Member Avatar for awacs

EU's computer boots to XP, gets to the desktop, and keyboard and mouse stop functioning. Same story Safe Mode, and Last Known Good.

Tried different Keyboard/Mouse.

No PS/2 connectors.

Found a XP Pro disk - it wouldn't repair (couldn't see) the XP Home install, but I loaded a new windows install in a new directory. Keyboard and mouse work there, so the hardware's ok.

Chkdsk /r comes up clean.

So, how do I fix the problem in the old Windows install?

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Dani AI

Generated

If the keyboard and mouse work in BIOS and inside a freshly installed parallel XP but stop once the original XP loads, the fault is almost certainly at the Windows level — damaged system files, the SYSTEM registry hive, or HID/USB driver/service entries. Repairing the original installation is the right approach (as pointed out): a repair install restores the core system files and registry hives that Windows depends on for HID and USB support.

A few practical notes that are often missed:

  • A repair/Recovery operation must be done with matching media. An XP Pro disc will generally not repair an XP Home install (and service-pack mismatches can also block detection). That explains why a wrong-edition CD can’t “see” the install.
  • If you can boot another working Windows on the same machine, you can do offline fixes (copying driver files or restoring registry hives) without reinstalling everything.

Safe, commonly used offline recovery workflows

  1. Copy core HID/USB driver files from the working install to the broken one (first rename the originals as a .bak). Typical filenames to consider: kbdclass.sys, kbdhid.sys, mouclass.sys, mouhid.sys, hidclass.sys, hidparse.sys, hidusb.sys, usbhub.sys, usbport.sys. Only copy files from a matching service-pack level; mismatched drivers can make things worse.

  2. Restore registry hives from the Repair folder via Recovery Console (this effectively rolls Windows back toward the original, unmodified system hive). Example Recovery Console steps:

cd \windows\system32\config
ren system system.bak
copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
ren software software.bak
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
ren sam sam.bak
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
ren default default.bak
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Cautions and prevention

  • Always back up/rename originals before overwriting. If unsure, image the drive first. These operations can fix many HID problems but carry risk if done with mismatched media.
  • Once fixed, create a full image and keep the correct install media and driver copies handy to avoid reinstalling dozens of apps later.

Thanks to the contributors here: and for boot/PE workarounds, and for the repair confirmation — repair is usually the cleanest cure when device support dies only after Windows loads.

Recommended Answers

All 16 Replies

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi and welcome to Daniweb,
Got to Devise Manager (To access the “Devise Manager” Go “Start” “Run” type “devmgmt.msc” without the “ “ then press “OK”) check for yellow exclamation marks. Right click your mouse and keyboard and click update drivers.
If you are still having troubles Go, "Start", "Run", type sfc /scannow and click OK. If still having problems go here:-
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repair-Windows-XP-t138.html

Member Avatar for awacs

Hi and welcome to Daniweb,
Got to Devise Manager (To access the “Devise Manager” Go “Start” “Run” type “devmgmt.msc” without the “ “ then press “OK”) check for yellow exclamation marks. Right click your mouse and keyboard and click update drivers.

On the new installation, no exclamation points. (can't run Device Manager on the old installation; no keyboard/mouse).

If you are still having troubles Go, "Start", "Run", type sfc /scannow and click OK.

On the new installation, comes up ok. Again, can't run it on the old installation.

If still having problems go here:-
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repair-Windows-XP-t138.html

I can't repair the old installation - apparently because it's a Pro CD that doesn't see the Home installation. Rummaging EVERYWHERE for a Home CD, still haven't found it. :-(

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
Yes you said you have no keyboard or mouse and I did not think. Again!!
try this:-

You need to use another computer or your operating XP and download the program used to make an Ultimate Boot CD.
1. Run the program and make a Boot CD from the ISO.
2. Use that CD to boot your computer.
3. Before you run any other program in UBCD, I recommend that you run a virus scan and malwarebytes to remove all viruses that hide or can not be removed when Windows is running.
An Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is a bootable recovery CD that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or diagnosing almost any computer problem. Use the link below to download a customized ISO file of the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. A CD-ROM created from this ISO file will be a bootable disk containing a myriad of diagnostics and utilities. The software contained on the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is either freeware or has been designed "for personal use only". Check the site for all the different software that is included on the CD and if necessary, instructions on how to use that software. Assuming there is no hardware problem with your computer, you will be able to go on-line and update any program or locate other software (drivers etc)
Click here for the official Ultimate Boot CD for Windows website: http://www.ubcd4win.com/
If you don’t know how to burn a CD with an ISO file, check the site, there are detailed instructions there on using several different burning programs.

