Keyboard and mouse don't work in XP setup / repair install

[gwolfman]

Hi. I'm currently working on a friends computer and he had some serious issues with XP Home and he couldn't boot to the OS. I tried everything I could to save it, but nothing was working. So I popped in the Recovery Disc from Dell, and started a Repair Install. Everything worked ok. After it copied its files and stuff, it did it's reboot. After it reboots, it does it's chkdsk / autochk and passes fine. I get back into the XP setup to finish, and it starts going ok, but when I get a pop-up asking for me to type in stuff, my keyboard and mouse don't work. I've tried varous mice/keyboards both PS/2 and USB, but nothing works. The computer isn't frozen, since I can see the XP "features" pages changing in the background. The numlock key and capslock keys on the keyboard are non-responsive. Currently I have another HDD in the computer (I'm typing from it now) with a fresh install of XP Home, but still want to try and save the existing install of XP with all the programs installed, etc. Any idea what I can do to fix the keyboard/mouse not working?

-GWolfman

 

[badge]

You will have reinstall the OS from the system disk. Very likely one of the programs, specifically a utility, is corrupted causing the keyboard and mouse to malfunction. You could load the XP disk you have working on the other HD, then go to the system website and download the utilities and see if they install and work properly from there. HTH.

 

[gwolfman]

You will have reinstall the OS from the system disk. Very likely one of the programs, specifically a utility, is corrupted causing the keyboard and mouse to malfunction. You could load the XP disk you have working on the other HD, then go to the system website and download the utilities and see if they install and work properly from there. HTH.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. 1st, why would I need utilities when it's a regular PS/2 mouse & keyboard? 2nd, how would I install it when it's stuck in the XP install/setup routine. I can't get past it since I can't type and it doesn't actually boot into an XP desktop.

I also tried pulling it out and connecting it to another computer of mine, but I get a BSOD stop error 0x7B so no luck there either.

 

[badge]

You have software either corrupted or incompatible with your system causing the problem. The only way to fix it is to go to system's web page and download the systenm drivers and all utilieies and installing/reinstalling them which you can't because your system has ccorrupted files that disable your mouse and keyboard. A reinstall from the system disk is the obvious solution. The repair you did is corrupted. Software corrupted. That's why you mouse and keyboard don't work.