Weird keyboard problem

[kevinthenerd]

On my Celeron rig, my AT keyboard shows all three lights as green when I start it up. If I unplug the keyboard and replug it back in, everything works fine.

Any ideas?

Some specifics that may help:
Win98
Celeron 433 with 320 RAM (PC133, overkill for my 66 bus)
weird AT/ATX motherboard. (ATX form factor, AT cables that connect to rear ports, both AT and ATX power supply connectors-- using ATX power)


This is really only a problem that affects startup. I try to leave this thing on all the time, and it's really no big deal to reach and replug it.

 

[Insidious]

I had this exact same symptom when I changed to my present motherboards.

While plugging my Keyboard into the USB port instead of using the PS2 port solved the issue, I chose to
get a new keyboard since I had been itching to go wireless anyway. The new keyboard is just fine in the PS2 port.
I really needed DOS keyboard support for flashing and using Norton Ghost and putting the USB keyboard under BIOS control
(A CMOS option) ferked up windows XP.

I blame ABit's motherboard for not ensuring compatibility with older PS2 devices. but it could have also been that the logitech Delux 104 keyboard
isn't fully PS2 compliant. (I'm using Logitech Wireless Access keyboards now, problem free)

-Sid

 

[buleyb]

Kevin, you looked into BIOS updates on your 'aging' system?

 

[kevinthenerd]

What's really odd is that the problem only happened recently. I've done no hardware swaps/upgrades since it started happening.

Additional info:

I noticed that the problem starts at POST. It can't be an OS problem.

Should I post this on Highly Technical?

 

[Insidious]

my AT keyboard

You could try HT, but I really belileve that you just need to break down and replace the KB. (That thing's OLD!)
They are so cheap. Do it at BestBuy or someplace similar that gives you a few days to return it
with no reason necessary in case it doesn't solve the problem for you.

-Sid

(I agree that you are not experiencing an OS problem.)

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Insidious
That thing's OLD!

I understand what you're saying, but I'd like to throw in this point. It's almost unrelated.

The age of something has little to do with its function. This old computer serves me well, and an upgrade to the keyboard technology would only serve to fix this problem. I think I'll try to find another AT keyboard in a junk pile somewhere to fix my problem.

(I'm quite poor.)

 

[Insidious]

Good luck with that!

(Done my fair share of scrounging myself )