Son of a B_#%$ this ones kicking my butt

[YeOldeStonecat]

Are you leaving the machine on for long enough to detect and install the USB keyboard & mouse?
I've had some XP machines where I've had to just leave it sitting at the login screen for about 15 mins before they came to life.

Nothing else connected to the USB ports?

They are wired USB devices and not wireless?

Yeah we gave it oodles of time....even left it on overnight last night, I just got to my office..been running all night, still no love. 14 hours should be long enough!

Nothing else connected to the USB ports. Using standard Dell and HP keyboards, wired, as well as Dell and HP mice...wired. Tried front and back USB ports. They all work perfectly in the BIOS and in live CDs/bootup utility CDs. But when Windows is about 25% loaded...you'll see the mouse infra red eye shut off...blink briefly one or two more times..and then stay off. Keyboard power light stays on..but she's dead.

Client is dropping off her own kb/mouse this morning. If that doesn't work...someone at my office will try a repair install.

 

[Go-To Gordon]

I ran into something very similar a while back on an old dell with no ps2. Tried 3-4 different USB mice and keyboards. Could get in bios but as soon as windows loaded they wouldn't work. The only solution I came up with was to get the customers keyboard and mouse and it worked the first time. I had to do a repair install for other reasons but don't recall if I then tried other keyboard or mice.

 

[seedubya]

I ran into something very similar a while back on an old dell with no ps2. Tried 3-4 different USB mice and keyboards. Could get in bios but as soon as windows loaded they wouldn't work. The only solution I came up with was to get the customers keyboard and mouse and it worked the first time. I had to do a repair install for other reasons but don't recall if I then tried other keyboard or mice.

Same here on a couple of occasions. Only with Dells though.

 

[Mick]

I've also had this with Dells - but not recent models.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The client ended up dropping off her keyboard 'n mouse, our guy plugged it in..and it instantly worked. He cleaned up the PC...wasn't much on it at all, malware wise. Cloned HDD to a new one, added 1 gig of RAM for a total of 2 gigs, and sent it on its way. The original symptom she brought it in for was program crashes and frequent lockups (like I saw that found.000 directory from May 13th).

Wish I had time to piddle with it once it got working..try those REG tricks someone linked above, and see if swapping to new KB 'n mice would now work.

 

[frederick]

One thing I've ran in to a few times, is that your bench keyboard and mouse are some how "newer" than what the windows USB driver will support. I've had to go in and actually update the USB drivers so my bench stuff would work. Something to keep in mind. My bench keyboards and mice are nothing more than 6+ year old Dell and HP USB 1 keyboards and mice. Got several mice that are also ball, just in case for whatever reason the optical doesn't want to work. And a fewer "newer" microsoft keyboards that we keep around in the event the issue is the keyboard, we will sell them these cheap microsofts, or a fancy wireless logitech.

I've also had users, some how, still don't know how to this day, uninstall the USB drivers in whole, so the keyboard/mouse would work up until the OS loaded. When I first started reading this thread, that's all I had going in the back of my noodle. But I'm glad you got it fixed.

 

[AndyM]

One thing I've ran in to a few times, is that your bench keyboard and mouse are some how "newer" than what the windows USB driver will support. I've had to go in and actually update the USB drivers so my bench stuff would work. Something to keep in mind. My bench keyboards and mice are nothing more than 6+ year old Dell and HP USB 1 keyboards and mice. Got several mice that are also ball, just in case for whatever reason the optical doesn't want to work. And a fewer "newer" microsoft keyboards that we keep around in the event the issue is the keyboard.

That would explain an issue I have sometimes with my KVM. On some systems, the KVM will work up until POST, then just not be recognised. Usually, re-plugging the KVM USB into a different USB port on the PC will force the driver to be loaded, but on about 15% of the systems affected, they just won't play ball.

As you have said, having an old keyboard and mouse does the trick. With myself, I have an old Microsoft Natural keyboard (probably version 1.0 with both USB and PS/2 connectors, and a 2 port USB hub built in), and some older USB and PS/2 mice that I'll plug into the relative ports, and they'll work.

Andy

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Never mind. Late to the party.

 

[johnrobert]

Sometimes when I take a computer home I wish I had taken usb mouse and keyboard also but this has not happened in a long time

Selling Real estate would be easier and you would make lots more money despite being on the top echelon doing servers.