USB Ports not working

[bperkins]

I have a dell computer with no ps2 ports just usb and none if the usb ports work. Windows error and i need to reinstall but with xp cd in i have to hit any key to boot to cd.

Will a media reader with usb port work to use keyboard support or does it have to boot into windows first?

Appreciate any replies or help

 

[Twoboxer]

I'm going to assume that this computer once worked. And now the USB ports do not.

If so, remove *all* USB connectors, including any from your monitor. All of them. Power up the PC and let it try to boot. Then power down and boot up once more. Finally power down and plug in the USB keyboard and mouse. Power up, reboot, and see if you have working USB ports now.

If that fails, clear CMOS by pulling the plug from the wall and removing the CMOS battery from the motherboard. While unplugged press the "power on" key several times. Then wait 10 minutes. These steps ensure all power is drained from the PC and CMOS will lose its memory (clear). Then replace the battery, plug the PC back into the wall and try to boot up. You might have working USB ports now.

Since your PC does not have a PS2 connector, the BIOS *must* be able to handle a USB keyboard without any help from Windows. Most likely your USB ports have "locked up" or BIOS has been corrupted. The two procedures I gave you deal with those two possibilities. If both of those solutions fail, you most likely have a motherboard problem.

 

[bperkins]

I'm going to assume that this computer once worked. And now the USB ports do not.

If so, remove *all* USB connectors, including any from your monitor. All of them. Power up the PC and let it try to boot. Then power down and boot up once more. Finally power down and plug in the USB keyboard and mouse. Power up, reboot, and see if you have working USB ports now.

If that fails, clear CMOS by pulling the plug from the wall and removing the CMOS battery from the motherboard. While unplugged press the "power on" key several times. Then wait 10 minutes. These steps ensure all power is drained from the PC and CMOS will lose its memory (clear). Then replace the battery, plug the PC back into the wall and try to boot up. You might have working USB ports now.

Since your PC does not have a PS2 connector, the BIOS *must* be able to handle a USB keyboard without any help from Windows. Most likely your USB ports have "locked up" or BIOS has been corrupted. The two procedures I gave you deal with those two possibilities. If both of those solutions fail, you most likely have a motherboard problem.

Thanks a million, yes it once worked but now my windows is corrupt and windows will not start or boot and needs to be reinstalled, i have the install disk but i need keyboard support to enable my cd to work will a media reader with usb support allow a keyboard to work as the computer first start up. Thanks again also the hard drive is sata

 

[Twoboxer]

Did you try what I suggested?

 

[bperkins]

Did you try what I suggested?

Yes I did and no luck. I'm going to geta sata to ide adapter and try disk check on another computer as my computers are not sata compliant

Thanks again Bill

 

[Twoboxer]

Your PC does not have PS2 ports. So the BIOS *must* support a USB keyboard.

You say you cleared CMOS and your USB ports as I suggested.

You should be able to get into BIOS, change the boot order of your devices so the Optical drive is first, and boot the XP CD. If your keyboard is not recognized, you either have:

- a bad keyboard (which may be causing your USB prots to short out) or

- a bad motherboard.

 

[bperkins]

I've tried several keyboards and I cant get into bios unless I hit the F1 or Delete key

Have to have keyboard support to fix ant kind of problems

Thanks, Bill

 

[kvernier]

I'm having kind of the same issues. My usb ports at the back of my pc, the ones for wireless mouse and keyboard are working perfectly, it's the 2 at the front of my pc that i use for my camera and ipod that are giving me the problem. I had wiped out everything and then re-installed everything on my pc (my programs and Vista) and before this, I didn't have a problem with the usb's. I was told it was probably my drivers or chipset. I orginally had windows xp, but upgraded to Vista, so when I try to use my motherboard chipset disk to re-install the drivers, i get an error message that says "Does not support this operating system, WNT_6.0H_MCE". I googled the last part and found others with the same problem/error message, but it seemed it was their sound that was effected, whereas my sound is working fine. I called Asus tech customer service in California and the guy told me that Asus doesn't have drivers for my motherboard to support Vista. I upgraded to Vista years ago without any problems with my usb ports, so I don't get it. My mobo is an Asus P5PE-VM series, with a 858G Intel Chipset. I am going to try unplugging all my other usb's and powering down, like suggested above, but if that doesn't work, anyone have any other suggestions??

 

[Twoboxer]

I've tried several keyboards and I cant get into bios unless I hit the F1 or Delete key

Your USB ports DO WORK if you can get into BIOS.

Since they don't work under Windows, the problem is within Windows

Bill, get into BIOS using whichever key, change the boot order so "CD/DVD" is first, then boot up with your XP CD and do a repair or new installation. Your keyboard will work through installation.

 

[Twoboxer]

@ kvernier

Your report of your conversation with Asus is brief . . . were they telling you the mobo doesn't support Vista? Seems like it.

Did you reinstall the same service pack level of Vista as your original install? I'm suggesting maybe your mobo was OK with Vista before SP1 or SP2.

 

[kvernier]

Your USB ports DO WORK if you can get into BIOS.

Since they don't work under Windows, the problem is within Windows

Bill, get into BIOS using whichever key, change the boot order so "CD/DVD" is first, then boot up with your XP CD and do a repair or new installation. Your keyboard will work through installation.

it was my bios and i have no idea of why things got all messed up in there to begin with. i had thought of it after posting my problem and when i checked it, all my settings in my bios were out of whack. any idea of what could have caused that to begin with??

 

[Twoboxer]

A hard crash, a bad CMOS battery, a power surge, a failing psu, a "friend" with a terrible sense of humor.

It's not something you will be able to diagnose . . . except when the next strange thing happens to you, you'll check BIOS lol. Then a pattern may begin to emerge.