Weird Keyboard problem: just dead in W2k, ok in W98. HELP PLEASE

[Usul]

Hi.
I am used to run my w2k system 24/7 on weekdays, and shut down and restart in the weekend.
Today, I plugged in my digital camera (USB) and win didn't recognized it. No dialog tags, nothing in System properties, nothing.
I decided to restart, might be because of the long on-time...
After regular shutdown, at restart the keyboard lights didn't come on. No keyboard error in Bios, just no leds.
Start menu, I chose W2k and hit enter, and works.
But when win asks for username and passsword, the mouse woeks but the keyboard doesn't write, and as soon as i hit any key the mouse freeze too.
Weird, was working in the boot menu.. So restarted, still no leds, but del works, so go into the bios, and it's good.
I decide to start in W98, and there the keyboard works perfectly, but still no leds.
And no USB either, tryed my camera and the sidewinder steering wheel, either on the on-board controller or on the additional ports.

Oh, my k-board is PS2, a noname with all those stupid hotkeys, (never installled the software for those)

I think I fried my keyboard, and dunno how, but what the heck happened to the USB?
And how?

Dunno if the leds were already off before the restart, wasn't paying attention.

Please help me......

 

[Usul]

UPDATE: I tryed with a clean W2k installation, same problems as the old one.

Oh, the I/O voltage has NEVER been O/Ced.

Any ideas?

 

[AC]

geez a problem that stumps even u is really hard to diagnose...

i'll think about it, and will post anything i can come up with...

as for now...bump...

 

[Usul]

Thanks for the support AC.
I just unplugged the system and waited for 4 hours, to eliminate every eventual lasting power in the PS, and then I tried agin, whith the same results.
It freeze as soon as I use the keyboard in W2k. I also tryed to disable the USB controller by bios, no help.
Tomorrow morning I'm going to Vegas to pick a new keyboard, I'm sure mine is damaged ( the leds are dead) and probably by a voltage oscillation. But the problem is that is unlikely that the same oscillation killed the USB controller too, and nothing else ( the system was running perfectly, until I restarted).
Nezt point is: IF was a voltage oscillatioon, was a motherboard discompensation or a PS failure? ( use a surge protector).
The mobo has the new ABIT's 3-Phase Power Solution , and the PS is the 250W AMD approved by FongKai Electornics.
I'll write more when I test with the new keyboard.

 

[AC]

ok, let me get this straight, the keyboard works in win98 but not in win2k, but usb doesn't work in either?

the onboard usb controller handles all the usb ports no matter how many, and it must be enabled in the BIOS to function

pressing caps, etc. won't light the led?

try typing a document in win98 to see if all the keys function.

do try a new keyboard...if not it, then might be motherboard...

doesn't have to be a surge to knock something out...could be just a defect...

might also just be driver conflicts or something...keybd, usb, and a third device? did u try win2k's repair installation?

via usb filter drivers installed?

 

[Usul]

ok, let me get this straight, the keyboard works in win98 but not in win2k, but usb doesn't work in either?

the onboard usb controller handles all the usb ports no matter how many, and it must be enabled in the BIOS to function

pressing caps, etc. WILL NOT light the led

All the keys function, and caps lock works too.

I'm leaving to get a keyborad right now, I'll try again.

Didn't change any drive, and anyway with all the driver problms of theworld the 3 leds should light up while POST. And they don't.

Not tryed W2k restore installation, I
'll do with the new keyboard.

Installed all Via 4in1 drivers but the DMA manager, gives conflict with the CD ROM.

If not any better with the new keyboard, I'll try to go with no additional hardware, in safe mode, and then add piece per piece.

Also, for now I disabled the USB controller in the BIOS, untill I don't have access to @least one of mytwo W2k installation. ( I run 2 Win2k and one W98).

 

[Usul]

Ok,I got a new keyboard ( Logitech) and doesn't work .
Same as the old one, BUT in this the leds light up at start, and the mun lock also during normal operation.
What I think is that some kind of power problem killed the USB controller, seriusly damaged the PS/2 controller and fried the processor of the old keyboard.

This might have something to do with the fact thet 1 month ago my internal modem just died....
At a first eye examination, the mobo looks fine ( no burning parts, or stuff like that) .

What I need to know, before sending the mobo mack to NEUTRON ( no way I'm sending it to ABIT, if I can) is determine if it's mobo fault OR PS fault.

