My first post! I got a problem one day, when I switched on the computer I would get a 'keyboard not detected problem'. This is a PS/2 keyboard. So I tried another ps2 keyboard. Worked for sometime then I would get beeping sounds in windows and when I rebooted I got the same keyboard not detected problem. I then tried a USB keyboard, it worked for sometime then one day, I got this error: Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: Winnt_root\System32\Ntoskrnl.exe Please re-install a copy of the above file. I checked on microsoft's knowledge base and they said the cause could be one of the following: The Default value in the [Boot Loader] section of the Boot.ini file is missing or invalid. Windows XP is not installed in the location specified in the Boot.ini file. The Ntoskrnl.exe file is missing or damaged. The partition path in the Boot.ini file is not set correctly. General hardware failure. I am thinking its a general hardware failure, since the (USB) keyboard doesn't work either now, I can't get into safe mode or do anything else. The computer starts up I get to that message, and thats it, can't do anything except turn it off. What do you think could be the problem. I gave it to some tech (he's not very good) he says that someone might have spilt something on the keyboard, and that screwed up the motherboard (I don't have a laptop). Is that possible? Thanks in advance, Omar

Well, if you can't boot from a boot disk in A drive and you can't get into the BIOS because the computer doesn't even get that far, I would suspect either the mobo or your processor is gone. If you have WOL on your motherboard (Wake On Lan), see if the little green light on the mohterboard is lit when you turn your unit on. If it is, your mobo may be ok; if not, I suspect your mobo is dead. I suspect the mobo, because usually when anything at all goes wrong in the processor the whole unit goes dead instantly. You seem to have had a gradual "dying" process. I don't think your original problem was the keyboard at all.