Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Other Components > Can't get an XP machine to recognize USB mouse or keyboard.

Can't get an XP machine to recognize USB mouse or keyboard.

Forum CPU & Components : Other Components - Can't get an XP machine to recognize USB mouse or keyboard.

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Wasn't sure where to put this topic but here goes.

I was given some neighbor's machine to try and fix. At first it would attempt to boot into XP and get a bluescreen, always, even with safe mode. So I boot up the OS disk and try a few things then come across the command 'fixboot' which did indeed fix the boot sector on the C drive and told me that it had been corrupted beforehand. Now that that's solved everything boots up fine, except for one little thing. XP won't recognize my wired mouse, my wireless mouse or my wired keyboard. At first I thought it was one of those nit-picky things Windows does where it has to be a certain USB port in order to work but I've tried my wired mouse in EVERY USB port on this thing and none of them give me a response of any kind. The mouse doesn't even look like it's getting power. Granted I haven't tried every port with the other two peripherals, but I think this speaks for itself. What makes absolutely no sense about any of this is that the keyboard works just fine when I'm working around in the BIOS and every peripheral works 100% on my normal machine without anything fancy.

I don't know all the specs but I do know this machine is running Windows XP SP2 (at least), it's a Dell XPS 210 model, runs a Core 2 Duo at 1.86 GHz and that's about it. Oh and there's no PS/2 ports so I can't try that.

Any ideas?

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Go into the Bios, and set up USB keyboard/mouse support.

i take it you can access the Bios with the USB Keyboard as you have run fixboot from command line with that keyboard.

------------------------------ CM Scout Case|Asus P5Q|Intel 7200 @ 3.8ghz|Artic Freezer 7|4Gb Tracer 1066mhz 5,5,5,12|HD 4870 @ 850/4400mhz|750w Corsair TX|1Tb Samsung F1|1Tb Hitachi 7500k|500Gb Seagate|250Gb Samsung|80Gb WD in Icy Box|2x22" 1650x1080|G9 mouse|G15 KB Win7|Vista|XP|Mint
Reply to moricon

moricon wrote :

Go into the Bios, and set up USB keyboard/mouse support.

 

i take it you can access the Bios with the USB Keyboard as you have run fixboot from command line with that keyboard.

 

I can access the BIOS just fine, yes, but I don't remember seeing any options to disable/enable USB keyboards and/or mouse. I will look again though.

 

Edit - Yeah there are no such options. I would assume that since USB is the only way of using keyboard or mouse (there's no PS/2 ports) that the USB support is always on. This has to be a Windows thing. Just can't figure out what it is or how to fix it.


Message edited by mathiasschnell on 06-25-2009 at 10:09:04 PM
Reply to mathiasschnell

Damn dell Bios, yes must be windows thing, have you tried booting into safe mode to check if Kb MSe works in ther, could be drivers ?

------------------------------ CM Scout Case|Asus P5Q|Intel 7200 @ 3.8ghz|Artic Freezer 7|4Gb Tracer 1066mhz 5,5,5,12|HD 4870 @ 850/4400mhz|750w Corsair TX|1Tb Samsung F1|1Tb Hitachi 7500k|500Gb Seagate|250Gb Samsung|80Gb WD in Icy Box|2x22" 1650x1080|G9 mouse|G15 KB Win7|Vista|XP|Mint
Reply to moricon

Guys, I do have the exact same problem (although my PC model is a bit older than XPS 210 model - Core 2 Duo) and I really don't want to format my PC even if I have a full back up of my content.

Please please please... is there a kind soul who knows how to fix this.

Reply to Anonymous

I'm having the same problem on my friend's pc.

The USB keyboard works fine in the bios but does not work inside of windows. All we can do is press the power key to reboot. I'm not really sure how to fix this as we have no other way of reloading the drivers without a mouse and keyboard in windows.

Reply to drainplug

I'm having the same problem. It's with a Dell Optiplex. Can't hit cntrl-alt-delete to login to Windows XP, but keyboard and Mouse work find in bios. Have tried Dell configuration CD that tests the hardware, and no problems found. I tried installing a PCI card with USB 2 that someone suggested on another board as maybe tricking Windows into loading drivers, but it didn't work. Now I am trying to find an old PS/2/ PCI card to plugin, and see if I can get into windows that way and fix the drivers. Also tried unplugging power and hitting power button to discharge whatever residue. Someone suggested to me to unplug power for 10 minutes and then plug back in. Haven't tried that yet.

Any one solve this issue? I've been searching the net for an answer.

Reply to Anonymous
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Other Components > Can't get an XP machine to recognize USB mouse or keyboard.
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