Mechanical keyboard won't work?

ArgentDawns · Feb 25, 2017

I recently found in my attic an old Dell PC from 1999 attached with it was a Dell at101w mechanical keyboard with switches I fell in love with playing around with the old PC. The keyboard works perfect with its ps2 connector on the old PC but when plugged into my h81 Mobo on my modern PC it will only illuminate the num key on startup but won't type anything or toggle caps lock or anything like that. Do you thing the ps2 slot on my modern Mobo is broke? Or would this be a driver problem. If it is a driver problem where in the world would I find the drivers for this old board..

Colif · Feb 25, 2017

So 1999, would that be windows 98? so there might be XP drivers but they won't work on anything newer than win 7 if you lucky.

The Dell AT101 series was introduced as an Alps Bigfoot keyboard, with Alps SKCM Salmon switches and thick dye-sublimated keycaps with dark blue legends.
Around 1992, production transferred to Silitek. With this came thin keycaps and a move to Alps SKCM Black switches. The keycap printing method is not confirmed. Evidence indicates that salmon Alps was still made and sold at this point in time, so the change of switch is not understood. Alps Bigfoot keyboards were also still being made; it remains a mystery how and why production of an extant Alps design was moved to Silitek, and whether this was done with or without Alps's participation and agreement.
Silitek also introduced a rubber dome version of the keyboard.
The Windows key versions introduced laser-etched legends. These were produced until at least 2001.

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Dell_AT101

what version of windows are you running?

I don't think its your motherboard, more likely drivers and finding drivers for a circa 1999 Dell keyboard that work on a modern windows will be fun

there is a setting in bios for PS/2 support but it should be enabled by default (Page 2-36 of your motherboard manual)

ArgentDawns · Feb 25, 2017

Colif :

So 1999, would that be windows 98? so there might be XP drivers but they won't work on anything newer than win 7 if you lucky.

The Dell AT101 series was introduced as an Alps Bigfoot keyboard, with Alps SKCM Salmon switches and thick dye-sublimated keycaps with dark blue legends.
Around 1992, production transferred to Silitek. With this came thin keycaps and a move to Alps SKCM Black switches. The keycap printing method is not confirmed. Evidence indicates that salmon Alps was still made and sold at this point in time, so the change of switch is not understood. Alps Bigfoot keyboards were also still being made; it remains a mystery how and why production of an extant Alps design was moved to Silitek, and whether this was done with or without Alps's participation and agreement.
Silitek also introduced a rubber dome version of the keyboard.
The Windows key versions introduced laser-etched legends. These were produced until at least 2001.

https://deskthority.net/wiki/Dell_AT101

what version of windows are you running?

I don't think its your motherboard, more likely drivers and finding drivers for a circa 1999 Dell keyboard that work on a modern windows will be fun

there is a setting in bios for PS/2 support but it should be enabled by default (Page 2-36 of your motherboard manual)

I am running windows 10. and i made sure it was enabled in my bios.

Colif · Feb 26, 2017

I think if anyone is going to know if there is a win 10 driver for this keyboard is could be: https://geekhack.org/index.php?board=31.0

possibly look through this thread as its for your kb type: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45456.3650

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Mechanical keyboard won't work?

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