No mouse/keyboard

S

Stephen Haun

Hi everyone,

I've gotten a pc back which installed for someone about 9 months ago. it's
supposed to have a network problem. However i cannot login. No matter
which mouse/keyboard i plug into, and which port i plug into i dont have
mouse or keyboard. I've tried ps2 mouse keyboard using a usb-ps2 (the
computer itself doesnt have ps2 ports) adapter, but no luck there
either. This happens in save mode as well. All keyboards and mice work
on bios and in recovery console.

The computer is a dell dimension e520. I've read that power usually is an
issue with this computer, but with only a single usb keyboard in the usb
and no extra devices, i doubt that is my problem.

My questions are

1. is there any way to install a completley generic keyboard driver via
recovery console so that at least can login and install correct drivers.
2. is there any way to log driver setup so i can beter identify which
drivers are loaded, and any more information there.


I'm hoping someone out there has
 
P

Pegasus [MVP]

Stephen Haun said:
Hi everyone,

I've gotten a pc back which installed for someone about 9 months ago. it's
supposed to have a network problem. However i cannot login. No matter
which mouse/keyboard i plug into, and which port i plug into i dont have
mouse or keyboard. I've tried ps2 mouse keyboard using a usb-ps2 (the
computer itself doesnt have ps2 ports) adapter, but no luck there
either. This happens in save mode as well. All keyboards and mice work
on bios and in recovery console.

The computer is a dell dimension e520. I've read that power usually is an
issue with this computer, but with only a single usb keyboard in the usb
and no extra devices, i doubt that is my problem.

My questions are

1. is there any way to install a completley generic keyboard driver via
recovery console so that at least can login and install correct drivers.
2. is there any way to log driver setup so i can beter identify which
drivers are loaded, and any more information there.


I'm hoping someone out there has

Since this must be a recent event, a manual System Restore should fix it:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545. You might, in fact, get away with
just restoring the System hive while in Recovery Console mode.
 
J

Jose

Hi everyone,

I've gotten a pc back which installed for someone about 9 months ago. it's  
supposed to have a network problem.  However i cannot login.  No matter  
which mouse/keyboard i plug into, and which port i plug into i dont have  
mouse or keyboard.  I've tried ps2 mouse keyboard using a usb-ps2 (the  
computer itself doesnt have ps2 ports)  adapter, but no luck there  
either.  This happens in save mode as well.  All keyboards and mice work  
on bios and in recovery console.

The computer is a dell dimension e520.  I've read that power usually isan  
issue with this computer, but with only a single usb keyboard in the usb  
and no extra devices, i doubt that is my problem.

My questions are

1. is there any way to install a completley generic keyboard driver via  
recovery console so that at least can login and install correct drivers.
2. is there any way to log driver setup so i can beter identify which  
drivers are loaded, and any more information there.

I'm hoping someone out there has

Eliminate XP entirely to help determine the problem.

When the system boots, notice the key(s) required to get in the BIOS -
DEL , F10, whatever.

When you get into the BIOS the mouse might not work, but the keyboard
should.

Then, you know you at least have (or don't have) a functional keyboard
interface.

If that does not work, you need to work on it until it does or you
have a hardware problem to figure out.

Jose
 
P

Pegasus [MVP]

Dalo Harkin said:
Are you sure there are no PS2 ports as EVERY single PC I have EVER seen
has them

Look again! PS2 ports are old technology - these days all new PCs (and in
particular all new laptops) have USB ports only.
 
S

Stephen Haun

Thanks for the response.

At first glance the kb article you refer to is for a machine which cannot
boot. This isnt the case for me. The machine boots fine and comes to the
login screen (in regular boot mode, and safe mode). Its only there where
i have the problem that no keyboard or mouse works, so i'm unable to login.

