Keyboard stops under windows 2000

[Darookan]

Hi all!


That's really weird, but my PS/2 keyboard stopped responding under windows 2000 graphic interface. it works ok before OS loading (in BIOS and typing F8 in preload, i.e.), but freezes at login prompt. I'm able to login via vnc, but only the USB mouse works.

All that I can say is that it began after an scandisk.

-- Tried to change the keyboard: same problem.
-- Tried to remove all keyboard devices under Device Manager: after PnP rescan, it detects the keyboard wiht error 31 (can't load driver).
-- Tried to remove keyboard devices AND drivers in dllcache and drivers folders: same as above.
-- Tried to repair windows installation: same problem. Got stuck in installation prompt for domain login :(
-- Tried to boot using a working Windows 98 hard disk: After startup hardware rescan (the harddisk was in a pc with other mobo), it WORKS.
-- Tried to fortmat and install windows 2000 using this windows98 harddisk (not the original hdd): WORKS.

The point is that I cant reformat my hdd 'cause I have lots of stuff on it (and dont have enough time) :(

Please someone can help/have seem about it?

Thanks in advance.

Edited: some typos.

[Jackthemeangiant]

Wow, that is weird. Is it just a standard keyboard or is it a Logitech or Microsoft etc. Fancy one? If it is the latter maybe try downloading drivers from their website.

[x86/Z80asm]

Scandisk probably corrupted your keyboard driver. This is a bit risky but you may have to replace the keyboard driver with one from a clean install (with same SP so if you have no SP, use a no SP driver or if you have SP 1, use an SP 1 driver).
The two drivers on my Win2K SP4 machine have the following filenames:
"i8042prt.sys"
"kbdclass.sys"

This is just a suggestion dont try it if you dont know how to go about it cause you could amke it even worse

[Darookan]

Thanx for replying guys


That's really a weird situation I got. I'm using a common 102-key keyb and still wondering how it happened.
Just in case you guys want to know more about it, I'm posting what happened after starting this thread.

Fiddling with this problem, I deleted the mentioned files (actually the PS/2 driver and the keyboard driver) from every place in that disk and reinstalled from a reliable SP4 package, just to see the key stuck after reboot.

So, I went down installing W2K in the spare HDD (the one i mentioned that has a win98 running). The keyboard got back to work as expect in this build. I reloaded all patches, service packs and updates again and it was just as before.

Just after that I reminded I had made a system-state backup 4 days before. I decided to do some experimentation with this uncommon subject. I restored the system-state backup to the original windows build (the first that killed my keyboard). Checked the restore log and assured all the files where restored to the right windows folder (not the one I fresh-installed). Then I restarted the system to boot from the windows i just restored the files: as I was expecting, the keyboard still didn't work. So I restarted again to the windows build i just installed (and where everything was ok), just to find that the darn keyboard stopped in this build too!!!

From what I could see, it was probably originated in registry (system part). I also tried to delete the ACPI branch and do a repair, but the keyboard didn't move.

This time I just resigned to find out what started this process: Reformatted the (backup) drive and fresh installed windows again.

After installing windows I was able to copy my user profile from the original hdd and reinstall all the apps again (really a pain, since I had about 100+ apps installed and configured in my system).

Once more, I thank you guys for the interest.


Darookan.