USB Input Devices Won't Work in XP

[PigCorpse]

Hi,

The place I'm working at over the summer is having some problems with a new computer.

The new one is a Dell. I don't remember the exact model but it's fairly new. It has no PS/2 connectors so I had to use a USB keyboard and mouse. However, the person who will be using the computer doesn't want to lose anything, so a reinstall is not possible. The old hard drive from her older computer was put into her new computer.

Now, the keyboard works in the BIOS just fine. But when I go into Windows, it goes to the welcome screen. The USB mouse and keyboard stop working. The computer is still functioning; the cursor in the password box is still blinking, but I can't move the mouse cursor or type anything.

After a few minutes, the mouse starts to work, but the keyboard doesn't work, ever. The old computer used PS/2 input devices, and it worked fine.

Any help?

Thanks!

 

[-=Antimatter=-]

The old hard drive from her older computer was put into her new computer.

That's probably the problem. New computer = new windows install = new copy of windows if your license is only for one computer. Install the OS on another hard drive and conenct that one as the secondary non-boot drive, she should be able to pull her data off it.

 

[PigCorpse]

Reinstalling isn't an option, though. It's not just files that need to be saved, but programs too. Reinstalling Windows means I have to reinstall the programs. This is a jewelry manufacturing company and the programs are very important and will take days to reinstall and configure.

I can access the disk by booting into a working install. Maybe some .inf file I need to copy? I can do that.

 

[nessus]

Reinstalling isn't an option, though. It's not just files that need to be saved, but programs too. Reinstalling Windows means I have to reinstall the programs. This is a jewelry manufacturing company and the programs are very important and will take days to reinstall and configure.

I can access the disk by booting into a working install. Maybe some .inf file I need to copy? I can do that.

If the software they were running is that important, it shoudn't be an issue for the installaton to take however long it is going to take. Your other options won't be any faster.

If not, too bad. Sometimes you can't get what you want in life. Deal with it.

There is one fast thing that might work if you are very, very lucky, and Remote Desktop access is turned on and the new machine has the same NIC type as the old one. XP will only do a very few hardware detections that add drivers without a user with administrator rights being logged on (mouse and keyboard are it, did you try plugging the keyboard into the same USB port where the mouse was working?). If you can use the Remote Desktop client to log on to the workstation, you will have mouse and keyboard working for the logon sequence. Once logged on, you should be able to run whatever CD came with the new machine's motherboard to get the USB issue straighted out from the remote session. If Remote Desktop was disabled, and the old machine isn't available for you to boot and enable it, your outlook is bleak.

You might try one or both of the following options:

1. Make an image of the drive. Put it back in the old machine, then run sysprep on the drive before putting it back in the new machine.

2. Make an image of the old drive and use that as the basis for making a Virtual PC using Microsoft Virtual PC or VMWare (both are now free). If it works in a Virtual PC session, use sysprep on the virtual machine, and make an image of that. Use that to reimage the new machine, it may redetect all the hardware to where it will work.

They were similar enough for it to almost boot properly, so chances are sysprep will take care of it.

Good luck either way, you are going to need it.

 

[alphanumeric]

New hardware means new install, especially if the motherboard chip-sets are different. Windows is loading the wrong drivers and likely missing a few needed ones. You may want to put the drive back in the original PC so it can be used while the programs are installed on the new one.