As in my first post, I recieved this computer which was completley working
except network, but i do not have the mouse and keyboard the owner uses
which i imagine could be an issue. He's on vacation and gone for the rest
of this and next week so i cant get my hands on the keyboard... etc they
used. I have a feeling that if this machine didnt have different users
and passwords, and went directly to the desktop, i would see the new
hardware found wizard for my keyboard.

I wont discard the suggestion, but is there any way of being sure this is
actually the problem before going though the steps?
 
T

Tim Meddick

Pegasus,
VERY old computers had no PS2 but had a DIN 'style' socket for
the keyboard (looked like a large ps2 about 12mm in diameter and was also
used for audio input/output on cassette recorders and such at the time) and
the mouse had to use a serial port.

I have not yet seen a computer without a PS2 port but will take your word
for it.


==



Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :)
 
S

Stephen Haun

No problems in bios and recovery console, keyboard works fine there. I
only have a problem when booting windows
 
S

Stephen Haun

This is the first one i've seen myself. Sounds like there are alot of
dells setup like this.

Unfortunatley...
 
P

Pegasus [MVP]

Stephen Haun said:
Thanks for the response.

At first glance the kb article you refer to is for a machine which cannot
boot. This isnt the case for me. The machine boots fine and comes to the
login screen (in regular boot mode, and safe mode). Its only there where
i have the problem that no keyboard or mouse works, so i'm unable to
login.

As in my first post, I recieved this computer which was completley working
except network, but i do not have the mouse and keyboard the owner uses
which i imagine could be an issue. He's on vacation and gone for the rest
of this and next week so i cant get my hands on the keyboard... etc they
used. I have a feeling that if this machine didnt have different users
and passwords, and went directly to the desktop, i would see the new
hardware found wizard for my keyboard.

I wont discard the suggestion, but is there any way of being sure this is
actually the problem before going though the steps?

If you do it properly then my suggestion is fully reversible:
1. You take a backup of the current System registry file.
2. You replace it with a recent System registry file from the System Volume
Information folder.
3. If this does not fix the problem then you restore the System registry
file from the backup you created.

You should, of course, discuss the issue with the owner before going ahead.
 
S

SC Tom

Compaq's and most generic IBM-compatibles came with the larger DIN keyboard
plug and a serial port for the mouse up until about 12 years ago or so. I
used to have a few adapters around to convert from PS2 to DIN so I could use
a newer keyboard, but haven't needed one in quite some time. Radio Shack may
still have them if there's one in the neighborhood.

SC Tom
 
J

Jose

No problems in bios and recovery console, keyboard works fine there.  I 
only have a problem when booting windows

Good. So your hardware works.

Can you boot in Safe Mode? Not the same as recovery console.

Safe Mode.
Safe Mode with no networking.
Safe Mode with networking.
....

You need to sort of "builld up" to fully booting Windows a little at a
time until you get to a point where it does not work anymore. Then,
go back one step and start troubleshooting from that point.

Once you can boot some part as far as you can with some part of XP
(like Safe Mode) take a look in things like Device Manager, Event Log
for errors.

If nothing looks suspicious, boot to the step where it does NOT work.

Reboot to the point where it does work (one below where it does not)
and look in the Event Log to see what happened on the previous boot
that failed.

Jose
 
S

Stephen Haun

Hi all,

I've tried this with no luck.

i have a dell with only usb (no ps2) ports. When i boot the computer i
can use keyboard and mouse in the bios screens, I can also use the
keyboard and mouse when booting from the xp cd. When i boot windows from
the computers main partition (safe mode, all variants) i have no mouse or
keyboard. I cannot log into the computer to do anything and the computer
was sent to me due to a problem with the network card (and i dont have any
network on the computer of course).

I've tried using the registry in the system32\repair as pegasus refered to
earlier.
I've flashed the bios to the newest
I've tried 2 usb keyboards as well as a usb-ps2 adapter with yet another
ps2 keyboard.
I've tried running repair console from the cd and ensuring all hidusb
related services i know were set to autostart.
I've run a checkdisk and repaired all issues with the filesystem.

