Question about OLD computer!

Hi! I'm new here. I'm kind of a novice at some things computer, and know a lot about some other things. I have an issue and I need some help, so I came here!

Maybe someone can help. Here goes: I have an OLD computer. It's a PC that's probably almost 20 years old. I only keep it to play old games, like Sierra games, that I love and can't play on my Vista-run laptop. So I fired it up the other days after a long slumber and after jiggling the ribbons and unplugging and replugging the hard drive, it was ready to go. Problem is this: The keyboard will not work. It worked at first, but now all the lock buttons light up and won't turn off and none of the keys do anything. I even went out and bought a new keyboard, but the same thing happens. The connection is PS2 into a USB port. The computer has two USB ports, but neither seem to recognize the keyboard. I saw somewhere that someone mentioned something about checking the BIOS, but if the keyboard doesn't work, I can't access it, can I?
I'm not really sure if it's 386/486, does anyone know how to check that?
If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it. :cool

 

I have an old computer (almost 25 years old) that I still use. But it doesn't have any USB ports. I am wondering if the ports in yours are on an add-in card. This card may need to be removed, the contacts cleaned (I just use a clean, soft cotton cloth), and re-inserted. (Power off, of course.) You do have to be careful about static while doing this, though, especially in colder temperatures. I imagine this is the problem since you needed to do similar with other components.
Another suggestion is that perhaps your unit has a larger keyboard socket on the back, from before they introduced the PS/2 mini-DIN plug? I imagine you would not be using USB if you had a PS/2 keyboard socket, unless it has stopped working. I think some places may sell adapters if you wanted to try one.

 

Just throw in a new gtx295!!!!!! no...wait that wouldn't do anything useful.

 

Aah PC_XT, you're right about the original size of the PS/2 DIN's. I had forgotten about that. Cleaning the fingers and reseating the card is a good idea. Good advice on the static too, cards from those days were much more susceptible to static than these days.

You should touch the bare metal on the case before touching anything inside and don't work on a carpet.

 

As for the USB problem, I'd say there's a good chance the ports in teh computer are USB1 or USB1.1, while teh connectors you're using are probably USB2.

I have just finished wrestling with this problem, and a reasonable workaround (I'm pretty sure it would work for your applications/hardware - if the problem is the same) is to go to your Control Panel - System - Hardware - Device Manager - Universal Serial Bus Controllers (path will be a bit different in other OSs) and look for a USB Host Controller listing under that with the word "enhanced" in it (if you can't find that, maybe it says USB2 or something. The others should look similar but don't say 'enhanced'. Mine say Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller and Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller). The Standard bit relates to the manufacturer (mine is nVidia = Standard).

If you can find an enhanced USB Host Controller, disable it (in its right-click menu). Don't worry, if this doesn't work, you can enable it again.

Only problem now is, how to get to your control panel without a keyboard... Does your mouse work? That will do it.

BTW, the above is from what I know running XP SP2. What OS do you have? If it's windows 98, I have a computer running that, so I could have a look if needed. I also have access to ME, but that would take a little longer to check.

PS Funnily enough, the keyboard I'm using now has that old, large connector. I have an adapter for it on a short cable. It goes to a PS/2 connector. That might be what you need. Or did you maybe not think of removing teh USB adapter and looking for a PS/2 connection... These things happen.

 

Any ideas on how s/he can get into the BIOS without a keyboard?

 

Thanks a bunch...I'll have to try tomorrow night or Monday after my class. It may be the USB 2 going into USB 1...I know we had a problem before with it and I don't remember what I did.

I do have a mouse, so I can get around that way. It's also Windows 98. The cord on the keyboard is PS2 and I have the little adapter cord with the PS2 on one end and USB on the end that goes into the computer. I will have to see if my dad has some other kind of connector that used to be on there.

 

Thanks everyone! I am going to run through everything posted so far and try to see what goes on...I totally appreciate the help! :cool

 

Has anyone thought that the keyboard may be defective?

 

You missed this.

 

Hmmm... Just had a look at my W98 computer.
A couple of things:

Path to USB controllers is : Control Panel - System - Device Manager (tab) - Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

To disable a driver, right click on item then go to Properties. Check box on 'Disable in this hardware profile'. (If this doesn't work, uncheck the box later.)

My computer only has a regular USB controller - no 'enhanced' controller. My USB2.0 memory sticks work in the on-board USB ports. If you have an 'enhanced' controller, I think your problems could be solved by disabling it as described before.

IF THAT WORKS, NO NEED TO READ FURTHER, OF COURSE.

Is the first keyboard you tried the one that you used to use with that computer, or is it another one? If it's not the original one, try it, if you still have it.

