upgraded some components, XP wants to re-activate...

[Toadster]

what the heck can i do? no keyboard/mouse controls once XP loads.... it's like Microsoft is mocking me, saying 'do this' but you can't

what can i do? i can't even connect remotely via remote desktop or even get to the registry remotely

 

[herbiehancock]

What kind of connections are the kb and mouse using.....PS2 or USB? Thought about using the opposite type of kb and mouse connections, like using USB kb and mouse instead of the PS2 connections?

 

[LouPoir]

You must be using usb devices and Windows has not detected/installed them. Use PS2 devices to install your mouse and keyboard and then you can activate.

 

[Lemon law]

I agree with the above two responses---as you are in a catch 22---especially if you don't have usb mouse and keyboard pre-activated for windows.---and your keyboard and mouse are on ps2.

But as an alternative---you may be able to use a floppy or cd based boot disk---to get started. And because the ps2 drivers and sometimes the usb drivers are on the boot disk---you may be able to get into the C drive and make corrections.---or just use your windows disk as a boot disk---and use it to add device drivers.---but in that case---you must have boot to a cd activated as an option in your bios.

 

[John]

Lemon law, your post is really weird. Are you feeling ok?

Toadster, I assume you only have the option to activate immediately or it kicks you out to the logon screen. Most USB keyboards/mice include a USB to PS/2 adapter so use that for now until you can activate the OS.

 

[Toadster]

i've tried both USB and PS/2 versions of both keyboard and mouse

i can get into the Recovery portion of XP using the CD, but i have NO clue what to tweak via a DOS recovery console to make them work again

at this point, all i want is my data and i'll rebuild

 

[Navid]

Enter the BIOS and activate legacy USB support. It may let you use the keyboard and mouse then.

 

[Toadster]

Originally posted by: Navid
Enter the BIOS and activate legacy USB support. It may let you use the keyboard and mouse then.

i never de-activated it ugh, i am so stumped on this one!

the keyboard/mouse work in pre-XP scenarios, i.e. BIOS, etc... once XP fires up - they're dead

 

[zephyrprime]

Thanks a lot microsoft. Thanks a lot.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Toadster
at this point, all i want is my data and i'll rebuild

To just get your data, you can install your hard drive on another working computer as a secondary drive and copy all the data.

 

[Toadster]

Originally posted by: Navid

Originally posted by: Toadster
at this point, all i want is my data and i'll rebuild

To just get your data, you can install your hard drive on another working computer as a secondary drive and copy all the data.

yup, seems like that's what i'll have to do - it's like having a car without a steering wheel

 

[Lemon law]

To John---and toadster,

But John wrote---Lemon law, your post is really weird. Are you feeling ok?

Maybe I did not make myself clear---but I have lost PS2 mouse support on two different XP computers in the past. But thankfully not both PS2 mouse and keyboard--the reason was that the driver just failed to load at windows boot---and was thereafter taken off the boot list. On one computer---which already had usb mouse support enabled---I was able to plug in a USB mouse--go to the XP install disk---select add a device--PS2 mouse--and I got my PS2 mouse support back. On the other computer--I had to first enable usb mouse support in win XP---and all I got when I plugged in a usb mouse was an add new hardware wizard--and by using the keyboard arrow keys as a very primitive and ineffective mouse---I was able to get the usb mouse enabled by following the wizard---because the person who set up the computer originally had not enabled win XP usb mouse support as a windows option at install time.---but if neither mouse or keyboard work---its a real problem.

But I am assuming toasters problem is that the device drivers are not loading at windows boot--so the temporary cure is a boot disk that contains those drivers in the boot disk itself. The alternative explanation is that something in the motherboard hardware is now broken.---and probably can't be fixed until the MB is replaced.---but it also could be cables or bios.---or for that matter--some upgraded component now screwing up the motherboard functioning---and in that case--remove recently upgraded components one by one to check.---and if you suddenly get things working--you know what upgraded component is giving you the problem.

But the boot disk then becomes a diagnostic tool---if toaster's mouse and keyboard work with that bootdisk---you know its software.

 

[Toadster]

well, i've resolved to moving the data off onto another PC via spare SATA port... rebuilding now

poo

 

[Fallen Kell]

That really sucks... Sorry to hear that you had to rebuild. I just went through that process last week with my HTPC, but I had to do it due to being backdoor'ed on the system. They did a number on it too, even replaced the process explorer with a hacked version so that I couldn't even monitor some applications that were running or kill them (found that out by loading up a different process explorer from SysInternals, great site). I figured if they knew enough of how to replace the process explorer, that they knew enough to screw/replace lots of other major parts of windows with their own hacked versions as well... Had to do a complete system wipe (DBAN is a great little tool), so I hear your pain with doing a rebuild...