Re: Keyboard issue?

William wrote:
"S.Lewis" <stew1960@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:LkqBf.11923$SC1.3531@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"William" <alone@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:RDpBf.6228$vp6.1823@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"S.Lewis" <stew1960@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:tspBf.2514$3m4.1606@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"William" <alone@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:%1pBf.11915$SC1.1061@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
8400 system with Win XP SP2 HE 1+ year old IGB RAM and ATI X700 pro pci express video card

Been having a strange occurrence recently with key board becoming inactive, and not sure if its hardware or software related. Keyboard is the original dell ps/2.

The keyboard would suddenly not accept typing. The num light and other lights work so it has juice. Typing just stops, dead!

I have to reboot to get it going, but recently I notice in the reboot a message flashes very fast then the reboot stops. I have to power off and on a couple times to get to the Windows startup. I wish I could see what the message says in full. I know it starts with the BIOS version but maybe something else after that. I am scared this thing will not boot one day.

So if anyone can offer a tip where to start diagnosing this problem I would appreciate it...

Thanks
Bill




Knee-jerk says that the message (if just after the Dell splash) is probably a keyboard error. Is the keyboard USB or PS2, and if USB, is it wireless?

Stew

PS2...Yes its after the Dell splash and I suspect its a keyboard error , but would love to be able to read it...back in my old DOS days I could write a pause switch in a batch file...not sure if this can be done here.

I checked the device manager and no problems reported
Bill

It's almost certainly a keyboard error, and there's never a time (except brief periods between POST and the boot/loading of Windows) that the keyboard LEDs should have no activity.

Start by replacing or swapping the keyboard. Get another PS2 keyboard locally........ (which should be dirt cheap....)

I assume you've verified the green PS2 plug is secure and fully seated in the port as well....


Stew


I went into the BIOS and saw in the POST boot section several errors going back as far as Nov 21 2004 (bought PC July04) that say POST ERROR..KEYBOARD ERROR...including the two that happened today...so it seems to be getting more frequent. It does not offer anymore explanation as to the type of error. I did not see any setting to pause on errors but I saw a "quick boot/slow boot dont skip option" I am set to quick boot. Would it help to change this?

Thanks

Bill 


Don't change a thing, wait until you try another keyboard.
.

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