Old non-USB keyboard with USB-only PC?

[Hula Baloo]

I have a friend who recently got a new PC with ONLY USB ports (i.e.
legacy free - no PS2, serial, parallel, etc.) who would love to continue
using a really old keyboard. I got the hardware adaptors, and plugged
into several USB ports; however Windows XP fails to recognize the old
keyboard because it wasn't designed for plug and play operation. If I
remove the PS2 to USB adaptor and plug this KB into another PC, it works
fine, but I haven't been able to find a way to make it work with the PS2
to USB adaptor. I tried the "Add New Hardware" applet, reloading
drivers from Device Manager, but haven't found a workable solution. So
if any of you fine knowledgable people know of a way to do this, please
let me know!
I keep telling this friend that she can buy a new USB keyboard for
less than she's spent on the adaptors, but she's in love with the
dinosaur keyboard. If any of you kind experts know how to make a
non-plug and play KB work with USB adaptors (with XP), please let me
know. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Jerry]

Someone should be selling PCI cards with serial and parallel ports on them.
Check Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack, etc

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Someone should be selling PCI cards with serial and parallel ports on them.
Check Best Buy, Circuit City, Radio Shack, etc

Serial and parallel, yes. PS/2, though???

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I have a friend who recently got a new PC with ONLY USB ports (i.e.
legacy free - no PS2, serial, parallel, etc.) who would love to continue
using a really old keyboard. I got the hardware adaptors, and plugged
into several USB ports; however Windows XP fails to recognize the old
keyboard because it wasn't designed for plug and play operation. If I
remove the PS2 to USB adaptor and plug this KB into another PC, it works
fine, but I haven't been able to find a way to make it work with the PS2
to USB adaptor. I tried the "Add New Hardware" applet, reloading
drivers from Device Manager, but haven't found a workable solution. So
if any of you fine knowledgable people know of a way to do this, please
let me know!
I keep telling this friend that she can buy a new USB keyboard for
less than she's spent on the adaptors, but she's in love with the
dinosaur keyboard. If any of you kind experts know how to make a
non-plug and play KB work with USB adaptors (with XP), please let me
know. Thank you very much in advance.

I have a PS/2 type keyboard plugged into one of those gadgets, it
works fine although it's impossible to plug a PS/2 mouse in also,
there isn't enough power available.

The only limit is that the programmer for the keyboard can't see it,
the only reprogramming is via the very awkward ability to do it
through the keyboard itself.

 

[Richard in Va.]

Hello Hula,

If your friend bought her PC from Dell, have her call Dell and ask for the PS2/Serial add
in board.

It will provide her with 2 PS2 ports and one Serial port for maybe $12-18. It will use up
one of her PCI slots but she'll get to keep her mouse and keyboard.

I went through that with Dell when I bought mine.

Don't remember exactly what its called or the part number, but Dell should be able to
help.

Hope this helps!

Richard In Va.
++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[BobS]

You can get a PCI board with PS2 connectors at CompUSA and probably thru
NewEgg also. I'll bet your friend has a Northgate keyboard ($$$) pricey
little devils when they were new and cost just as much now to buy a
refurbished one. I have the Omni Key / Ultra and it's rock solid, great
keyboard and has the Windows key. If that is the keyboard she has - or one
of the old IBM keyboards, I can certainly understand her wanting to keep it.

Northgate's will work with USB. See this site

http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/

If not a Northgate and you can't find a PS-2 on a PCI card (I couldn't) you
could go with an inexpensive KVM switch like this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817801008

Bob S.

 

[paulmd]

I have a friend who recently got a new PC with ONLY USB ports (i.e.
legacy free - no PS2, serial, parallel, etc.) who would love to continue
using a really old keyboard. I got the hardware adaptors, and plugged
into several USB ports; however Windows XP fails to recognize the old
keyboard because it wasn't designed for plug and play operation. If I
remove the PS2 to USB adaptor and plug this KB into another PC, it works
fine, but I haven't been able to find a way to make it work with the PS2
to USB adaptor. I tried the "Add New Hardware" applet, reloading
drivers from Device Manager, but haven't found a workable solution. So
if any of you fine knowledgable people know of a way to do this, please
let me know!
I keep telling this friend that she can buy a new USB keyboard for
less than she's spent on the adaptors, but she's in love with the
dinosaur keyboard. If any of you kind experts know how to make a
non-plug and play KB work with USB adaptors (with XP), please let me
know. Thank you very much in advance.

http://www.usbgear.com/USB_PS2_adapter_cable/USB_ps_2_Adapter.html

 

[Jerry]

I don't believe I mentioned PS2.

Serial and parallel, yes. PS/2, though???

 

[Bob I]

Yes, they make them with PS/2 also.

Serial and parallel, yes. PS/2, though???

 

[Richard In Va.]

Hello Baloo,

Here is the information I have for the Dell PS2/Serial add-in board.

Input/Output,SER/PS2,GX280

This is what's printed on my packing slip/Invoice, I suppose GX280 is the
Dell Part number.

Hope this helps!


Richard In Va.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I don't believe I mentioned PS2.

But what he needs is a PS/2 connector.

