cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

colintivy
Rising Star
Posts: 1,375
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎07-03-2008

XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

My elderly Dell OptiPlex GX110 has suddenly decided to ignore both my PS2 Keyboard and Mouse which makes working a bit difficult. Using a borrowed USB Keyboard & mouse all appears to be OK!  This has happened after a Registry clean-up and an unexpected MS update with 11 items. I do not know if they are significant.. My local guru suggeted that I reset the BIOS (A Phoenix circa 1999) to factory original state but there does not seem to be the facility in the BIOS setup pages. Does anyone have some idea of what could have happened and, more importantly, how to put things back to normal?
Any help will be appreciated,
Colin  Huh
39 REPLIES 39
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

You can download the BIOS from the Dell web site.
At that vintage you'll probably need to put it onto a floppy drive and boot from it.
Version A09 is the latest, here:
http://support.euro.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&deviceid=162&li...
Obviously you can do that on any PC, but I'm not sure if you need the keyboard working to run the update.......... Lips_are_sealed
colintivy
Rising Star
Posts: 1,375
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Thanks for instant reply. I think mine is Version 09 but have not rebooted to see. I can use the machine quite properly with the USB hardware and am doing that right now. But it will bug me that it has stopped using the normal input sockets. Am I to assume that renewing the BIOS will effect a cure or is your reply telling me what to do to see if that works. Externally it seems that the device power supply is interupted none of the indicator lights on the keyboard operate. I would not have thought that this supply is software-controlled.,
VMT.
Colin
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Personally I can't see how the bios has been affected. I think its more likely that the registry cleanup has damaged something that windows relies on.
I did use a cleaner once many years ago.. and after reinstalling windows thanks to its troubles I never bothered again. Thats why I never use registry cleaners. Defragment the disk, yes, that will make reading from the registry a bit quicker but letting a 3rd party program clean it of other softwares registry keys and settings isn't something I personally feel comfortable with. Half the time I can't remember what registry keys and values I use in my own programs so I can't understand how a 3rd party could claim to clean my un needed keys and values.
I'd do a system restore myself and see if that makes any difference. I take it you also saved a backup of the registry before cleaning it? - Might be an idea to restore this!
Alternatively if your PS2 hardware doesn't work before Windows has started to book (IE you can't use the PS2 keyboard to start in safe mode) on the motherboard there will be 2 reset pins. Touch those with a screwdriver so that it touches both at the same time and that should reset it (Thats the only way to reset a bios - or unplug and take out the clock battery). If that doesn't work and you still can't tap F5/8 before Windows starts for safe mode then I don't think a bios upgrade will work. It will more likely be a component on the motherboard thats fried.
Asda are doing cheap USB mice and keyboards for about £4/5 each. You can get both basics for under a tenner which means you can at least give back the borrowed ones Wink
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Yes, a critical point there - does the keyboard work at bootup, e.g. can you hit F8 and get into safe mode, or even better get into the BIOS settings before that?
If so, System Restore may be your friend.....  Wink
And as for registry cleaners, I use Microsofts own free one here: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-gb/default.htm
(customize the full scan and only run the registry cleaner)
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

I wouldn't even trust a MS registry cleaner personally. I think I made the point before but how is it suppose to know what is still needed and what isn't in the registry?
I'm still puzzled as to why everyone refers to updating the bios. In all my years of computing I've never once needed to do it yet the number of times I hear people suggesting its the reason for a system failure is ridiculous. If you installed service packs and patches to the bios and it went belly up I could understand it. It's just a hard coded chip that runs code which never changes. So how can it go wrong? - Hardware failure in which case Bios upgrades will make no difference. People will never understand that for some reason.
I've only ever seen one computer which almost made me think I might have to update the bios.. and when I looked inside the motherboard was full of leaking electrolytic capacitors. Needless to say the bios still didn't get updated.
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

If the keyboard and mouse used to work but don't any more then updating the BIOS isn't going to help but colintivy was advised to reset the BIOS and that just might work.  Except, of course, if you can use your keyboard to get into the BIOS settings then you manifestly don't have a BIOS issue.
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Quote from: okrzynska
It's just a hard coded chip that runs code which never changes. So how can it go wrong?

Lots of ways it can go wrong, and it's not hard-coded or how would you update it.  Wink
However as you and others have pointed out we need to know from the OP if the keyboard works at boot (before windows). If it does his advice re the BIOS is almost certainly mistaken.
And looking back to the first post:
Quote from: colintivy
there does not seem to be the facility in the BIOS setup pages.

