Forum Discussion
Windows XP - keyboard not responding
I found old CPU in the basement and its having Windows XP. (in the BIOS Keyboard is working.)
On login screen it, keyboard was not working.
Then I
1) tried in the safe mode, command prompt mode etc. - not worked.
2) I remembered that I used to use PS/2 keyboard when I use it earlier.
3) taken help from Inet and as per their suggestions, XP takes only old keyboard drivers.
4) Connected PS/2 keyboard next day and it started working. At the same time, attached USB keyboard and both keyboards (at the same time) worked.
5) removed PS/2 and USB was worked find for One day. Rebooted many times and it worked well.
6) next day, not any keyboard was working.
So I am accessing this CPU through remote desktop.
What is the reason of not working any keyboard next day?
4 Replies
Sounds like XP isn’t consistently loading the USB keyboard drivers on boot. PS/2 forces it to detect input properly. I’d keep the PS/2 plugged in just in case. Also, try uninstalling/reinstalling USB drivers from Device Manager while both keyboards are connected. XP’s USB support is flaky, especially after reboots.
Get at least Windows 7 installed to avoid weird issues like this. XP is too old
Power saving features can disable USB controllers or hubs, especially if the system is not fully stable or if certain drivers are misconfigured.
Three solutions:
Method 1: Restart the computer → Try PS/2 interface keyboard or replace the USB interfaceMethod 2: Repair the driver (administrator run the)
cmd
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
devmgmt.msc # Uninstall all gray keyboard devices → scan for hardware changes
Method 3: Use WinPE boot disk to reinstall the system after backing up the data (XP is no longer supported, upgrade is recommended).
