Member Avatar for vsnider

Hello,

I have a Dell machine running XP with a mouse and keyboard that will not initialize on start. I know that the USB ports are ok becuase a printer is being recognized.
I don't have access to a serial port mouse.
Does anyone know how to get around this?

Thanks,
Vikki

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nathonn

Dani AI

Generated

A few practical checks and fixes not covered yet that often explain a USB keyboard/mouse that are dead only when Windows starts.

  • Verify whether the keyboard is powered at POST. Press the Caps Lock/Num Lock keys while the machine is powering on and watch for the LED change. If there is no LED response before Windows loads, the problem is at the BIOS/hardware level; if LEDs toggle during POST but not in Windows, it is almost certainly a driver/OS issue.
  • Check the motherboard rear-panel ports (not the front case hubs). Plug devices directly into the back USB sockets that come from the motherboard. Some front ports are on separate hubs that enumerate late or fail at boot.
  • Enter the BIOS and look for any USB-related options (Legacy USB Support, USB Keyboard/Mouse Support, or USB Emulation). These must be enabled for USB HID devices to work before Windows loads. If you cannot get any keystrokes to the BIOS, clear CMOS (power down, remove CMOS battery or use the jumper) to restore defaults and try again.
  • If BIOS shows the devices but Windows still does not accept input, boot the machine from a Linux Live CD/USB to confirm whether the problem is Windows-only. If Linux sees the keyboard/mouse, perform a Windows repair/driver restore; if Linux also fails, pursue BIOS updates or motherboard hardware diagnostics.
  • If the system uses wireless receivers or combination devices, try a simple wired generic keyboard (or a PS/2 keyboard if the board has a PS/2 port or a compatible adapter) to rule out receiver-specific issues.

This builds on points raised by and but focuses on BIOS/hardware-level checks and a Linux-live test to separate OS driver faults from firmware or hardware faults. If BIOS updates are considered, follow Dell guidance exactly and ensure stable AC power during the update.

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All 4 Replies

Member Avatar for nathonn

Hi friend,

If you have driver cd of mouse and keyboard pls reinstall it and then try,but remember first uninstall the previous software.

Member Avatar for Rahul Gaikwad

mouse not working

Member Avatar for cohen

Hello,

I have a Dell machine running XP with a mouse and keyboard that will not initialize on start. I know that the USB ports are ok becuase a printer is being recognized.
I don't have access to a serial port mouse.
Does anyone know how to get around this?

Thanks,
Vikki

When you say this..... that you have to unplug and then plug the mouse & keyboard back in???

Can you try another USB mouse and / or a keyboard?

Hi friend,

If you have driver cd of mouse and keyboard pls reinstall it and then try,but remember first uninstall the previous software.

Yes, this could be the problem... but he says that his printer works.....

mouse not working

What???

If you need some help, pls create a new thread :)

Member Avatar for nathonn

Hi,
First check your mouse some another pc then told me what happened.

mouse not working

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