[dstew]

I have a dell desktop running xp. when I turn it on it used to go to password screen and I would hit enter and xp would load. Now my keyboard and mouse don't work. I have tried on another computer and also new ones. Since my keyboard and mouse are dead I can't load xp or get into safe mode to bypass enter password. Help!!!

[smax013]

Are you keyboard and mouse wired or wireless?

[tek101]

Hey ..Not much could help you there ..... Have you tighten all connectors ....If wireless ...unplug USB and plug it back in ...see if it helps.......

Try a new key board ....perhaps....?

[dstew]

They are usb. I have tried new and even tried on another computer and they work on it.

[Rommel]

Do you have the adapter to convert the usb into the old style plug. I forget what they are called but they are the purple and green ports. (PS)???
Try plugging them in there with the adapters. Or if you don't have the adapter try and borrow a keyboard and mouse with the green and purple plugs.
Where you plug your keyboard and mouse via usb, is this a dedicated usb port or do you plug into any usb port?
Just curious. I've seen a dell where they could only worked in particalur usb ports.

But the other ports worked because they handle a flashdrive.

Rommel

[smax013]

dstew said:

They are usb. I have tried new and even tried on another computer and they work on it.

It could be a CMOS battery/BIOS issue. Some motherboards will not allow USB keyboards to work in BIOS unless you enable that option. And if the CMOS battery is dying or dead, it may have forgotten that you had that option set. Thus, you might be forced to use a PS/2 keyboard or a PS/2 adapter for your keyboard until you can replace the CMOS battery AND reset that setting. This assumes that is your problem...AND that you have a PS/2 port.

Now, you could try getting rid of the password (which I assume is a BIOS password) and see if that helps. Someone has a similar problem not but a week or so ago and if I recall correctly, they were find once they got rid of the BIOS password. If you want to try this, then see if this helps: http://www.tech-faq....-password.shtml

[dstew]

do not have ps2 ports. how can I change bios without keyboard?

[smax013]

The password that you mentioned...is it a BIOS password or one for Windows?

[dstew]

WINDOWS PASSWORD. I always just hit enter when it came up and then it would load windows.

[smax013]

Have you tried different USB ports? If not, try them all. This could rule out that it is not some USB header/bus dying.

[dstew]

none of them work

[smax013]

Do you have a Windows install disk? If so, try seeing if you can boot off of it. This is just to make sure it is not somehow your hard drive.

[johnnyja37]

I had this problem before & I had to use the old style keyboard & mouse until I downloaded the motherboard drivers again which will enable your usb ports to work almost everything.

[happykaka]

Try to reinstart the computer

[dstew]

DO WHAT!!!!!!!