One of my system32 files has recently become corrupt and has disabled my keyboard and to fix the file I have to boot from the XP cd and replace the file but I cant do that because it asks you to press any key to boot from the cd. Is there an onscreen keyboard that I can use from the moment I turn on my PC? Thanks.
Windows XP Onscreen keyboard from startup?
- Thread starter cran593
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"press any key to boot from the cd" is a pre-windows requisite loading function, I'll doubt very much you'll find a 'program' that can do that.
I take it you tried replacing the keyboard?
really need more info
oh, welcome to PCReview.
I take it you tried replacing the keyboard?
really need more info
oh, welcome to PCReview.
Cheers for the reply and thanks for the welcome 
Yeah I didn't think that there would be a program that does that but it was worth asking. Basically I got an error that comes up on the second screen saying something about my ntoskrnl.exe file being corrupt or missing plus my keyboard stopped working so I tried using a few different keyboards but none of them worked. I decided to try using a USB keyboard and strangely this got rid of the error message even though the keyboard still didn't work. The weirdest part is that if I keep the USB keyboard plugged in, the computer freezes after the loading screen with the windows logo (I am using a Windows XP 32 bit and I know it definitely freezes here as I have left it on overnight and it was still stuck here). It will not freeze up however if I unplug the USB keyboard on this loading screen. The computer will work fine if I do all this except the keyboards still wont work which is really annoying because I am a gamer and it also takes forever to type stuff on an onscreen keyboard (I am using this computer now and it has taken years to type this...). I also figured out later by using another computer that the USB keyboard I was using is infact broken so maybe the standard keyboard port is faulty but I only have 1 USB keyboard and I don't want to go out and buy another USB keyboard just to find out that it doesn't fix the problem. Anyway I gathered fixing the ntoskrnl.exe error would be my best bet as my keyboard stopped working at the same time as that error popped up so hopefully fixing that will fix the keyboard problem, but if it is two separate errors then that is just rotten luck. I know how to fix the ntoskrnl.exe error but I need to boot from the XP cd to do that but I cant because I cant press 'any key' to boot from it...
Yeah I didn't think that there would be a program that does that but it was worth asking. Basically I got an error that comes up on the second screen saying something about my ntoskrnl.exe file being corrupt or missing plus my keyboard stopped working so I tried using a few different keyboards but none of them worked. I decided to try using a USB keyboard and strangely this got rid of the error message even though the keyboard still didn't work. The weirdest part is that if I keep the USB keyboard plugged in, the computer freezes after the loading screen with the windows logo (I am using a Windows XP 32 bit and I know it definitely freezes here as I have left it on overnight and it was still stuck here). It will not freeze up however if I unplug the USB keyboard on this loading screen. The computer will work fine if I do all this except the keyboards still wont work which is really annoying because I am a gamer and it also takes forever to type stuff on an onscreen keyboard (I am using this computer now and it has taken years to type this...). I also figured out later by using another computer that the USB keyboard I was using is infact broken so maybe the standard keyboard port is faulty but I only have 1 USB keyboard and I don't want to go out and buy another USB keyboard just to find out that it doesn't fix the problem. Anyway I gathered fixing the ntoskrnl.exe error would be my best bet as my keyboard stopped working at the same time as that error popped up so hopefully fixing that will fix the keyboard problem, but if it is two separate errors then that is just rotten luck. I know how to fix the ntoskrnl.exe error but I need to boot from the XP cd to do that but I cant because I cant press 'any key' to boot from it...
Silverhazesurfer
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were all of the test keyboards USB? did you plug them into all ports or just one? If only one, sounds like that port could have failed.
In the end, do you have any keyboards (PS2 or USB) that allow you to get into the BIOS? Failing USB keyboards could cause an issue with the BIOS on POST or Windows loading issues, as you have found out. You really should be troubleshooting with a known good keyboard of both PS2 (if you have the port) and USB. If you cannot get into the BIOS, you have more issues that are not caused by a Windows boot failure.
In the end, do you have any keyboards (PS2 or USB) that allow you to get into the BIOS? Failing USB keyboards could cause an issue with the BIOS on POST or Windows loading issues, as you have found out. You really should be troubleshooting with a known good keyboard of both PS2 (if you have the port) and USB. If you cannot get into the BIOS, you have more issues that are not caused by a Windows boot failure.
I tried 3 PS2 keyboards, all of which I know work and only 1 USB keyboard which I was unsure of as it looked very old and I had never used it before (it's the only USB keyboard I own), I thought at first maybe it wasn't working because it needed to install a driver or something but found out it was just completely dead when I tried it on my Vista and it just wouldn't work. I tried it in all the USB ports and it still didn't work even though I am certain the USB ports work as my external hard drive ran through them fine. The thing is, I don't know if my PS2 port is faulty or if this ntoskrnl.exe file is causing my keyboards to malfunction. I assumed that the corrupt ntoskrnl.exe file is what was stuffing up the keyboards as both problems occured at the same time but after more testing it seems that having a keyboard plugged into the PS2 port causes the ntoskrnl.exe error to appear, it also appears if I dont have any keyboards plugged in, it will only go away if I have a USB keyboard plugged in but I have no idea why a broken keyboard makes this error disappear, it makes no sense... Cheers for the help dude!
Silverhazesurfer
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ntoskrnl is a windows system file. It will not cause your keyboard to work. In fact, the other way round is usually the case. The kernel is what the OS uses to process information between software and hardware.
Using one of those keyboards that is known good, try to get into the BIOS. The method for this varies from one manufacturer to another. Some use the delete key (such as ASUS), some use F2 (such as Intel), some use F10 (such as Compaq and I believe, Dell). Do you have a major brand or a custom build rig? Look up the information for your major brand or system board to determine the proper keystroke.
This will ultimately test things. If you have taken your keyboards to other machines and know them to function properly, then your keyboards work. If your known good keyboards (the more units tested, the better) fail to allow you into the BIOS, chances are that the BIOS is shot in some way.
I really cannot think of anything else that it could be. The BIOS is the basic building block of the machine and if that is not recognizing the keyboard, no driver on the planet will fix it.
Using one of those keyboards that is known good, try to get into the BIOS. The method for this varies from one manufacturer to another. Some use the delete key (such as ASUS), some use F2 (such as Intel), some use F10 (such as Compaq and I believe, Dell). Do you have a major brand or a custom build rig? Look up the information for your major brand or system board to determine the proper keystroke.
This will ultimately test things. If you have taken your keyboards to other machines and know them to function properly, then your keyboards work. If your known good keyboards (the more units tested, the better) fail to allow you into the BIOS, chances are that the BIOS is shot in some way.
I really cannot think of anything else that it could be. The BIOS is the basic building block of the machine and if that is not recognizing the keyboard, no driver on the planet will fix it.
EvanDavis
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I've just showed your post to a friend of mine. HIs answer was while the ntoskrnl.exe is corrupt or missing you are pretty screwed at doing anything. His answer was to remover your hard drive and format it in another machine then put it back in the original machine and do a fresh install of XP and that is your only way forward.