 

[Hula Baloo]

Many thanks to those of you who've responded so far. I have a Belkin
"USB Dual PS/2 Adaptor" (FSU119-E), which has two female PS/2 plugs (one
for a PS/2 keyboard, one for a PS/2 mouse), and one male USB plug, which
seems to have some "smarts" in that it identifies itself to Windows as
a USBPS2 HID device, and a PS/2 mouse works fine with it. However PS/2
keyboards DON'T work with it. I've tried several devices on 2 PCs, one
running XP Home, the other XP Media Edition, both at the latest
maintenance level without success with the KBs. I think I've spent far
more time on this problem than it deserves when my friend could go out
and buy a nice keyboard for under $20!
Any other ideas anyone?

 

[David Cheatham]

I have a friend who recently got a new PC with ONLY USB ports (i.e.
legacy free - no PS2, serial, parallel, etc.) who would love to
continue using a really old keyboard. I got the hardware adaptors,
and plugged into several USB ports; however Windows XP fails to
recognize the old keyboard because it wasn't designed for plug and
play operation. If I remove the PS2 to USB adaptor and plug this KB
into another PC, it works fine, but I haven't been able to find a way
to make it work with the PS2 to USB adaptor. I tried the "Add New
Hardware" applet, reloading drivers from Device Manager, but haven't
found a workable solution. So if any of you fine knowledgable people
know of a way to do this, please let me know! I keep telling this
friend that she can buy a new USB keyboard for less than she's spent
on the adaptors, but she's in love with the dinosaur keyboard. If
any of you kind experts know how to make a non-plug and play KB work
with USB adaptors (with XP), please let me know. Thank you very much
in advance.

How big is this 'adaptor'?

If it's about the size of a five quarters on top of each other, and
came with a keyboard or mouse, and is probably green, it's not a
'adapter'...it's a *physical* plug convertor. This converts a USB plug
to a ps2 plug, which works fine on any keyboard (or mouse) that
expected that sort of thing.

If you have a keyboard that *doesn't* expect that, and doesn't know
what USB is, you need an *actual* ps2->USB converter, with circuitry in
it. These will honestly and truly convert *any* device that plugs into
a ps2 socket to work via USB. (At least, any keyboard or mouse device,
but I don't think anything else ever plugged into those.)


Think of it like electrical plugs. Computer power supplies have a
switch in the back for 110/220, so all you need to operate one, no
matter where you are, is a cable that will physically fit in the socket.

However, your TV probably doesn't talk the other voltage, so you need
an actual voltage adjuster. Even if you could physically plug your TV
into the socket, it wouldn't work. (And possibly explode, so don't test
that.)


Likewise, newer keyboards can do USB or ps2. Some have ps2 plugs that
can be altered to USB, some have USB plugs that can be altered to ps2,
so they physically fit in the socket, and then they talk whatever they
detect. Older keyboards can just do ps2, and must have electronics
inbetween them and any USB socket, because they can't talk USB at all.


I got a dual-plug adapter for both keyboard and mouse for 7 bucks a
tigerdirect.

 

[David Cheatham]

Many thanks to those of you who've responded so far. I have a Belkin
"USB Dual PS/2 Adaptor" (FSU119-E), which has two female PS/2 plugs
(one for a PS/2 keyboard, one for a PS/2 mouse), and one male USB
plug, which seems to have some "smarts" in that it identifies
itself to Windows as a USBPS2 HID device, and a PS/2 mouse works fine
with it. However PS/2 keyboards DON'T work with it. I've tried
several devices on 2 PCs, one running XP Home, the other XP Media
Edition, both at the latest maintenance level without success with
the KBs. I think I've spent far more time on this problem than it
deserves when my friend could go out and buy a nice keyboard for
under $20! Any other ideas anyone?

Oh, well ignore my other post.

If ps2 keyboards, in general, do not work with it, it's broken, period.
Don't even bother with it.


And unless you have a keyboard you really like, just buy a new
keyboard. I only use my adapter because I have a KVM that doesn't do
USB.

 

[Hula Baloo]

David et al,
EUREKA!!! I found it, I FOUND it! Remember all the "fun" we used to
have with TSRs with DOS? Well nowadays it's DRIVERS. All of my
installed Windows systems but one have KBs with special drivers for
extra keys for things like controlling sound, bringing up browsers,
scrolling, etc. Well the DRIVER for those KBs was my problem. It
finally dawned on me, so I booted up my virgin XP system and VOILA, no
more PS/2 keyboard problem. Ain't technology wunnerful! Now I'll
have to find out whether my friend has a special KB driver - I think she
does because it's a Dell system and KB.
Many thanks to all the folks who've contributed to helping. I feel a
whole lot better now - this was just bugging the @#$% out of me.
Funny how something like this can just stick in your gut and not leave
you alone 'till you solve it. I think I'll go drink a beer and
celebrate.

 

[Richard In Va.]

Hello Hula,

Would that be Old Milwaukee or Samuel Adams?
If the later, drink one for me.... I don't drink much anymore myself...!

Glad you got it fixed.

Richard In Va.
+++++++++++++++++