System Ignores Mice... Can't Get Into WindowsXP

[dmoltrup]

I've got a problem with my main system that is driving me nuts!
After powering up and going to the 'logon' screen, I cannot input any data from the mouse, and possibly the keyboard either. It just sits there as I try to move the mouse to click my name so that I can log-on. I can't get it to move or even jitter from its center point after the mouse pointer has been initialized. My main mouse is the Microsoft Intellimouse which I originally had in the PS/2 slot, but moved it to USB to see if it would let me login. When this didn't work, I connected a different mouse to my PS/2 port, and the problem is unchanged. After not being able to get the pointer to work with either mouse, I let the computer sit there for about half an hour until the screensaver kicked in. Jiggling the mouse didn't interrupt the screensaver, so it appears the computer isn't even reading it. The mouse is getting power, though, because the Intellimouse has a light underneath it that remains lit after Windows (apparantly) initializes the mouse and keyboard.
Futher complicating the problem is my keyboard. I'm pretty sure the pressing a key will interrupt the screensaver (I MIGHT have shut that off) so I'm wondering if there is a problem with this as well.
Does anyone know if there are hotkeys for starting WindowsXP when you're sitting at the main login screen? I've also tried running with the last known good configuration, but it brought me to the main screen as well, andI couldn't continue. As a matter of fact, I've tried most of the options from the "Safe Mode" boot-up screen, to no avail.

My System:
WindowsXP Pro
PcChips MB694A
VIA Chipset (latest known 4in1 downloaded about two weeks ago)
PentiumIII 1.0GHz (@ 1.0GHz)
512MB SDRAM
40GB Maxtor 7200
SONY 24x10x40 CDRW Drive
PHILIPS CDRW400 Ext. USB Drive
PNY MX400 nVidia2 Video
SBlaster Live! 5.1 Sound
Zoom v.92 PCI Modem
Microsoft Intellimouse Optical
Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard

[BipolarBill]

Wow. Have you tried Safe Mode and System Restore? Does BIOS take input from the keyboard?

If you do a System Restore from before the onset of symptoms and it fails to help, I would assume a hardware problem.

To log on with the keyboard, use Alt-Tab until you have "focus" and then use the Tab key to toggle fields.

[dmoltrup]

Yes, I can navigate the BIOS.. I figured I had cleared that question by mentioning that I selected a few different 'Safe Mode' options from the F8 menu. ...Ah well.

Also worth mentioning is that I deleted Earthlink and the Gravis Gamepad software from Add/Remove programs. The system wanted to reset and now I can't get back into Windows. I rarely shut down the system, though, so I don't know if the Add/Remove caused this problem, or something I may have changed previously.

[dmoltrup]

Whoops.. Forgot:

Tab and Alt-Tab do not work. That's one of the first things that I tried. Are you certain the WinXP main login can use the Tab-key input? If it can, I'm pretty well screwed. Most likely a system restore is in order. Grr. :mad:

[BipolarBill]

Try the Repair process (boot from CD). It may just do the trick and you won't lose any data or settings. BTW...you must select Install in order to get to Repair.

[rextex]

...(LOL).. :D (Sorry dmoltrup!)
..but mouse,key errors..
I haven't seen one since dos days...
..XP!....
what a funky O.S.!!
:confused:

[userserver]

Make sure the mouse and keyboard are plugged in good and tight and clear nvram. Make XP work for its leisure time.

[dmoltrup]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
Try the Repair process (boot from CD). It may just do the trick and you won't lose any data or settings. BTW...you must select Install in order to get to Repair. I'll try that. I thought I was going into the repair process, but ended up in some freaky DOS look-alike mode where nothing works. I have no clue what the heck that was! :rolleyes:

[BipolarBill]

That was the Recovery Console. :eek: You don't want to be there! It's fine for MBR repair and other simple things, but what you need would require lots of debugging and a developer's knowledge of the OS. Forget that! :(

Select Install (do not fear!) and then Repair.

[HRM]

Is it possible to have switched the mouse and keyboard plugs? I know this is a simple thing, but it has happened before.

