BIOS Ignores Keyboard

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" <garyjbrown@charter.net> wrote in message
news:tZK8h.55$DP4.39@newsfe03.lga...
> 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
>
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" <garyjbrown@charter.net> wrote in message
news:tZK8h.55$DP4.39@newsfe03.lga...
> 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
>
>


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
>> the keyboard. The keyboard tests OK. I can get to the BIOS but that
>> <snip>
> What kind of keyboard connection are you trying to use, USB or older
> style?

It is PS/2.

Sorry, I neglected that.

Gary

"Gary Brown" <garyjbrown@charter.net> wrote in message
news:mX09h.104$Ll4.55@newsfe04.lga...
>>> 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
>>> <snip>
>> What kind of keyboard connection are you trying to use, USB or
>> older style?
>
> It is PS/2.
>
> Sorry, I neglected that.
>
> Gary
>
>


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.