I was trying to hook up a Lexmark All-In-One printer to my Windows XP (service pack 2) Dell computer. I disabled my anti-virus and anti-spyware as well as disconnect my printer and external hard drive so there would be no conflicts.

While installing the Lexmark software and drivers, I kept getting a bubble that it didn't recognize the USB device.

According to Lexmark's own Knowledgebase, one should "Disable the USB Enhanced (USB 2.0) Controller" in the Device Manager when you get this message. I followed the instructions exactly and now my mouse and keyboard are completely disabled and I am unable to log in to my computer. I get as far as the screen where you choose the account you want to log into.

How do I reconnect the USB Enhanced Controller and regain control of my mouse and keyboard?


THANKS.

Download and reinstall the chipset for that motherboard, or computer system. USB is usually part of the chipset install. Also, inspect all other drivers available for that computer, or those components. Or you may have them all on a supplemental disk, unless you have a home built.
You can look at the Device Driver within hardware, in system, and get a list of all drivers that System thinks are not installed... then install each one over again.
Be sure to update the BIOS if that choice is available.
The Lexmarks are sensitive to the way you install the printer. Uninstall it using a registry editor to get rid of all history of the previous install. Then cold boot to reinstall the drivers once more. Do NOT connect the printer to the USB cable until told to do so, or until after the drivers have been installed, then connect the USB cable before you reboot. If not defective, the computer will detect the printer after all components are installed upon a reboot.

OK, I've got the correct chipset. Pardon my ignorance, but how do I reinstall it when I do not have use of my mouse or keyboard?

Also, regarding the above quoted paragraph, I do not understand what this means exactly.

THANK YOU.

Good Question. I have not seen a computer that will not boot to a Windows XP disk, or a WXP restore or recovery disk, then allow you to search for repair mode (not repair console).

You might want to borrow another hard drive, and put all your drivers on a USB flash (pen) drive. Then boot to your windows disk and let it go through the entire partition setup and format... At the end of which it will restore the basic chipset...
If that doesn't work, you may have to download the setup disk for the motherboard you use, then setup the board again using their software.

However, you should be able to use the keyboard and mouse on another hard drive that is free of any install gimmicks.

So are you saying to boot to a Windows XP disk (does it boot right up with that disc in the drive or do I have to do something during the boot up phase?) and get into repair mode? Would getting into safety mode allow me to do the trick?

And once in repair mode, what do I do from there?

I'm sorry if I am fuzzy on this. I have some tech savvy but not as much as some people here, I'm sure.

My preference is to avoid formatting and partitioning my hard drive if at all possible, of course.

THANKS.

Actually, I have done some research and talked to the guys who know. Repair Mode WILL NOT likely repair the problem in many cases because it may not be a Windows Issue..

Were your original problem Keyboard and Mouse PS/2 or USB by the manufacturer, or aftermarket keyboard and mouse? Can you use a normal PS/2 keyboard and mouse if the USB was used until now?
The standard PS/2 keyboard and mouse are recognized at the BIOS level. USB board and mouse are not recognized until USB drivers are loaded.
A standard PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse should work. If not, you will need to reset your BIOS. You can do that by removing the CMOS battery.

To reset your bios, it can be most easily done by removing the jumper next to the CMOS battery. If no jumper, then remove the CMOS battery, then remove the power cord from the back of the computer, then press the <ON> button and hold it in for 12 seconds, then let they system sit for 30 minutes. Then replace the battery. Then replace the power cord.

You may then get a request from the BIOS to press <F1> or <F10> or <F12>. Follow the instructions given.

Be aware that this problem can be caused by a virus or spyware infestation, as well.

If this does not work, you might benefit from trying a DOS or Windows 98 hard disk to see if the keyboard and mouse are then detected. This would mean your computer is OK, but Windows is bad.

And finally, if you suddenly removed your mouse or keyboard plug from the socket, that can sometimes damage the motherboard so it will never work properly again.

Keep us informed, please.

Raybay:

Problem solved. And it was amazingly simple and quick, to my relief. I have to credit my brother for this suggestion.

Hit F8 on boot up, then choose Last Known Good Configuration (or that similar phrase), and bam, it came up perfectly, mouse and everything working. It detected the keyboard and the mouse as if they were newly installed.

Whew.

Thanks for your suggestions and time.

Sorry.
That solution was so obvious that it raced right by me.

1. Above not quite true. One only make sure your BIOS is set for USB emulation mode (or some similar name) and your BIOS will detect and handle USB connected directly to computer's USB port (tho maybe not via external hub). I routinely have my usb mouse/keyboard connected when booting directly into BIOS and working within BIOS. never a problem. Let alone able to hit F2 from my WIRELESS usb keyboard to even get from flash screen into bios in the first place!

2. And can reinstall all the chipset but a simpler step then reinstalling all chip devices out-of-the-box, go to Device Manager and uninstall each of the USB controllers listed then reboot (or simply click View->Scan for hardware change) for Windows hardware detection to scan and reinstall just the controllers is often sufficient.

3. AND if you do #2 above in THAT case you lose you USB mouse and keyboard! BUT all you really need (as is useful anyway) is a PS/2 mouse. no keyboard seldom really matters (again is my routine setup). I keep a cheap ps/2 mechanical mouse plugged and stashed behind computer. It also helps as you note if CPU starts running high your USB devices can be slow to unresponsive. having a ps/2 let's me often fix the problem quckly