xp doesn't recognize keybroad or cdrom, but both are working = virus?

[helpdesk]

hate to ask questions since i'm use to answering not asking but this has me a little stumped. Certainly behaves like a virus, but the virus scanner doesn't find anything.

few specs:
-ps2 keyboards (several tried)
-win xp
-home built pc
-AVG virus scanner updated 9/02/03

Computer's been running fine for several months, but when i restarted the other day XP didn't recognize keyboard input. Doesn't give me a error under XP, it just won't recognize any key presses starting at login. Oddly enough the cdrom drive doesn't want to work in admin either, not even the virtual cdrom drive which uses the hard drive. CDs (and virtual cd) work in guest mode, and both cdrom & keyboard are fine under device manager.

I can boot from a CD and the keyboard works fine in DOS, so I know both the drive and keyboards are working, it's just something in XP. BIOS settings look fine too.

msconfig doesn't want to work either, says XP can't find msconfig.

keyboards don't work in safe mode.

Before someone asks I managed to get into admin by logging in as guest copy-n-paste letters, switch user, then copy-paste into admin password.

Tried reinstalling xp within xp but i have to enter the key and can't do that without a keyboard. Could boot with xp cd & install but I'm worried I'd lose settings, etc.

Searched google for answers but found nothing, any suggestions? I'm going to look around the registry, I still think it's some kind of virus or program behaving like a virus within XP, just seems very odd...

 

[Lostman]

Sounds like you corrupted your OS by doing something. That's the fun of a Windows OS. It can work fine for months, but then out of no-where.

But at the same time, did you d/l or install anything from a P2P network? Do you have broadband internet without a firewall? Who else has access to your system?

Very rarly does an OS just take a crap without someone helping it along. it's just finding what helped it.

 

[helpdesk]

course i have a firewall, and yes I download from a p2p, but everything goes through the virus checker.

Lostman huh? I know a guy named Josh that uses the screen name for other apps.

So let's pretend the OS took a crap, anyway to get this keyboard to work?

 

[Lostman]

If your mouse works, boot to windows, navigate your way to the control panel and click systems. Click the Hardware tab and click the device manager button in the middle of the window.

Go down to where it says Keyboards. Does it show one? It should. right click and uninstall it. reboot and see what happens. If that doesn't work and it's a PS2 keyboard, I see a reformat in your future.


And that other Lostman isn't me. Though I do use this name wherever I go on the net.

 

[iory_yagamy]

reinstall windows again, also take the bios battery out, wait for ten minutes and put it back, now the pv should recognice everythig again.

 

[Apokalipse]

i would have thought it would be a .dll or driver problem but since it doesn't come up with an error i'd say reinstall

 

[helpdesk]

If your mouse works, boot to windows, navigate your way to the control panel and click systems. Click the Hardware tab and click the device manager button in the middle of the window.

Go down to where it says Keyboards. Does it show one? It should. right click and uninstall it. reboot and see what happens. If that doesn't work and it's a PS2 keyboard, I see a reformat in your future.


And that other Lostman isn't me. Though I do use this name wherever I go on the net.

Guess you didn't read the original post: "both cdrom & keyboard are fine under device manager." Sorry I didn't go into more detail, I had a lot to cover and thought that pretty much summed it up.

I know I'm a newbie to this forum but I'm anything but a PC newbie. If it was as simple as a driver issue I wouldn't be asking for help. Sorry if this comes off as rude, but I hate it when people start asking questions without even reading the problem, then insult me with obvious solutions. If you don't want to read the problem than don't post a response.

 

[helpdesk]

Please list the systems specs to include motherboard type/make and bios version. Are these mice/keyboards both PS2/USB. If so does this still occure when you connect it to the USB port?

Unplug any USB device connected and try. I've heard of a simular problem as your describeing when users upgrade from an older OS to Windows XP. Have a look here...http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q324754

generic dell motherboard (it was cheap, if you still need the bios version I'll post it), 1.1ghz Athlon.

Mouse is USB, keyboards are both ps2. Don't have a USB keyboard to try. Did consider that first, but that doesn't explain why the keyboards work fine when using a boot cd and in the BIOS. Also doesn't explain the strange CD behavior. Guess I'll lay down some cash and replace the keyboard, if that doesn't work I'll clean install XP on a new hd.

I found that when doing the google searches but I'm not upgrading to XP and it's ps2, not usb.

 

[helpdesk]

reinstall windows again, also take the bios battery out, wait for ten minutes and put it back, now the pv should recognice everythig again.

Take the battery out? You really think that'll work? Never heard of removing the bios battery to correct hardware issues, would imagine restoring defaults would be enough.

Where did you hear that removing the bios battery would help with a hardware or software problem? Has it ever corrected a problem for you that restoring bios defaults didn't?

 

[Apokalipse]

taking out the battery just resets the clock timer and the BIOS settings, not drivers or corrupt system files.
this just might fix the CD ROM but i doubt the keyboard can be fixed like that