BIOS Ignores Keyboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gary Brown
  • Start date Start date
G

Gary Brown

Hi,

I am resurrecting an old PC to donate to a school. The BIOS ignores
the keyboard. The keyboard tests OK. I can get to the BIOS but that
it.

Any help appreciated. The school is desparate for PCs.

Thanks,
Gary
 
Gary Brown said:
Hi,

I am resurrecting an old PC to donate to a school. The BIOS ignores
the keyboard. The keyboard tests OK. I can get to the BIOS but that
it.

Any help appreciated. The school is desparate for PCs.

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...
What kind of keyboard connection are you trying to use, USB or older style?

On my old PIII system if I want to plug in a USB style keyboard I have to
activate that option in the BIOS or it defaults to a PS2 style connector on
the motherboard at boot up.

I have found that when re-activating an old machines that have been stored
with the power unplugged that a reset of the BIOS by using the motherboard
jumper or by removing the motherboard battery can fix a multitude of
problems.

A motherboard battery that is weak or dead can cause random problems which a
bios reset will not clear. It takes a new battery and then a bios clearing
session before those boards start working again.*
 
Gary Brown said:
Hi,

I am resurrecting an old PC to donate to a school. The BIOS ignores
the keyboard. The keyboard tests OK. I can get to the BIOS but
that
it.

Any help appreciated. The school is desparate for PCs.

Thanks,
Gary
Click to expand...


Did you plug it into the PS/2 or USB port?
 
I am resurrecting an old PC to donate to a school. The BIOS ignores
What kind of keyboard connection are you trying to use, USB or older
style?
Click to expand...

It is PS/2.

Sorry, I neglected that.

Gary
 
Gary Brown said:
It is PS/2.

Sorry, I neglected that.

Gary
Click to expand...


Is it also an old keyboard? If it doesn't have separate arrow and
number pads) then maybe you need to change the state of the NumLock so
the number/arrow pad will work to move around in the BIOS screens.

Do you know if the keyboard is okay? Tried it on another computer?
Tried a different keyboard on the one that you are trying to
resurrect?

Some older keyboards were prone to damage if someone used a
screwdriver near the backside PS/2 connector. Sometimes there was a
mounting screw for the motherboard near there and clumsy handling had
the screwdriver slip and crush a diode on the motherboard or slice a
trace.
 
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