Microsoft Natural keyboard and the Dell Inspiron BIOS

So, I ordered a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard the other day, and I love it. The problems began the first time I started up the computer with the keyboard (USB) plugged in. The BIOS indicator would hang at about 90%, and the entire boot process would freeze. I contacted Microsoft Support, which suggested that I uninstall the Intellitype software and drivers and reinstall in a clean boot mode. I did this, and the computer started up without a hitch in clean boot, actually, which is probably the first clue to whatever solution there may be for this. But even with the cleanly installed version of Intellitype I was still having the same problem afterwards.

So I uninstalled that, and the first reboot went off without a hitch. The keyboard was plugged in during start-up. In every subsequent reboot, however, I would have the same problem, and each time I would start my Inspiron 9300 without the keyboard plugged into a USB port, the problem would vanish.

So after doing more reading online I figured that Intellitype had messed with the innate Dell Keyboard drivers, ALPS and such. The problem was that I didn't have the special ALPS drivers installed. Still flummoxed, I decided to back up everything and reformat the hard drive, something I was due for anyway.

At present I'm re-installing, but on the first reboot between the hard drive format and Windows XP setup I had my keyboard plugged in, and the BIOS process froze again! Anybody had similar problems? I've found forum posts online that hint at similar issues, but the focus always seems to be on the ALPS drivers or on Intellitype and such. Anybody have any advice? Any settings I could change in the BIOS to allow the keyboard to load even with generic drivers? The alternative is just to unplug the keyboard before each startup and to plug it back in once Windows XP had loaded, but that just seems so silly.

I should also add that I have the latest Dell BIOS firmware update. Maybe there are problems with it?