Keyboard issue... mysterious...

Hi chaps,

Advice required please, on a keyboard issue on a ThinkPad 570, running Win98se.

O/S is corrupt (fails at config.sys, reinstall of O/S required, no problem with that) However... keyboard unresponsive when started up in DOS using Boot CD. Keyboard works fine when in BIOS editing mode (now all reset to defaults so no issues there)

Booting into DOS from CD or Floppy leaves me with a DOS prompt after usual OAK CD Driver, MSCDEX, etc, but nothing from keyboard.

Driver? Keyboard Controller on Main Board? Baffled...

 

have you access to any other computers?
You have a win98 CD so you can make a boot floppy using one of these.
Does this still give the same problem?

Studio T

 

Thanks, but: Yup, should have mentioned that I'd tried that. I made a boot Floppy with some DOS stuff like PC-Doctor (IBM tool) etc, even had format.exe ready JIC, same result: DOS prompt, no keyboard reaction.

I'm thinking of writing a .bat script to autorun and just format the %£&$* drive if nothing else works.

Someone also suggested trying a Linux Live CD or similair so I might go that route...

Any other ideas welcome.. ?

 

I note you report a corrupt config.sys

Dont know how you could reprogram but a known IBM PS2 error can result in keyboards not being recognised if DASDDRVR.sys is loaded after the keyboard driver in config .sys (SHOULD BE KEYBOARD .SYS FOR WIN 98). Rearrange config.sys to load DASDDRVR.sys before keyboard .sys

You need to get either a usb keyboard or a correctly ordered config.sys created on another computer.

Studio T

 

Well, didn't know that either. I'll try that. I have access via another PC so sounds like I'll maybe edit a config.sys and create a Boot CD, see how it goes. Ta.

JOC

 

Okay, solution time (sort of...)

On a suggestion I tried a Linux Live CD (OS booting straight from CD Drive) and it worked perfectly.

Probable diagnosis is that while the keyboard worked fine in BIOS, somewhere on the system board is a controller chip for the Keyboard (during DOS, before Windows takes over), and it's _that_ piece of hardware that's U/S.

So I've bitten the bullet and done a full install of Linux, and it's behaving very well so far. I'm suddenly a convert.

Thanks for all who assisted with suggestions.



JOC

 

DASDDRVR was an IBM 'patch' (remember microsoft patches?)
You will need it for DOS etc.

Good luck with Linux it's come along way

Studio T logging off

 

surprisingly it could be the MBR in the hard drive, ive seen that happen a few times when trying to reload winxp, keyboard wouldnt work when it got to the setup screen, diagnosed the HDD and it came back bad, put in a new HDD and the keyboard worked just fine

 

Thanks, chaps.

JOC.