Suggesting the keyboard does work, otherwise how did he check the BIOS.
(are we going up a dead end here  Huh )
colintivy
Rising Star
Posts: 1,375
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Hi All & Sundry!!
Sorry to have put you all to this trouble. I have been able to use the machine with USB Keyboard & Mouse  (see post 2). Indeed I will do as suggested and invest in them. I was interested to determine how the PS2 sockets could become unserviceable, they are not particularly complicated.
There might be some value in updating the BIOS, I thought that it was Version 09 (the current recommended update by Dell) but on looking again, it is Version 05 which is pre 2000. This may have things like booting from USB drive and other things that seem to be useful. I am not clear how I should go about installing the new version which is available from Dell website.presumably recorded on floppy or CD. Any advice?Huh
Colin
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Colin,
My only advice is that while you've still got problems with PS2 you shouldn't complicate things further and attempt to update the bios. You're only storing more trouble for yourself if that goes wrong and it will also add another variable into the problem solving making it even more difficult to solve.
I understand it may be pre2000 but if you don't mind me asking, whats wrong with that? - It works doesn't it? Upgrading might give you one or 2 other settings but I very much doubt its going to be life changing if I'm honest. Please don't take this the wrong way but the fact that you're also looking in the bios for a reset and not knowing its a physical jumper short on the motherboard also suggests you shouldn't really be trying to upgrade yourself - if it goes wrong your motherboard is dead unless you send it away for repair. It's not as straight forward as installing a service pack as the bios chip literally has to be re-written. Unfortunately its not like a router where you just login to a html site and upload a new update, the bios is a very old dos type system which is basically the very core of starting your system.
With regards to the physical updating process, yes its done via a floppy and you run the software which will then physically use the motherboard to write the new bios into the bios chip (thus wiping out the old one). The only problem is that if it goes wrong your bios (which initialises the motherboard and detects things like hard and floppy drives) will no longer work and you literally won't be able to re-update it because it won't initialise.
Also you state you've been in the bios and you state you're now using USB mouse and KB but what you've not clearly told us is whether you've accessed the bios - using the USB or PS2 hardware?
I won't say this one again as it seems to be getting ignored despite being the best option.. Restore your registry backup.
@ReedRichards: I know its been suggested he reset the bios, if you read my post further up you'll see that I've already addressed that so I fail to see why you're making a point of this?
Quote
Alternatively if your PS2 hardware doesn't work before Windows has started to book (IE you can't use the PS2 keyboard to start in safe mode) on the motherboard there will be 2 reset pins. Touch those with a screwdriver so that it touches both at the same time and that should reset it (Thats the only way to reset a bios - or unplug and take out the clock battery). If that doesn't work and you still can't tap F5/8 before Windows starts for safe mode then I don't think a bios upgrade will work. It will more likely be a component on the motherboard thats fried.

In admission there is usually a 'Load default' option but I never recommend that personally.
@HPSauce: My explanation wasn't supposed to be word for word perfect but to give Colin a general idea of how it works. I'm not sure how else you would define the chip to be honest. Hard coded seems appropriate as the code running on it still runs after a total disconnection of the power and CMOS battery. Granted it may reset to default but it still runs because the code is stored directly inside the chip. Perhaps you'd prefer the word 'burned' instead? Either way its not volatile like the CPU or ram. It's basic operating principle is similar to PIC processors. They canbe updated by writing/burning new code onto them but they otherwise continue to run the existing code. Next thing I know you'll be telling me motherboards don't have Tattoos.
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Tattoos  Grin 
Quote from: HPsauce
we STILL need to know from the OP if the keyboard works at boot (before windows).
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

No, I'm serious.
All motherboards carry something called a Tattoo. Most IT techs have trouble believing it and I only found out after a run in with a Sub7 torjan many years ago requiring a specialist CD to be shipped from half way around the world to reinstate it. It's not a nice job and its rarer (and different to) a bios upgrade.
If you're still having trouble believing what I say then you may wish to read up on it before trying to ridicule me again.
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Quote from: okrzynska
trying to ridicule me again.

Ridicule?
Again?
What on earth are you on about? I'm totally confused..........
(and yes I do know what a motherboard tattoo is, but I just thought it was funny as most won't)
I'm just trying to help colintivy with his problem. I thought you were too?
7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
Thanks: 1,579
Fixes: 17
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Well after your previous post which seemed to be focussing on my description of bios chips being hard coded and then 'having a laugh' at the tattoo issue it felt like I was being belittled.
If I've misunderstood and snapped without cause then please accept my apologies.
I need a new signature... i'm bored of the old one!
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
Thanks: 146
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: XP SP3 PS2 connection failure

Definitely nothing personal, just information about the problem in hand. Hence very confused by "ridicule".
In fact I probably wouldn't even notice if I was responding to comments by the same person. Hence also confused about "again".
If I see something that I think is unclear or incorrect I'm likely to say so, after all it's a forum and there are lots of views on everything. And if I'm disagreed with I don't get upset about it either, that's life.  Cool