None of these things have corrected the issue.

My next step is a parallel install of windows.
 
P

Pegasus [MVP]

Stephen Haun said:
Hi all,

I've tried this with no luck.

i have a dell with only usb (no ps2) ports. When i boot the computer i
can use keyboard and mouse in the bios screens, I can also use the
keyboard and mouse when booting from the xp cd. When i boot windows from
the computers main partition (safe mode, all variants) i have no mouse or
keyboard. I cannot log into the computer to do anything and the computer
was sent to me due to a problem with the network card (and i dont have any
network on the computer of course).

I've tried using the registry in the system32\repair as pegasus refered to
earlier.
I've flashed the bios to the newest
I've tried 2 usb keyboards as well as a usb-ps2 adapter with yet another
ps2 keyboard.
I've tried running repair console from the cd and ensuring all hidusb
related services i know were set to autostart.
I've run a checkdisk and repaired all issues with the filesystem.

None of these things have corrected the issue.

My next step is a parallel install of windows.

In my previous reply I recommended that you discuss the issue with the PC's
owner. The general idea was for you to find out if this is a recent problem
and if it is specific to certain keyboards. If it is a recent problem, did
you go back far enough with your manual System Restore effort? You can, of
course, have another go at it from within your parallel installation of
Windows, provided that it resides on a different partition. You would have
to seize ownership of the "System Volume Information" folder so that you can
access the saved registry files.
 
J

Jim

Safe mode : up , down , left , right arrows ; enter key , whatever
keys are shown top/bottom of screen .
 
T

Tim Meddick

Stephen,
before following any of the advice you have previously been
given, it might be worth a look in your BIOS settings for something
resembling "Enable legacy support for USB keyboards" or "USB legacy
support". Otherwise the power to your USB keyboard will most likely be cut
as soon as the BIOS relinquishes control. (This could be the problem if no
indicator lights are visible on the keyboard as soon as XP starts to load).

==


Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :)
 
C

C.Joseph Drayton

Are you sure there are no PS2 ports as EVERY single PC I have EVER seen
has them

Actually, I just worked on a new Dell a couple of weeks ago
and it did not have any PS/2 ports. My PS/2-to-USB didn't
work, so I bought a used USB keyboard for $5us and was able
to get the machine up and running.

I had never had a problem with the PS/2-to-USB converter
before. Now I just keep the USB keyboard (an MPC) and a
Logitech USB wireless mouse in my computer hardware repair case.

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services

Web site: http://csdcs.site90.net/
E-mail: (e-mail address removed)90.net
 
J

Jose

Hi all,

I've tried this with no luck.

i have a dell with only usb (no ps2) ports.  When i boot the computer i 
can use keyboard and mouse in the bios screens, I can also use the  
keyboard and mouse when booting from the xp cd.  When i boot windows from  
the computers main partition (safe mode, all variants) i have no mouse or 
keyboard.  I cannot log into the computer to do anything and the computer  
was sent to me due to a problem with the network card (and i dont have any  
network on the computer of course).

I've tried using the registry in the system32\repair as pegasus refered to  
earlier.
I've flashed the bios to the newest
I've tried 2 usb keyboards as well as a usb-ps2 adapter with yet another  
ps2 keyboard.
I've tried running repair console from the cd and ensuring all hidusb  
related services i know were set to autostart.
I've run a checkdisk and repaired all issues with the filesystem.

None of these things have corrected the issue.

My next step is a parallel install of windows.

Some things I read/some abviuos.

Make sure the devices are in the proper ports.

Power down the unit, replug the devices several times. Restart.

Unplug the devices, reboot. If you BIOS complains about missing KB
and does not just time out and continue, plug the stuff back in long
enough to get past the BIOS test and yank them before XP starts. You
don't want XP start to see them when it boots.

When XP finishes starting (login screen), plug the devices back in.
Try. Reboot completely. Try.

Jose
 

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