This has to be the most aggrivating and strange problem i've ever seen. My ps/2 keyboard doesn't work in normal mode, however, it works fine in safe mode. The odd part about it is the keyboard halfway works in normal mode: when i press a key, it does nothing, but when i hold a key down, it will sloooooowly start repeating the key i held down. Device manager reports no errors or conflicts whatsoever. I removed ALL programs that run at startup from msconfig. I checked through win.ini and system.ini and boot.ini for anything that looked suspicious, nothing. Ran a virus scan, nothing. What the hell? any clues? Pleeeease????? -Brian

Control panel, keyboard, check your settings there. May not be it, but may be. Did you try another keyboard just to check?

There may be a buggy device driver or software loading in normal mode inhibiting your keyboard. Go into msconfig >> startup >> and disable all startup items while you are there remove the display drivers too and reboot into normal mode to see if it works. BTW is it a wireless or hardwired , USB or PS2 keyboard????

I have already removed all the programs from startup in msconfig. It is a PS/2 keyboard, and yes i have tried a new keyboard on it. Any clues? Oh, and I also ran a recovery install of windows xp, nothing.... thanks in advance..

One other brilliant thought. In device manager, go to Keyboard, open it, see if the right keyboard is listed. If so, uninstall it and let Windows find it again on boot. Of course, if it doesn't.... But it 'should' (that famous tech support word).

Hey have exactly the same problem on my daughter's computer - keyboard works in DOS and in Safe Mode not normal. Tried new PS/2 keyboard, USB keyboard no change. Told it was keyboard controller chip so swapped motherboard with spare - no change. Repaired XP and deleted two driver files that i have listed. No change. Pleeese help she needs it for Christmas present games! Paul