Hello everyone,

Here's my problem....

THe PS/2 port on my pc is broken, so I went to buy a USB keyboard...but...

Now when I boot up the system (in Win2K) when I get to the logon screen I can't type my password...?!?!??!?

I can't access the BIOS since the USB keyboard won't communicate with Windows until I install it...

Any suggestions/solutions you can offer...?

I don't want to buy a new motherboard just so I can have a new PS/2 port....:(

Thanks

reset your bios.. with the jumper to bypass your password.. that may let you adjust things to allow the keyboard to work through the usb port in the bios.

Shuttle AN35N-Ultra
AMD 2000+ 1gb 2100ddr
Gainward Gforce 5600 Ultra 128ddr
120GB of 7200 HD space
UV Clear Acrylic Blue case
AXIO Aluminum 600watt PSU
Leadtek Winfast Tv2000xp

I'm not sure that the previous suggestion would help, as it's not a bios password but a windows password problem, am i correct?
I was under the impression that W2K was supposed to load USB even before the password, for situations just like this..i was always able to use a USB keyboard to enter it, myself (must be some setting i'm unaware of).
None of the above is of any help here tho, i'm afraid..
I am aware of this chicken and egg bit myself, as i always was forced to use my non-usb keyboard to make my multiboot selections, or enter into bios setting, etc..
I'm almost sure that if your P3 has built-in USB there *must* be a setting in the bios to, say , enable USB or so, so that it would work immediately..it may even be enabled but you have an unrecognized keyboard (is it a very new model?) if so, you could try plugging in an older model and see whether it enables it on boot...
since you can't get into bios settings either at the moment, if the older USB keyboard doesn't do the tricki, you absolutely have to try getting the PS2 port working..
By "broken", do you mean physically? the PS2 port in the back should just plug into a PS2 port on the motherboard, so replacing that part could be a relatively easy job.
If you mean the PS2 output on the motherboard itself is blown, i can't think what else to do, other than trying various different USB keyboards and seeing if any of them become active right after boot....

You could try use a ps/2 to 9 pin serial adaptor. Your local pc shop should have these on hand.
This was just posted on another thread with the same problem.

http://www.cablesnmor.com/mouse-adapter.html

Some machines require serial to be setup from the os...but your 2k may do this before the password. I've not tried to see if it would work though. Just a thought.
Frank

Thank you for your advice Goldenknob & Tec2go....:)

But it was our fellow tech "dominicus" who had the working solution, it seems that the keyboard I was trying to use was just too new.

When I tried an older USB keyboard it worked like a charm.

Now that I've gotten into my system I have installed the new USB keyboard and it works great.

Thanks again guys...It was appreciated...:)