![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2001
- Messages
- 12,842
I had an older P4-era Small form-factor Dell with XP on it that was given to me to work on.
As I do with all the computers I work on I tell them to bring me the computer only and I work on it via my KVM.
The problem was that for some reason it was requiring a driver confirmation prompt before allowing any hardware to be installed. This caused an issue where it wouldn’t install the drivers for my USB mouse and keyboard without clicking “yes” on the confirmation prompt, which I obviously couldn’t do without a keyboard or mouse.
In this situation I would normally use a PS/2 keyboard or mouse but the computer did not have any PS/2 ports, only USB ports and a 9-pin serial port.
I tried to use an old MS Wheelmouse with a PS/2 to serial adapter but that didn’t work. I also went to the local surplus computer store and bought an old serial mouse for $3, that didn’t work either. I know both the serial and USB ports worked because both would allow mouse functionality if I tried to boot from a Vista CD and once I got to the GUI. Neither would work on the existing XP install.
What could I have done to get mouse and/or keyboard functionality. The only thing I can think of that would have not caused the driver confirmation prompt to appear would have been to use the exact keyboard he had been using and have it plugged in to the same port. That just seems pretty convoluted. There has to be an easier way around this.
As I do with all the computers I work on I tell them to bring me the computer only and I work on it via my KVM.
The problem was that for some reason it was requiring a driver confirmation prompt before allowing any hardware to be installed. This caused an issue where it wouldn’t install the drivers for my USB mouse and keyboard without clicking “yes” on the confirmation prompt, which I obviously couldn’t do without a keyboard or mouse.
In this situation I would normally use a PS/2 keyboard or mouse but the computer did not have any PS/2 ports, only USB ports and a 9-pin serial port.
I tried to use an old MS Wheelmouse with a PS/2 to serial adapter but that didn’t work. I also went to the local surplus computer store and bought an old serial mouse for $3, that didn’t work either. I know both the serial and USB ports worked because both would allow mouse functionality if I tried to boot from a Vista CD and once I got to the GUI. Neither would work on the existing XP install.
What could I have done to get mouse and/or keyboard functionality. The only thing I can think of that would have not caused the driver confirmation prompt to appear would have been to use the exact keyboard he had been using and have it plugged in to the same port. That just seems pretty convoluted. There has to be an easier way around this.