Member Avatar for pumpkin

Please help!

Have recently installed windows XP on a 4 your old Packard Bell imedia PC. (upgrade on Windows me) the mouse and Keyboard are connected via usb ports and in the main don't work so can not access pc at all!

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upgraded a Packard Bell iMedia to XP and sees USB keyboard/mouse fail intermittently at the Welcome screen. and pointed at firmware/drivers — useful leads. The checklist below focuses on diagnostic steps and safe fixes that have not yet been covered in the thread, so the root cause can be identified and fixed.

First, decide whether the problem exists before Windows starts or only after XP begins loading. Boot the machine from a Linux or Windows PE live medium (CD or USB). If the keyboard/mouse work in that environment, the fault is inside XP (drivers/settings). If they do not work there either, the problem is at the firmware/hardware level.

If firmware/hardware looks likely: test different physical ports (rear motherboard jacks vs front-panel ports), try known-good USB devices and cables, and remove any hubs or extra USB peripherals during testing. Look for intermittent power problems (a weak PSU can fail to power USB at cold boot). Inspect motherboard connectors and caps for visible damage. Only consider a firmware (BIOS) update if the manufacturer lists a fix for USB issues — follow the vendor instructions exactly and be aware that a failed BIOS update can render the PC unbootable.

If it looks like an XP/driver issue: when the ports are working, open Device Manager and note any warnings under "Universal Serial Bus controllers." Uninstall the USB host controllers and generic hubs, then reboot so Windows redetects them. Disable power management on each "USB Root Hub" (Power Management tab -> uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"). Enable boot logging (F8 -> Enable boot logging) and check C:\Windows\ntbtlog.txt and Event Viewer for USB driver load errors to identify which driver is failing. Save the motherboard/chipset driver package and any USB controller drivers while you have access so you can reinstall them offline if needed.

Collect these results and note which specific ports and which test environment produced success or failure — that information will pinpoint whether to focus on firmware, power/hardware, or XP drivers. If any step (BIOS update or inside-the-case inspection) is unfamiliar, seek hands-on help to avoid damage.

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Member Avatar for pcpalct

and in the main don't work so can not access pc at all!

Can you please elaborate / clarify this ?

Thanks :D

Member Avatar for pumpkin

basically when I switch computer on most of the time on the windows xp welcome screen where I have to select the user to carry on the mouse and keyboard just don't work at all so I can't log on and have to turn the pc off. I sometimes have to do many times and then one time when I switch on the mouse and keyboard are ok and I can carry on a use the pc!

Member Avatar for ShawnCplus

run down to the store and buy a usb>ps/2 converter. Looks like a usb flash drive but with a female usb connection on one end and ps/2 connection on the other end. If that doesnt work well buy a ps/2 keyboard dont worry about the mouse you can still use the usb mouse once your done. ok follow these steps once you have found a ps/2 keyboard.
1. plug it in.
2. when you boot your machine go into cmos setup then make sure usb isnt disable which is probably the case
Hope that helps.

Member Avatar for MartyMcFly

If you think you have USB2.0 ports, try this, if you can get there.

Right click My Computer, go properties.

Hardware Tab then device manager. If you've got ? next to any devices your missing drivers. I'm thinking that you may be missing USB2.0 drivers, as they don't always automatically pick up even on XP.

If this is the case, either install from a setup disk or download them from your motherboard manufacturer I would of thought.

If you think there just knackered, how about buying a USB PCI card.

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