Keyboard not responding

[novice]

Hi

Greerings from Melbourne, Australia! Came across this forum through a Google search and thought I'd post my question here.

I just bought myself a 2nd hand HP Vectra computer, *apparently* with Windows removed. However, when I turn the computer on, the windows 98 page is displayed and the system just freezes ie. whatever key I pressed, there was no response.

What I proceeded to do was to use my Windows 98 Startup disk to boot the machine by pressing <DEL> when the system is starting up. At this time, I noticed the keyboard lights flashes and the 'A:>' prompt is eventually displayed at the end of the startup phase. The keyboard does not respond though after this time. I have checked the keyboard ( Diamond Touch brand) against my other computer and it worked fine. I've also used the keyboard from my other PC on this computer I'd just purchased to no avail.

Being non-technical, any advice towards possible causes of the keyboard
error would be much appreciated so that I can proceed with installing
Windows 2000 on the computer. Thanks.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Are you sure you inserted the keyboard in the correct PS/2 port and not in the mouse-port?
Check the number of pins on the keyboard-plug and compare it with the one from your other PC. Same number? Check the PS/2 port to see if any broken pins are stuck in there. Check the autoexec.bat and config.sys on your W98-floppy. Maybe using the wrong country-settings or a faulty keyboard-driver? Put a rem command (rem+space) in front of any keyboard line. Standard bootup would then be a US-keyboard layout.
You need not press DEL at bootup, unless you want to go into the BIOS.

 

[novice]

You are absolutely right! I am such a dork when it comes to technical stuff - I inserted the keyboard in the mouse port and vice-versa! Thanks for your help.