What sort of connection does the mouse have? The mouse and keyboard usually have a similar connection type.

Are the USB ports on-board (integrated)? You can probably tell by where they are and how they look. If they are close together (nearly touching) and up near other plugs (ports) - eg, a green and a purple round one for the mouse and keyboard, they are probably built-in (on-board or integrated). If they are further apart and attached to a long metal plate sitting among other long metal plates that have or could have ports on them (sometimes they're just blanked off), they are probably peripherals. Peripherals will also be connected to the motherboard by wires, while on-boarders will be connected directly to the motherboard - but you can only tell this by looking inside the computer.

If you are not using the original keyboard, you may have to update the drivers for the keyboards you're trying to use. Go to Device Manager again, and expand the keyboard item (click on '+' at the side). you might find more than one controller listed there. Do the following for the one that matches the keyboard you have plugged in. If you can't tell, just do it for both, or all. Right click on controller - click properties - click driver tab - click update driver button. A driver update wizard will open - just keep saying next (I think the defaults will be ok - if you want it to look somewhere special for drivers, you will have to tell it - are you connected to the Internet?)

BTW, did the new keyboard come with an installation disc? Probably not, but just a thought.

One thing to do here as well would be to go to your device driver listing (as described above) and see if there are any yellow question marks or red crosses against any items - particularly interested in USB controllers and keyboard controllers at the moment. If yes, you might have to wb. Note - if you have disabled USB controllers, as above, there will be some red crosses appearing because of this.

That should do for now. Hope we're making progress.

 

to augiedoggie
Haven't you ever bought a new item and had to return it?

 

Try a regular PS-2 Keyboard. Ebay has them for pennies.

 

What if his/her name isn't Penny? :-D

 

Well,what do you know. We got the one thats in every bunch.

 

. I did think of that. I bought another one and it didn't do anything either. The first one lights up, as in the little key lock lights turn on, but don't turn on or off. The other keyboard I bought doesn't do anything. I just think it isn't recognizing it. I haven't tried any of the suggestions yet because the computer is at my parents. I'm gonna go over tomorrow and see if anything works.

 

Who's Penny? I'm a Barb...

 

I don't have the port to hook up just straight PS2. I think the original port was one of those weird hookups that was neither ps2 or USB, like the old printer hookups. I think I have the one computer that makes no sense. It sounds like my dad bought it down under a bridge or something...

 

Better watch out Barb.GCWesq will next be trying to put a shrimp on you.

 

lol to both hrlow2 posts, especially liked teh first one. :-D

 

Do you have a round port that is larger than a PS/2, called a din for the keyboard?
The din port was used on IBMs as a keyboard connector in the 80s and 90s before the PS/2 or mini din came in.
The squarish port was the way mice connected to PCs before the PS/2 came into proper use.

What is the make and model of the computer? perhaps I can find out what ports you have.

 

to GCWesq
It's so nice to be appreciated.
You probably liked the first better because I beat you to the second one. (LOL)

 

You have a point, hrlow2.:mad

 

I'm confused...but I think that might be the point?

 

No, it's definitely some type of USB port. The mouse uses a serial port to connect to the computer. There isn't even a port for a ps2 connection on the back, for keyboard or mouse.

As far as make and model go? I have no idea. It has a sticker on the front that says Competitive Edge Vantage, but there are no other stickers on it. I know we bought it from some store and I think they may have built it. I'll try to dig in a little more and see if there is a sticker I may have missed.

 

Take a picture of the back, always worth a thousand words.

 

How are you going with all those suggestions?

 

The only two ways I know to hook up a keyboard on older computers is din (large round hole) or mini din (small round hole, called PS/2). As far as I am aware, there was no such thing as a serial connector for a keyboard.

I suspect the BIOS on an old 98 computer doesn't have USB options so the only way to get the USB recognized is to wait until windows loads the drivers for the add-on card.

 

Actually, a better solution all round would probably be to connect your W98 HDD into your Vista computer. Not hard to do, and that way you wouldn't need to hassle with the keyboard and you would no longer need to keep your old computer sitting around.
You would have to make your computer boot off the W98 HDD to run the games on that HDD, and the only way I know to do that is to disconnect the Vista HDD. There may be a better way - I seem to remember reading somewhere that there was. Perhaps someone will be able to help with this.

 

Just checked my W98 computer. Not as old as yours, I'd say, but there's an interesting entry in teh BIOS under "Integrated peripherals" called "USB Keyboard Support". Options are Enabled and Disabled. If you can get any keyboard to work long enough to get into the BIOS, you should check that this is Enabled.

