After setting a Windows password the OS seems to stop responding to the keyboard. I can enter the system (bios)PW but when XP boots to the password entry screen the cursor stays at the left of the blank entry field. The only way I can gain access to the desktop etc is to hold down each key for 2 sec - thus finally geting the pw entered. I then have to delete the password. (have done this a couple of times - always the same result) ALSO; the quote/apostrophe key must be held down continously to get anything on the screen (I then have to backspace to erase all the extra apostrophe's. A diferent keyboard makes no difference. This is most likly somehow related. Dell support has had no answer other than to reinstall EVERYTHING!! (New Dimension 8400, multimedia option) I have installed just the same software and printer as I have had on the laptop for about a year. [Dell Inspiron 8200, XP home ed]

since it is a new machine have you ran the diagnostics from Dell to check out the keyboard? http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1045006 download the diagnostics utillity and install it. Before you do any testing besure to disconnect your printer and any usb add ons and besure the bios is set to factory default. Also have a cd in your cd-rom/dvd drive. If you do not do these things then the test will fail. This will atleast give you leverage to deal with them. If their diagnostics say something is wrong then they would have to fix it under warranty. IN THE MATTERS OF STYLE, swim with the current; in matters of principle, STAND LIKE A ROCK

Does the keyboard work normally in BIOS/DOS? If so, it's a Windows driver problem. Try removing and reinstalling the keyboard drivers. If it's the same in BIOS/DOS, it's a hardware-related problem... try a new keyboard. anDrew

lurkswithin - Is this download ( http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1045006 ) the same diagnostic as the one on the disc which came with the computer? I did run the one on the disc this morning - inconclusive results,, but since I did try another keyboard it's not likly a hardware problem. Andyll - Yes keyboard works ok in BIOS. At this point I don't know how to delete a driver. Does installing another one delete the origional driver? There is a CD in the group which came with the machine; labled drivers and utillities. It's hard to believe the one loaded at the factory is bad, or the wrong driver, but..... Maybe there is a conflict with the driver for the X-10 Home Control interface module. I think the version I downloaded to this computer is a later version than the one on the laptop (XP home ed) -- going to delete that one program first to make sure.

Uninstalling ActiveHome didn't help. If there is a driver conflict I don't know where it could be. Everything I installed on this machine is working fine on the other machine. Should've gotten a Mac!