I finally got a speaker set and sound card for my old laptop. The only problem is that the speakers are powered by the PS/2 port, and when the laptop is running on battery power, 90% of the time it turns off the port because it's not "in use"; that is, it can't tell that it's being used, because the speakers just draw power from it and never send back a signal. Therefore, I need a way to force the PS/2 port to remain active so my speakers get powered. I was thinking something along the lines of a little background program that would constantly address the port. Can this be done, in that or another way?

In another way. Get an AC adapter.

Uh... I have an AC adaptor. Do you think the only time I want sound is when my computer is plugged into the wall? The purpose of a laptop is *portability*, so I want it to be just as functional when on the go as at home. If you don't have anything constructive to say, don't post.

powered from ps2 port? never heard of this so how exactly does the power get to the speakers? do you plug something into the mouse or keyboard port then the mouse or keyboard into that or is the power sent down the actual speaker jack plug? dont know how that would work but my girlfriend swears blind her brothers pc had speakers that worked and they didnt have betterys in or an adapter its a mystery ive been trying to slove for some time.

oh by the way the speakers were active asin they were powered! had a red led on therefore must have been powered not just passive ones like headphones, anyway in answer to that question should be an option in the bios so it wont cut the ps2 port off.

Use rechargable batteries then. They do have battery compartments don't they? You're lugging around the speakers anyway. Awkward portability. What do they run on? You could tap into the keyboard power maybe (5v). Have you tried speakers that don't need amplification - like you can get for a portable cd player - they'll run on as little as headphone output.

You've all got the wrong idea. They have no battery compartments and no method of getting power AT ALL aside from the PS/2 port. The cable is specialized for the PS/2 port and there is none other available. It makes it very convenient because it just draws on your computer's normal power source instead of using its own separate battery. They're Laptalk speakers from New Media, a rather old brand. I can scan in the manual if you want. As for connectors, it's a rather complicated procedure, but it goes fast once you get the hang of it. The speakers slide onto thin mounting brackets that are semi-permanently stuck on the back of the screen. You connect the left speaker to the right (master) speaker with a little tiny cable, then you connect a longer cable that goes from the master speaker. This cable splits into two cables, one plugs into the PS/2 port, the other contains the audio jacks that plug into the dongle on the sound card (the master speaker has a built-in microphone). I can't figure out how to get into the BIOS. It's a Toshiba 110CS, and I swear I've pressed every key on the keyboard during startup and nothing's happened. Any info on this would also be appreciated.