XP Issues - system doesn't see keyboard

[jcage]

Something in my registry is keeping my system from seeing my keyboard
upon bootup of my XPproSP2 machine. Might be a virus or spyware but
at any rate, it boots fine and allows the mouse to work okay but the
keyboard isn't acknowledged. When I booted into safemode, the
keyboard appeared to be working all the way until it was time to enter
a password to get into Admin (when I started to type the admin
password, the num lock LED went out and for all intents and purposes,
the keyboard was dead). Aside from the keyboard not working, the
system seems to be okay. Also, I have a couple of registries backed up
on the machine if I can get into Admin and if there's a way to toggle
back and forth between the two registries.

When I boot into a guest profile and get into device manager, the CD
and keyboard have that yellow mark as though there's an issue with
that particular driver. I've tried my normal PS2 keyboard and also a
USB keyboard - both seem to have the same effect. Anyone know of any
tricks on something like this? TIA

 

[BrianAlex]

Something in my registry is keeping my system from seeing my keyboard
upon bootup of my XPproSP2 machine.  Might be a virus or spyware but
at any rate, it boots fine and allows the mouse to work okay but the
keyboard isn't acknowledged.  When I booted into safemode, the
keyboard appeared to be working all the way until it was time to enter
a password to get into Admin (when I started to type the admin
password, the num lock LED went out and for all intents and purposes,
the keyboard was dead).  Aside from the keyboard not working, the
system seems to be okay. Also, I have a couple of registries backed up
on the machine if I can get into Admin and if there's a way to toggle
back and forth between the two registries.

When I boot into a guest profile and get into device manager, the CD
and keyboard have that yellow mark as though there's an issue with
that particular driver.  I've tried my normal PS2 keyboard and also a
USB keyboard - both seem to have the same effect.  Anyone know of any
tricks on something like this?  TIA

System Restore?

 

[Paul]

Something in my registry is keeping my system from seeing my keyboard
upon bootup of my XPproSP2 machine. Might be a virus or spyware but
at any rate, it boots fine and allows the mouse to work okay but the
keyboard isn't acknowledged. When I booted into safemode, the
keyboard appeared to be working all the way until it was time to enter
a password to get into Admin (when I started to type the admin
password, the num lock LED went out and for all intents and purposes,
the keyboard was dead). Aside from the keyboard not working, the
system seems to be okay. Also, I have a couple of registries backed up
on the machine if I can get into Admin and if there's a way to toggle
back and forth between the two registries.

When I boot into a guest profile and get into device manager, the CD
and keyboard have that yellow mark as though there's an issue with
that particular driver. I've tried my normal PS2 keyboard and also a
USB keyboard - both seem to have the same effect. Anyone know of any
tricks on something like this? TIA

Maybe when you were working on a CD/DVD problem, you went into
the registry and removed *all* the Upperfilter/Lowerfilter
entries ? If you remove one of those associated with the keyboard,
that might give your symptoms.

A System Restore point may have a copy of the registry, from a few
days ago. The trick is, to be able to use System Restore.

For example, from the Recovery Console, it is possible to copy
a relatively "empty" set of registry files, into the normal
place for them. Then, once you're able to boot the computer
again and have functionality, then use a System Restore point to
restore a relatively full version of the registry (one with
stuff that was installed by your program installations and so on).
System Restore stores copies of the registry, so using a
Restore point before the incident that removed the entry, would
correct things.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

If you don't have System Restore turned on, then fixing it will be
more fun. (It would require knowledge of exactly what was removed.)

If it was malware, then System Restore is likely not going to be
available to fix it (one way or another).

Paul

 

[jcage]

 System Restore?

Would that dump my hard drive contents?

 

[C]

Would that dump my hard drive contents?

No. You should always, however, have a back up on external media (such
as an external hard drive) of all your important data because shit happens.

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

System Restore is NOT the same as a Recovery/Installation CD.

Note System restore does not always /work/
System Restore will disable some programs that were installed after
the "Restore Point", (which may be a good thing if it was that
program that caused issues).

Do you have more than one account with administrator levels? If so, does
the same thing happen with all of them or just the account you normally
login into?

Other than that it sounds about time for a system repair install from the
origional CD's.

Since I have not had to do one for a couple of years I don't remember for
sure if it wipes out anything more than the old windows files and drivers.
Then it's back to the old update's from hell routine until it's caught back
up to the present date.

 

[jcage]

Do you have more than one account with administrator levels?  If so, does
the same thing happen with all of them or just the account you normally
login into?

Other than that it sounds about time for a system repair install from the
origional CD's.

Since I have not had to do one for a couple of years I don't remember for
sure if it wipes out anything more than the old windows files and drivers..
Then it's back to the old update's from hell routine until it's caught back
up to the present date.

I do have more than one account but the same result - once it boots to
windows OR safemode, the keyboard loses all functionality. If I click
to login to a 'guest' account for example, I can get in and everything
appears fine but again, the keyboard (USB or PS2) isn't functional.
As I login and look at device manager, it appears that the drivers for
either my CD or keyboard have an issue. I tried to login and click to
run my Spyware Doctor but it indicated I didn't have admin rights to
do so which again, takes me back to not being able to use the
keyboard. I have two XPpro registries for this machine onboard - if
there was a way to get to the other one and swap, that would be
great. I'm *guessing* that some sort of malware is there creating
this mess but I really hate to do a format and start over.

 

[C]

I'm *guessing* that some sort of malware is there creating
this mess but I really hate to do a format and start over.

Starting over would probably take less time than chasing malware and not
knowing if you get it all.

 

[BrianAlex]

I do have more than one account but the same result - once it boots to
windows OR safemode, the keyboard loses all functionality.  If I click
to login to a 'guest' account for example, I can get in and everything
appears fine but again, the keyboard (USB or PS2) isn't functional.
As I login and look at device manager, it appears that the drivers for
either my CD or keyboard have an issue.  I tried to login and click to
run my Spyware Doctor but it indicated I didn't have admin rights to
do so which again, takes me back to not being able to use the
keyboard.  I have two XPpro registries for this machine onboard - if
there was a way to get to the other one and swap, that would be
great.  I'm *guessing* that some sort of malware is there creating
this mess but I really hate to do a format and start over.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Start/All Programs/Accessories/tools/System Restore . No
keyboard necessary. It has worked for me every time something like
this comes up.

 

[jcage]

Here's the deal and thanks for the ideas guys... I think I'm pretty
well stuck. I somehow need to be able to clear the password for admin
or power user through a guest login. Once I get to the login screen,
my keyboard fails to work and my CD isn't available. Both appear to
have issues as viewed in Device Manager. I can access the Internet
through my browser but cannot open email. so I need some hacker bag
of sneaky tricks to either switch to my other registry that I have on
my hard drive OR eliminate the passwords to my admin login where I can
boot into admin and at least run something like my Spyware Doctor. As
it is, through guest login, I don't seem to have the rights to do
much. I'm looking at this site - anyone have any experience with the
software? TIA

http://windowspasswordforgot.com/

 

[Auric__]

Here's the deal and thanks for the ideas guys... I think I'm pretty
well stuck. I somehow need to be able to clear the password for admin
or power user through a guest login. Once I get to the login screen,
my keyboard fails to work and my CD isn't available. Both appear to
have issues as viewed in Device Manager. I can access the Internet
through my browser but cannot open email. so I need some hacker bag
of sneaky tricks to either switch to my other registry that I have on
my hard drive OR eliminate the passwords to my admin login where I can
boot into admin and at least run something like my Spyware Doctor. As
it is, through guest login, I don't seem to have the rights to do
much. I'm looking at this site - anyone have any experience with the
software? TIA

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor:
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/

Free. Works.

 

[Jose]

Here's the deal and thanks for the ideas guys... I think I'm pretty
well stuck.  I somehow need to be able to clear the password for admin
or power user through a guest login.  Once I get to the login screen,
my keyboard fails to work and my CD isn't available.  Both appear to
have issues as viewed in Device Manager.  I can access the Internet
through my browser but cannot open email.  so I need some hacker bag
of sneaky tricks to either switch to my other registry that I have on
my hard drive OR eliminate the passwords to my admin login where I can
boot into admin and at least run something like my Spyware Doctor.  As
it is, through guest login, I don't seem to have the rights to do
much.  I'm looking at this site - anyone have any experience with the
software?  TIA

http://windowspasswordforgot.com/

....switch to your other registry?

How do you create this other registry? Did you use some third party
tool like ERUNT, make your own copy (what did you copy)?

Are you able to boot into the XP Recovery Console? Depending on your
method to create your other registry, you could copy what you think to
be a working registry in just a few minutes from RC - but we have to
know how you created the backup.

You can create a bootable XP Recovery Console CD when no XP media is
available:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic276527.html

Did you assign a password to your Administrator account? The question
is not - did you forget the password, the question is did you assign a
password. There are good ways to clear the XP Administrator password
without using Windows but it is unethical to help someone breach
security. Some Googling is helpful if you just need to clear the XP
Administrator password.

What would you do if you could clear the Administrator password?

How are you able to login as Guest? That is disabled usually. How is
it that yours is not?

So far there is nothing you describe that is unachievable.

 

[chrisv]

...switch to your other registry?

How do you create this other registry? Did you use some third party
tool like ERUNT, make your own copy (what did you copy)?

Are you able to boot into the XP Recovery Console? Depending on your
method to create your other registry, you could copy what you think to
be a working registry in just a few minutes from RC - but we have to
know how you created the backup.

You can create a bootable XP Recovery Console CD when no XP media is
available:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic276527.html

Did you assign a password to your Administrator account? The question
is not - did you forget the password, the question is did you assign a
password. There are good ways to clear the XP Administrator password
without using Windows but it is unethical to help someone breach
security. Some Googling is helpful if you just need to clear the XP
Administrator password.

What would you do if you could clear the Administrator password?

How are you able to login as Guest? That is disabled usually. How is
it that yours is not?

So far there is nothing you describe that is unachievable.

Idiot.

 

[relic]

Such a helpful comment!

How? I don't see it.

 

[Peter]

Something in my registry is keeping my system from seeing my keyboard
upon bootup of my XPproSP2 machine. Might be a virus or spyware but
at any rate, it boots fine and allows the mouse to work okay but the
keyboard isn't acknowledged. When I booted into safemode, the
keyboard appeared to be working all the way until it was time to enter
a password to get into Admin (when I started to type the admin
password, the num lock LED went out and for all intents and purposes,
the keyboard was dead). Aside from the keyboard not working, the
system seems to be okay. Also, I have a couple of registries backed up
on the machine if I can get into Admin and if there's a way to toggle
back and forth between the two registries.

When I boot into a guest profile and get into device manager, the CD
and keyboard have that yellow mark as though there's an issue with
that particular driver. I've tried my normal PS2 keyboard and also a
USB keyboard - both seem to have the same effect. Anyone know of any
tricks on something like this? TIA

Have you got a 2nd computer that can network with it. Maybe you could
use some kind of remote desktop software, such as netmeeting on xp.
It's not that difficult to set up and requires very little character
input. A few simple copy/paste clicks should be enough.