There's another interesting entry there as well: Keyboard/Mouse Power On. Options are again Enabled and Disabled. Try Enabling that too.

Still, I think you might be better overall just moving the HDD into your Vista computer, as per earlier post.

Still wondering where the original keyboard is???

 

Quite right! Will do this afternoon. I'll label what is hooked where, too.

 

O.K. here are some photos. I took one of the inside, the outside of the back, the front of the computer. It was a custom built machine and as far as I can tell, there isn't a "brand name" for it. Also, where the keyboard is plugged in (first cord on right), I've tried it on the top and the bottom to no avail. Mouse is first cord on left and middle is the monitor. In the first photo the white thing on the left is where the USB ports go to.

Here is what was written on the BIOS inside the computer: AMIBIOS American Megatrends 586 c.1985-1995 K228378 Burn In 24 HR. Don't know if that is good for anything, but it can't hurt.

 

I suppose the USB's are connected correctly. The red and black are at teh ends, which is correct - but it's a bit hard to see the other colours. It does look like the connectors are in a block though, which means they can't be out of order. They could only be around teh wrong way, or maybe displaced one pin off teh end, if you know what I mean.

The fact that one of teh keyboards lights up indicates that there is power in teh connection, so I think that rules out the offset option.

So it could be that they are around teh wrong way. I don't know what happens if you turn them around and that puts them teh wrong way. I don't think it would hurt, but it would be good to get advice first. Anyone know? Anyway, you said that the keyboard worked for a while, so it's presumably all ok.

It could also be that the connection is not good - you could try pulling teh connectors off and putting them on again. Don't forget to touch teh metal case with your fingers before you start to get rid of static, and don't work on carpet.

The USB fitting looks like USB2.0, so it would be worth looking at your Device Manager to see if there are drivers for it, and that they are working. You would need either the enhanced controller or a regular one, as mentioned earlier. Don't forget, you can get there with the mouse. (Maybe you could list what there is under USB controllers.) The other fix I mentioned wouldn't apply if they are USB2 ports, so I'd leave that for now.

It would be interesting to see what happens if you put a memory stick into the USB ports, too. That might tell us something.

P.S. Still think you're better off putting both HDDs into one computer, though it is nice to sort these things out.

PPS Just had another thought - I suppose teh USBs are actually connected to USB connections. Does it say USB on teh Motherboard next to them? There is another similar connector (firewire) that has 10 pins, while USBs only have 9. Make sure it's teh right one. I can see other potential USB connections in teh picture. There should be one unoccupied pin next to the connectors. The connectors use 8 (usually), and it looks like these have 8.

 

Just had another close look at the first picture. Can't see any spare pin next to where the USB connectors are, but I can see a 9 pin connector on teh card on teh left (far end, towards the top - gold pins). What card is that? Worth a look.

 

That card says Creative all over it. I think it might be for the CD-ROM drive...

I don't see anything in the device manager that says anything about USB's or anything. Which could mean the computer isn't seeing them. Even though it says there is an IBM keyboard there and it's working properly. I'll add a pic of what is in the device manager.

I know someone asked about the old keyboard...it's dead and gone. It broke at least 6 years ago...

 

OK, now we're getting somewhere. There are no drivers for the USBs.
That may be because the connectors are on the wrong pins and the computer hasn't recognised that there are USBs there.

Are there 9 pins where the connectors have been plugged in, with one spare? That is, a row of four and a row of five?

Does it say USB on the motherboard where the USB wires are plugged in?

 

Hmm, Creative is for audio, like SoundBlaster is one popular card from those days, nothing to do with your CD-ROM as that has native drivers built in with the OS. You have to look elsewhere.

Perhaps reseat your USB card with the PSU off. Not sure if this has been mentioned.

 

G'day A D.

You can see the outside of the card in the second photo of the 3. It looks a bit audio, but the connectors are all black. Maybe the colour-coding came later.

She doesn't have a USB card - just a port that plugs into teh motherboard (maybe - see my last post - always think of military things when I say that). I did suggest that she try reconnecting that, but I am suspicious that it's not even plugged in in the right place (hence my previous questions). I'm wondering if that card on teh end has a USB connector on it (looks like 9 pins there). Don't know if this was ever done.

If you are having any trouble with this, kitty, see if you can find an ID for teh motherboard (usually big white writing) and we might be able to find a pic of it somewhere with some info about what's on it and where.

PS A D, what's it got to do with Penn State Uni?

 

True...I think Creative made the CD-ROM too, because it's written all over the front of the drive tray.

 

I'll check it out tomorrow...see if I can find an ID.

 

Ok..