Member Avatar for sittas87

Hi all

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the "new" OS, copied all the data over from the "old" OS and installed the necessary drivers and software onto the new. When done I would've just deleted the old windows folder and who would've guessed I'm working on a new install :)

Member Avatar for awacs

Hi all

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the "new" OS, copied all the data over from the "old" OS and installed the necessary drivers and software onto the new. When done I would've just deleted the old windows folder and who would've guessed I'm working on a new install :)

Ouch. Painful and (I hope) unnecessary. Reinstalling 30-40 programs, grabbing every last morsel out of docs & settings? Double ouch.

Member Avatar for awacs

Hi,
You need to use another computer or your operating XP and download the program used to make an Ultimate Boot CD.

Thanks for the help, Bob.

Does it matter that I'm using the 'wrong' (i.e. Pro vs. Home) version of windows?

Thanks.

Member Avatar for awacs

The PE Builder crashes with these errors:

Warning: building from an OEM version of Windows can mean trouble...
[...]
Error: DeleteFile() "C:\UBCD4WIN\BARTPE\I386\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\petmphive" failed
Error: DeleteFile() "C:\UBCD4WIN\BARTPE\I386\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\petmphive.log" failed
Error: DeleteFile() "C:\UBCD4WIN\BARTPE\I386\SYSTEM32\setuphiv" failed
Error: DeleteFile() "C:\UBCD4WIN\BARTPE\I386\SYSTEM32\setuphiv.log" failed
[...]
Builder has stopped because there are 4 build errors
ISO image is not created, you must fix the errors!
Building done...
There where 4 errors and 1 warnings


Eh?

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
Sorry about the absence, I lost my PC to a power crash and had to do a lot of work (using UBCD) to get it back,
What can I tell you, I have made the disc twice and not had any problems. There are forums and FAQs there on the site, see if anything is there about your problem or just try again.
The program only requires a copy of windows to work so if you have that you should not have any problems.

Member Avatar for sittas87

Hi
been working in the IT environment for some years now and never before has it taken me more than 3 hours to install a Operating system with its softies, currently its taking you more than a day to resolve this...Tripple Ouch!!!

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi sittas87,
You could offer the OP a solution!!!

Member Avatar for awacs

Hi,
Yes you said you have no keyboard or mouse and I did not think. Again!!
try this:-

You need to use another computer or your operating XP and download the program used to make an Ultimate Boot CD.
1. Run the program and make a Boot CD from the ISO.
2. Use that CD to boot your computer.
3. Before you run any other program in UBCD, I recommend that you run a virus scan and malwarebytes to remove all viruses that hide or can not be removed when Windows is running.
An Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is a bootable recovery CD that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or diagnosing almost any computer problem. Use the link below to download a customized ISO file of the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. A CD-ROM created from this ISO file will be a bootable disk containing a myriad of diagnostics and utilities. The software contained on the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows is either freeware or has been designed "for personal use only". Check the site for all the different software that is included on the CD and if necessary, instructions on how to use that software. Assuming there is no hardware problem with your computer, you will be able to go on-line and update any program or locate other software (drivers etc)
Click here for the official Ultimate Boot CD for Windows website: http://www.ubcd4win.com/
If you don’t know how to burn a CD with an ISO file, check the site, there are detailed instructions there on using several different burning programs.

Hi
been working in the IT environment for some years now and never before has it taken me more than 3 hours to install a Operating system with its softies, currently its taking you more than a day to resolve this...Tripple Ouch!!!

Anyway: post mortem: found a WinXP Home disk and it repaired the installation. Half hour. End of story. Well, thank to everyone who helped.

Member Avatar for rizham

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the new Operating System

Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the new Operating System

How is it not a fix when he has repaired his problem with the OS disk?
How do you boot to, what new, operating system?

Member Avatar for awacs

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the new Operating System

And reinstall the application? No, thanks, not unless I really HAD to.

Member Avatar for awacs

This is not a fix but a reasonable workaround. I would've just Booted to the new Operating System

How is it not a fix when he has repaired his problem with the OS disk?

Right.

How do you boot to, what new, operating system?

In the original question I said that I had loaded a XP Pro installation, parallel to the busted XP home install. I'm still wondering if there was a 'better' way to solve this problem, than reinstalling. Curious.

Member Avatar for gerbil

If your kb/mouse worked in BIOS etc, stopped when Windows loaded, then it was a driver problem. And the best way to fix that on an inoperative sys is to run windows Repair. That is what it is for. Shame it forces you to dl all the updates again. And often some software must be reinstalled.

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