[dmoltrup]

I selected the restore option, like you recommended, but now I'm really stuck. It gets to the keyboard options part and I still can't use the mouse or keyboard, so it just sits there. Again, the keyboard works UNTIL it gets into Windows, then it stops working. I can't test the mouse, but I'm pretty sure it would yield the same results. I've tried USB AND PS/2 for the mouse and keyboard as well. The last thing I can try is stripping the system to barebones and re-trying. Unfortunately, I don't have any other ideas. Even if I were to try a Full Install, I don't know how because Windows Setup detects that it's in the middle of an "Update", and automatically goes into that (It sits there for about five minutes on the 'Installing Windows' screen, then pops up the 'Regional and Language Options' dialog box. It has the "<Back | Next>" buttons, which I can't use.

[BipolarBill]

Um...what happened with the Repair?

I'm finding it hard to believe that both the PS/2 and USB hardware subsystems would die at the same time (although it is possible).

I would clear CMOS and try again. If worse comes to worse, you can install fresh and salvage your data. You don't have to format.

[dmoltrup]

Sorry.. I was going to post an update sooner, but couldn't get my laptop to log-on anymore.. Ah well.

The reason I couldn't get back into the Setup options without it instantly booting into the HDD and resuming its setup is because I cleared my CMOS on someone else's advice, and it removed the option to boot to CD-ROM. Grr. :rolleyes:

I fixed that, and went to the full install options. I decided to try installing a new instance of Windows on top of my current one (Luckily, I decided to get the 40Gig HDD, instead of the 20!!)

Anyway, when it got to the Regional setting dialog box, I crossed my fingers and moved the mouse. It worked! I currently have a WindowsXP installed into C:\WINDOWS2. I'll backup all my junk and delete the current partition and start over again.

For some reason my drivers got corrupted or something. Perhaps one of the programs I removed got jealous and decided to completely screw me up? I dunno.

Geez. I was freaking out, because both keyboard and mouse are USB, with the PS/2 adapter, so I tried both of them in each type of port. I even tested them on my laptop and they worked. I EVEN tried booting with mo mouse installed to see if it would force Windows into using the keyboard. Disconnecting and reconnecting the USB mouse didn't work either.

Ah well.. I have lots of backing up to do...

Thanks for your help!

[BipolarBill]

Ah...the sweet smell of progress!

Good luck, dmoltrup.

[dmoltrup]

Originally posted by BipolarBill
Ah...the sweet smell of progress!

Umm.. That's not progress... Thats your power supply burning up!! :D

[BipolarBill]

Not my Enermax 410! :eek: Say it ain't so, Joe!

[Kurylo]

Your PS/2 controllet is burned or a plug is bad.

[dmoltrup]

I can't pinpoint the exact source of my problem, but here's a go at it:

When I installed my SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 card, I probably just clicked the "Install anyway" option when it attempts to update a USB driver with a 'non-certified' one. (I noticed this when re-installing). Occasionally my USB devices would reset (The new hardware found sound would suddenly play for no reason, or I would be playing Flight Simulator and the flight stick control would go haywire, no matter what I did with it until I recalibrated).

PLUS

I installed the iTouch application for my keyboard, on top of the Microsoft Intellimouse driver. Since the iTouch driver seems to double as a mouse driver, this most likely caused the lockup.

I think a combination of these two problems somehow made the computer finally snap and decide it wasn't going to work anymore. I might even have deleted the 'mouse driver' portion of the Logitech iTouch software, but I don't remember doing it. It seems like something that I would do, though.

Again, thanks for your help.

[BipolarBill]

I have had many problems when using Logitech keyboard software and MS mouse software on the same PC. In this case, I usually omit the keyboard software.

I rarely see trouble with the the inverse (MS keyboard and Logitech mouse). Basically, it seems that Logitech keyboard software is way too intrusive. MS keyboard sofware if quite easy on the system.

[jkac123]

I hear alot about problems with XP recognizing drivers and other things. From what I gather, it it not that user friendly:confused:

[BipolarBill]

Actually I was referring to all Windows versions. My first Logitech/MS mouse problems were with NT4.0...