Recently, I rebooted my server (an old Dell PowerEdge 2300/450), received a "Keyboard failure message," and the boot never completed. The last message I received is, "Invalid configuration information. Please run SETUP program. PowerEdge 2300/450." The keyboard and mouse are wireless and the base plugs into a USB port on a PCI card. I thought the USB PCI card might have been fried, so I replaced it, but the same thing happened. I tried moving the new card to other empty PCI slots, with the same result. The new USB card doesn't make any difference. I tried plugging the separate USB mouse and keyboard I have as well as the wireless mouse/keyboard base into it and neither did any good. Neither the mouse nor keyboard was active (lit) when plugged in there. The wireless station has a serial plug for the mouse attached, though no corresponding serial plug for the keyboard exists. When I plugged it into the mouse serial port and rebooted, the base station light came on, indicating that it was detected. I found a USB/serial adapter for the keyboard, but when I plugged the keyboard into it, then plugged that into the keyboard serial port on the server and rebooted, I still received the "Keyboard failure" message at the beginning of the boot and later the message, "Invalid configuration information. Please run SETUP program. PowerEdge 2300/450." Anyone have any ideas? Would an old standard PS/2 keyboard make any difference? I NEED this server to be up and running. Thanks!

Yes you will need a PS2 keyboard, as an oldie like this does not have BIOS USB KB Support!

I believe that the internal battery - probably the original - has breathed its last and needs to be replaced, since this is what powers the USB board.