weird ps2 keyboard problem.

hmm, I switched on my PC yesterday, it booted up to XP. I tapped a key on my keyboard (MS Natural PS/2) and the PC froze i.e. no keyboard or mouse input (at all) worked although the hardrive still seemed to be doing stuff. I reset. Same. I plugged in another PS2 keyboard, same. I plugged in my USB wireless keyboard, everything works fine.

What the hell!?

Oh the PS2 keyboard works in the BIOS btw. Just not windows.

So is this a PS2 port hardware problem (presume not it it works in BIOS) or some kinda Windows driver screw up? Any ideas? Many many thanks in advance.

> it booted up to XP.

I see the problem.

LOL.

grey, boot into windows using the wireless one, open device manager, uninstall the keyboard, turn off, plug in the old keyboard, restart.

Thats all I can think of for now.

Or maybe it just doesn't want you to do anymore work!

Upgrade to Vista, then you'll never have any problems.

Turn off your PC, problem solved.

Stop using Playstation2 keyboards.

Damn you Enay, I was going to say that next. :/

Ok, what about... Throwing it out the window?


Ok. ok... really, time to stop spamming :)

you lot! OK, I'll try the uninstall and reinstall option thanks.

Cyg: well that didn't work. In device manager I have 2 keyboards:

HID Keyboard device
Logitech HID-Compliant keyboard.

unsinstalled both, logitech stopped working. turned off, pluged in PS2, boot up without PS2 mouse as an experiment. No keys worked on PS2 keyboard, plugged in PS2 mouse (without rebooting) cursor doesn't move. Plugged in wireless stuff via USB and keys and mouse work. So it's not a total freeze, just a PS2 device freeze when a key is pressed on the keyboard. Odd that it stops the PS2 mouse working too.

I can't see any PS2 port in device manager. Should I have one? It used to appear in Win98.

I can't see a PS2 port, perhaps its under hidden devices (under view or options I think)

Well then, I guess it may actually be faulty. The fact the wireless one works might be a fluke.

I had a PS2 port feck on me a while back, I went out and bought a PS2>USB adapter to fix it.

@Grey,

I had a similar problem when I booted up my machine last Tuesday, some odd stuff was going on that interrupted the keyboard and mouse. I restored to a backup I made the previous Thursday and the problem went away. Me thinks it was a software nastie.

Even more odd. Do a restore then Grey :)

hmm, yes I wonder what I installed. I nervous that restores might uninstall something important... I'm not sure it's the hardware otherwise why would BIOS work?

LOL, I just spotted my MS Natural keyboard has a split lead and one end is a USB. I've plugged in in and it's fine! Now to reboot to see if I can get my PS/2 mouse (only for playing Bricks of Atlantis with) back working...

yep PS2 mouse works wehn MS Natural is plugged in via UDB instead of PS2. So I can carry on as normal but there *is* something wrong with this PC now. Of course a new XP install would tell for sure, but no WAY am I doing that!

Do you have Microsoft Intellisense Keyboard Software installed?

I had to remove this as it was causing complete system lockups totally at random. Sometimes it would run for days before it happened, other times, within 10 minutes of switching the PC on.

I'll check thanks ... no I don't. Thing is I really didn't change anything and it's been perfect for months then BAM thanks XP/M$...

Weird Windows Genuine Advantage related bug?

Strange how all of a sudden there's a lot of PC's with weird problems. Even my laptop, which I fired up just recently for the first time in months, is displaying similar issues I found with a friend's PC (keeps trying to install a piece of software that is already installed - installer pops up when doing mundane and totally unrelated Windows tasks).

It's a consipiracy. I'm wiring my house with thermite right now.

Check that the pin holes in the ps socket are still insulated from each other/ are clear of obstruction

Try a different keyboard. If that fails, buy norton ghost and start using it.

BAD idea -- the PS2 mouse port is NOT hot-pluggable. There's a real risk that you blow up the port by unplugging/plugging devices from it while your computer is on.

It's also possible to fry it if you have a cable that's only half in, giving an intermittent contact.

And believe me, it definitely happens. I've seen more than my fair share of systems over the years with shorted out PS2 ports.

Anyway, Windows should show your PS2 keyboard as a 'standard 101/102 key or microsoft natural PS/2 keyboard', and your mouse as something like 'microsoft PS2 mouse' under mice...

Oh! It's also possible that you have your PS2 devices *disabled* in your BIOS, in which case windows can't see them. If your actually in your bios you can still navigate around using them, but after posting the ports can get disabled. Check under peripherals in your BIOS, and make sure that the onboard PS2 controller is set to automatic or enabled, and isn't disabled...

OEJ: I already tried another keyboard, read the posts dude ;-) (or do you mean a 3rd one?)

xlsior: As the port works in BIOS, I assume it's OK i.e. not fried. But I'll see if it's disabled itself or anything weird. I have another idea, boot from floppy to DOS and see if that works, then I'll know if it's OS-related.