USB Keyboard boot-up error

[rrdavis07]

I am in the middle of swapping out a HDD with pending failure with a new one. I have the new drive installed, but cannot get past the boot screen, indicating that there is a keyboard failure. The keyboard is new and works elsewhere. It is USB. I'm assuming that it does not recognize the keyboard because the USB driver's haven't kicked in yet. How to I get past this?? There is no PS/2 port on this machine.


Randy Davis, MCP
IT Director
Lubbers Auto Group

 

[electronicsfreak]

Go into the bios, enable usb keyboard support or usb support.

 

[rrdavis07]

I cannot get into the bios because the keyboard will not work on this computer. It is so frustrating!!


Randy Davis, MCP
IT Director
Lubbers Auto Group

 

[electronicsfreak]

Hm surprising you say theres no ps/2 on it. There should be some type of other way. Only thing I can say is try resetting the bios.

 

[garebo]

If you have a serial port you can use a serial mouse. I keep a serial mouse around for these times.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[rrdavis07]

Thanks for everyone's help. I didn't think about the serial mouse trick. Very good idea!!

However, I think I've determined that the USB Bus coincidently took a nose dive. I have two USB Buses on this machine. When I finally got around to hooking up to the other one--it booted just fine. The problem is that there is only one port on the working bus. You know, I never saw the need for --and therefore don't have--a USB Hub. Until now. Imagine!


Randy Davis, MCP
IT Director
Lubbers Auto Group

 

[garebo]

I use the serial mouse when there is a problem booting older machines, or where the mouse port may be the larger, older connector and i just cant find one at the moment, serial mouse always does the job and works on any pc or laptop that has a serial port and works right away so you can use it in bios.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[Psyke]

Just out of curiousity, how would you be able to boot to the bios from a serial mouse?

If the keyboard is not functional at all, how would the mouse help in this situation?

Probably something im just overlooking.. But if you could clarify.

Thanks.

 

[garebo]

Funny, i read mouse instead of keyboard!
Getting old here, lol.
On the other hand, when you cant get a usb, ps2 or other mouse to work or boot then its handly to have a serial mouse around. So its a good tool to have as it loads right away and for some reason serial mouse loads every time without fail, so i use it a lot when having problems with standard mouse and keyboard as the serial mouse can sometimes get me into the bios where others wont.

But of course serial mice dont replace keyboards, my reading error.


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[Psyke]

Ok. True enough a serial mouse is a handy tool.. I have one that is 15 years old.. Yet still functions without a problem.

That being said, i still dont know of any way that you can access the BIOS without a keyboard strike...be it F10, F1, ESC

Garebo, your post still seems to suggest that you can access the BIOS directly from a serial mouse.

Is this possible? (If so how?)

Thanks.

 

[KevinADC]

it isn't possible as far as I know. A serial mouse driver has to be loaded before it can work. There is no way to load a mouse driver until after the POST. But I would be very interested to hear if there is a way I am not aware of.

What you may have to do is put the motherboard in another computer (or a bench testing setup if you have one) that will allow the keyboard to function (PS/2 keyboard) and go into the BIOS and enable the USB keyboard support in the BIOS. Put the motherboard back in the other system and see if it works.

 

[electronicsfreak]

If im reading him correctly hes not suggesting you can access the bios using a mouse, hes merely stating that is usb and ps/2 arent working then its always handing to have a serial mouse available.

 

[garebo]

Sorry to cause all the confusion. All i meant was that sometimes, for one reason or another, a usb mouse or ps2 mouse wont work and a serial one will.

And i dont know any special tricks or anything like that.
Still, it seems to me that i have used a mouse instead of a keyboard to get around in the bios, but i could be wrong. Its been a while since i messed around with an old P2 machine and this is where i believe I may have got the mouse to work in bios. But, honestly, i just cant remember.
Im an older bugger whose memory is not that great, so be kind, lol. Still, i know there is something else i did want to point out. I will have to wait and try my serial mouse on an old P2\3 setup before i can answer these questions.
Still, a serial mouse is good to have around when you cant get a ps2 our usb mouse going for some reason. Somehow support seems to be built in at the dos level, not sure on that. But i do know that where i couldnt get a ps2 mouse to work i have got a serial mouse to work, until i made changes in the bios or the os so that the ps2 mouse would work. Again, though, its been a while, thats win98 stuff.
However, i imagine the serial mouse will activate early on in a win xp install as well. Just a guess, though.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[KevinADC]

you have to load a serial mouse driver for a mouse to work, even in DOS. If one is loaded from the autoexec.bat file at start up then all is fine, but if not, not even a serial mouse will work in DOS. Keyboards are supported on the motherboard, obviously. Maybe there were some older PC's that had a mouse chip on the mother board too? Not that I remember though.

But the point about having an old mouse and even an old keyboard around is good advice.

 

[garebo]

Again, i dont remember, all i do remember is that its a good idea to have a serial mouse around! And you can pick them up for next to nothing if not free.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips