Need a challenge? Try and solve this problem . . .

[PantherModern1]

Ok, here we go:

All my USB ports simultaenously died, including the expansion ones on the board (A8n-SLI Deluxe, Asus). The most I can get is for a mouse or keyboard to flicker its power light for a second, and then it goes down.
The PS/2 keyboard port works fine in BIOS, Knoppix, and Bart, but not in Windows (they never did, but I didn't really care because I used USB)

I have no way of inputing information to the computer, or even logging into windows for that matter.

I bought a PCI USB card to get some more USB ports. The keyboard and mouse I plug into that work fine in Knoppix and Bart, but don't work on my existing Windows installation, most likely because it requires drivers that I have no way of installing without mouse and keyboard access.

Finally, my system disk is actually two disks in RAID-0, so if you're thinking of booting a different OS on a disc and loading drivers manually, that OS has to be able to handle the RAID (neither my Knoppix nor Bart discs recognize the RAIDed system disk).

Soooo, anyone have a unber-creative idea for how I can log into my dang computer?

 

[mechBgon]

First off, what exact brand and model of power supply are you using, and what are the rest of the system's specs?

To begin troubleshooting, remove the motherboard from the chassis, lay it on cardboard, and threaten it a bit. Also unplug all non-essential wiring, particularly USB or Firewire ports from the case itself.

Now that the board has no possible sources of short-circuits from the chassis, try starting it up on cardboard like that. Any different results?

 

[PantherModern1]

Specs:

Asus A8N-SLI deluxe
Atec TruePower 2.0 550W PSU
Athlon 64 X2 4200
2x512 Corsair XMA PC3200
ATI Radeon X800XL 256 MB
2 x Raptor 10,000 RPM 74 GB HDDs in RAID-0

As for taking the board out of the case and starting it up, I will definitely try that tonight, so let's assume for the moment that's not the problem.

Any other tricky solutions to log in and load the drivers for the PCI card?

I was thinking a firewire mouse, or a firewrie-to-USB hub might work. This is assuming that
a) the firewire port works
b) firewire hubs/mouses are PlugNPlay and will be automatically installed by Windows at the login screen without typing anything

 

[PantherModern1]

Taking out the board unfortunately did not work.

I just need some way of logging into windows so I can load the drivers . . . anyone?

 

[mechBgon]

How about doing a repair-install of Windows? If the PS/2 ports work in other OSes, then that shows they do work. A repair-install might be a nuisance, but it would put Windows through the whole hardware-discovery routine again, possibly getting your PS/2 ports online for you.

If you don't have your motherboard's EZ Plug hooked up, that couldn't hurt either. One more 5-volt delivery point and two more ground wires, at any rate.

 

[hjo3]

Sounds like a mobo problem to me... maybe the USB controller got zapped? Try a different mobo.