I was running Motherboard monitor, and never got a voltage alarm before, but the monitoring for the -3 and -12 V has always said 0.00.
Now I can not access the .log file, that happened to be in a NTFS partition. Also, while trying to use W2k installation, the keyboard stops working when it asks if you want to repair an installarion or start a new ine. I think thet it's about when W2k starts to use ACAPI (before I can use F6 to add the driver of the RAID controller).

Is there any way to access a NTFS partition without W98?
To get the .log file, and possibly maka a backup of the data in cdrs before sending the mobo in.....

 

[AC]

i read a thread awhile back that said u could and had some names of utilities that u could dnld...

let me see if i can find it...

[edit]
found it: Can I read NTFS with win95?

 

[AC]

if the ps2 is damaged, why does it still work in win98?

 

[Usul]

Thanks fot the thread .
One of the two needs files from W2K dir, the other one looks good, I'm downloading now....
I was thinking of a damaged PS, that sends abnormal voltages for short period sometimes( never recorded with MM5 before).
And the thing is the same, if it's the mobo why is OK in W2K?
i think the mobo was fine(i.e. controllers, ecc) and so was my old modem, but the voltage screwed it up. But was it a PS fault, or a mobo fault?
Never had problems with periphals not connected to mobo for alimentation, like HDDs or CDRW, but on the other hand my modem (usb, with usb to PS2 adaptor) is ok.....

and THANKS!!!!

[edit]
It tourned out to be the same program. Still no go.
[/edit]

 

[Usul]

I tried to use Partition magic, to convert NTFS in FAT, but still no go.
If I try with the partition I was runnning W2k from, it reports that there is an extended index, and the conversion will destroy it.
Now, what is an extended index?
If I try fro either one of the other two NTFS partition, it says that "the attribute must be resident" and abort the operation.
Any idea what those message mean and how to fix it?

 

[AC]

do u have free space on your hard drive or an extra drive? if u dont feel like permanently damaging anything and want to test some theories, make an image of the partition to the free space and play around with that instead. extra drive is prefered to prevent corruption of mbr or something of that nature

 

[AC]

i'm not familiar enough with how win2k functions, so i am unable to pinpoint the problem for you...if it was a power problem, wouldn't u be getting stability problems as well, such as BSODs? can't be motherboard if everything works in win98 without problems, right? but usb doesn't work...i'm stumped again... does anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Usul]

Well, in Win98, I still can not light the caps lock and scroll lock leds, even if the two function work while I'm writing. So the PS2 controller is definetly damaged.
But how it happened is a mistery.
Remember also that the USB died while W2k was running,and gave ne problem of stability.
It's still seen by W98 system properties, but doesn'w work with all I tried ( digital camera, USB mouse, USB joystick, USB steering wheel)
The steering wheel ( MS force feedback) has a PS, and it goes ionto demonstration mode, as it's no connected to USB at all.

Man, I'm stuck.

 

[Castellan]

Wow, that would qualify as bad. If there isnt a conflict with the USB controller, it's probably a hardware malfunction (USB controller). Can you try that keyboard on another system to be sure?

 

[Usul]

No, but it's actually a brand new keyboard, because i was thinking at the same thing in the beginning.
Also, the old keyboard had died leds, not even the little flash at POST, while this new does.

 

[Castellan]

Sounds like your motherboard is flaking out to me.

 

[TechieChick]

Have you ruled out power surge? I know you have a suppressor but they won't stop everything and it sounds like this is a strong possiblity.
If you even think it is, get an evaluation from a third party tech company. Your homeowners may just cover it but they won't take your word for it, go figure. Power up the system and do the smell test to the PS, if it smells electrical, chances are it took a hit. I've seen lightening and surges do funny, unexplained things.
Not to sound like a greedy TechieChick but typically they opt for full system replacment since what isn't currently a problem could be tomorrow and they don't want repeat claims.

I know this sounds lame, but here in Northern Michigan we get a lot of lightening strikes and I've seen some funky stuff come down becouse of it.

Good luck!

 

[Usul]

PS tested, no burning smell, and no evident smoked parts on the mobo either.
I'll change the mobo ( send back to Neutron, it's in warranty, they should change it ) and probably get a new PS.
I exclude lightening strikes: I live near Vegas and I haven't seen rain for more than 2 months,and lightening for a long time ( October..)
Thanks a lot!