in the
device manager, and both mouse and keyboard froze as soon as I hit a key.
Shut down using the power switch. Connected the OEM keyboard, turned the
computer on.

After entering as a user, received a message that the system had detected
new hardware and installed a driver, and that I had to restart the computer
for it to take effect. Did So.

The OEM keyboard works, and device driver once again shows Microsoft PS/2
Keyboard (Intellitype Pro). You'd think that the system would have installed
something more generic, wouldn't you?

Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Wed, 17 Aug 2005:

This morning, I removed the keyboard driver, connected the Microsoft
keyboard and rebooted. XP didn't detect it -- no keyboard folder in the
device manager, and both mouse and keyboard froze as soon as I hit a key.
Shut down using the power switch. Connected the OEM keyboard, turned the
computer on.

After entering as a user, received a message that the system had detected
new hardware and installed a driver, and that I had to restart the computer
for it to take effect. Did So.

Oh dear :-( I have to admit I'm baffled. I remember you said the
problem keyboard worked just once, and now I'm wondering if maybe it's
simply faulty. Can you exchange it for another one? It's very strange
that Windows doesn't see it at all; it's not the PS/2 port, as you are
using that with the OEM keyboard, so I wonder if it could be a faulty
cable or something within the MS keyboard causing this.

The OEM keyboard works, and device driver once again shows Microsoft PS/2
Keyboard (Intellitype Pro). You'd think that the system would have installed
something more generic, wouldn't you?

Yes. . . my keyboard is a Microsoft Digital Media Pro, and I *am* using
Intellitype, but Device Manager shows the generic "Standard 101/102 key
or Microsoft Natural Ps/2 keyboard".

 

[Guest]

Oh dear :-( I have to admit I'm baffled. I remember you said the
problem keyboard worked just once, and now I'm wondering if maybe it's
simply faulty. Can you exchange it for another one? It's very strange
that Windows doesn't see it at all; it's not the PS/2 port, as you are
using that with the OEM keyboard, so I wonder if it could be a faulty
cable or something within the MS keyboard causing this.


Yes. . . my keyboard is a Microsoft Digital Media Pro, and I *am* using
Intellitype, but Device Manager shows the generic "Standard 101/102 key
or Microsoft Natural Ps/2 keyboard".

We've got two of the same Natural Multimedia keyboards, and I've tried them
both with the same results.

I sure haven't seen this problem discussed anywhere else, either.

I _do_ appreciate your help, though!

Northe

 

[Nightowl]

Northe wrote on Thu, 18 Aug 2005:

We've got two of the same Natural Multimedia keyboards, and I've tried them
both with the same results.

I sure haven't seen this problem discussed anywhere else, either.

I _do_ appreciate your help, though!

Hey, you're welcome, Northe -- just wish I could come up with an answer.

Just as a very long shot, could you try booting up with the problem
keyboard and *without* your mouse? I vaguely remember reading something
about someone's keyboard not being detected when the mouse was plugged
in.

Other than that I wonder if if could be an IRQ problem causing the
keyboard not to be detected?