Is my keyboard dying? Sometimes, for no apparent reason,

[yy4me]

my keyboard will not work. When I boot up, no lights come on, nothing on the keyboard will engage. I reboot, I plug and unplug the keyboard and mouse from the rear of the computer. Eventually(so far) the num-lock will come on and things seem to be back to normal. At times, the mouse will not engage either but that seems to be only when the keyboard will not work. If the keyboard is out of commission, I cannot click on anything. No cursor flashing.

It is an HP keyboard and mouse that came with my Pavilion 526X.

Should I just go buy a new keyboard in anticipation of a someday no-go or do you think it is something else? I tried about 5 times this AM before things would work.

Thanks for any help.

yy4me

[hobbit709]

1. Never hurts to have a spare keyboard

You never know when you will spill something on it. And keyboards are cheap. If the new works fine, then you know what the problem is. If the same problem keeps happening, then it's most likely a motherboard problem.

[charlie]

2. USB?

If you have USB ports elsewhere, like on the front, try plugging them there.

[Why Syzygy]

3. I got a

keyboard for $5.00 at Tuesday Morning. It's the first I've had with a "spill guard".
When I (inevitably) spill liquids, they don't reach the electronic components.
I'm going to be shopping for a mouse soon too. It seems to be wearing out.
You should be able to replace yours with minimum expense.

[canetoad]

4. Dunno.....

Hate to be doomsday oracle, but if the KB and mouse BOTH refuse to respond it could be something going on with the motherboard and/or BIOS.

I've had a look at yy's motherboard specs and pic. It's pretty standard with PS/2 connectors. If it were a USB keyboard that may explain things as, in my experience, they seem not to respond as well as PS/2.

(*Hey, YY are you connecting your keyboard and mouse to the green and mauve round connectors at the top of the back panel or via USB ports?)

Having said that, first step is to try another working keyboard in the same port, next if using PS/2, try USB and vice-versa.

[Why Syzygy]

5. Oh. I was making an assumption they are USB. nt

[yy4me]

8. Hi canetoad, nice to be so well remembered. Both the mouse

and keyboard are plugged into the green and mauve round connectors on the top back. I have removed the plugs, plugged them back in several times when this event was happening and eventually things worked. Everything seems to be fine for days then, Bingo, no go. I have not done anything to the computer except turn it off each PM. I also as a matter of habit, turn off the power switch too just to save electricity. I am a little leary of trying another keyboard right now because it is working.

The next time things do not work, I will try another working keyboard. I have one in reserve and tried it this AM, and could not get it to go. The keyboard was given to me and it has a very strange cord and connector. The keyboard plug fits into another section of cord that joins at what looks like a splitter (Y shaped cord)of some sort. That then plugs into the computer leaving one section dangling. I was given to me so I just put it away. I never noticed the strange fitting. The plug on the keyboard cord itself will not fit into the fitting in the back of the computer. I thought that was strange and maybe would not work so I gave up on that and went back to playing with my original equipment.

If this problem is something other than the keyboard, is this machine toasted? Fixable by my local computer guy?

I won't know until it dies if this is permanent injury or just a fluke that I will always be able to fix. Right now, I can't be without a computer so I have my fingers crossed.

As always, help is appreciated.

[canetoad]

11. May or may not be the dark hand of computer death

What I'd be doing is for around $20, buy a generic keyboard that has a USB plug but make sure it also comes with a little mauve adapter that will plug into the mauve port in the top.

When you plug it in, be ultra careful and make sure you line up the pins and the long flat pin the right way, then just ease it into the mauve port. The other keyboard could be a very old one with the big connector (forget it's tech name) or maybe a proprietary one; either Dell or IBM used to have their own different keyboard plugs.

If no luck with the mauve connector, try the new keyboard in a usb port. I'm of two minds about having too many usb devices hanging off your machine when you have two perfectly good, purpose built ports, but if it gets you going, what the hell.

If all this fails, your computer guy may be able to get things going again by updating the BIOS, which in itself is not complicated but does entail certain risks.

From what you describe, the worst case scenario is a failure of the part of the motherboard where the KB and mouse plug in. It's not the end of the world and you could get by with USB input devices.

[yy4me]

9. Hi W/S, will any generic keyboard work? This machine is a HP.

Big Lots near here sells keyboards for under $10.00 and I can pick one up. New mouse too while I'm there.

Speaking on Tuesday Morning, the store near us just upped and closed without notice a few months ago. No sale, just emptied out, sign down. Too bad, great place to shop.

[Why Syzygy]

10. Well, it depends on your

connector. Since Canetoad knows your pc, he should be the one to advise you. I would assume your system is new enough to have USB connectors. CT will be back, I'm sure, to give you a final answer.

If I'm not mistaken, Tuesday Mornings shut down during the summer and wind back up in the fall. It used to be that way. I don't frequent one enough to know for sure. Yeah, I like them too. Especially the sales!

[Duer 157099]

6. Disconnect the plug from the back of the computer

and blow the dust out and inspect the prongs in the connector. Are they all there? Sometimes you can break one off by accident.

While you're at it, blow the dust out of your computer, just because.

[Duer 157099]

7. Also, try to be very careful and delicate when plugging/unplugging

things into the back of the computer. If you're plugging something into a card in an expansion slot, then you can always replace the card if something goes wonky.

But, when you're plugging devices (such as keyboard and mouse) directly into components on the motherboard, remember that the components are only held by tiny spects of solder and that they can crack easily.