Member Avatar for Tinki

I'm literally using Word to insert each one of these letters...so let me get to the point. Brought my pc home from uni & now I’ve reconnected it all & keyboard doesn’t work:S . Lights flash when I plug it in, and have a faint light as normal, but it just doesn’t work. It's not a USB one, and I’ve dusted everything, and disconnected n reconnected it all countless times. Think it happened before, but fixed itself. I’ve tried a different keyboard, but no luck there, so I’m stuck. And going to a shop to get it fixed isn’t in the cards, being penniless n all. Can anyone help? This keyboard worked fine on friday. Any suggestions will be appreciated... wow, this was an effort!:sweat:

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Dani AI

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Brief summary: if two different PS/2 keyboards light but neither sends input on the same PC, the fault is much more likely to be the PC (motherboard/BIOS/PS2 interface) than both keyboards. already confirmed the LED power, and responders , and covered the obvious plug/reboot and connector checks—those are good first steps, so try the items below next.

Try to isolate the problem before any repairs:

  • Test one of the keyboards on another working machine to confirm it actually sends keystrokes. If it works on another PC, the problem is the original machine.
  • Reset the motherboard/BIOS (clear CMOS). Power down, unplug, and either use the clear-jumper per the motherboard manual or remove the coin cell for a minute, then restore power and try again. This resets BIOS settings that can disable onboard controllers and often restores a non-responsive PS/2 interface.
  • If possible, boot the PC to the BIOS/POST screen (or a rescue/live OS). If the keyboard is dead before the OS loads, it’s almost certainly hardware/firmware, not an OS driver.

Hardware checks and safe handling:

  • With power removed, inspect the PS/2 port and nearby motherboard area for corrosion, scorch marks, or blown capacitors. Ground yourself and be gentle; do not attempt solder/jumper fixes unless experienced.
  • If the board has a secondary PS/2 header (rear vs front panel), try the other one if available.

If those steps fail, the PS/2 controller (part of the Super I/O chip) or the port circuitry is likely faulty. Low-cost workarounds include borrowing a USB keyboard or using a proper active PS/2-to-USB adapter (passive adapters only work with keyboards that speak USB). If repair is required, weigh repair cost versus replacing the board; avoid risky hardware hacks unless confident.

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Member Avatar for lasher511

Shutdown your computer and then plug in your keyboard then try booting it up and seeing if that works.

Member Avatar for Tinki

The thing is that I’ve already done that, but it doesn't do anything. There is power going to the keyboard, but that’s it, it just like a zombie. Is there anything else that I could be overlooking?

Member Avatar for cguan_77

some mobo had a fuse connecting to the PS2 port.. sometimes it breaks off then your keyboard would not be recognized..it can be solved by just connecting a thin wire.. if ever the fuse had blown out.. the fuse usually can be found out at the back of your mobo near the PS2 port..check it out..

Member Avatar for bfdman

Be sure to have the power OFF when you disconnect or reconnect your keyboard. Disconnect it and look at the pins at the end of the keyboard connector to check if you've bent one or more of the pins when you reconnected it. Also, is it possible that you have the keyboard connected to the ps/2 mouse connector, the behaviour you describe is exactly what happens when the keyboard and mouse connections are reversed.

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