Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

2006-06-27 16:04:15

Hello!

After having problems with a wireless Logitech keyboard I just purchased, I replaced it and bought a Microsoft one. Unlike the Logitech receiver, this one from Microsoft can only be connected via USB - no PS/2 adapter and no Y cable (it's not only a keyboard in fact, but a mouse and keyboard set - therefore you would need a Y PS/2 cable). One of the many problems I had with the Logitech keyboard and now also have with the Microsoft one is that whenever I turn on the PC and leave it start Windows XP without pressing any key inbetween, XP would simply hang after showing the Windows logo and the blue progress bar (the very first Windows related screen you see after the POST messages). I say "without any key inbetween" because I have two boot loaders - the one that lets me choose between Ubuntu Linux and Other (GRUB), and when Other was selected, the one that lets me choose between XP and Vista (Vista Boot Loader) - and I usually press Enter twice so I don't have to wait 20 seconds before XP starts. So, to sum up so far, when I let the PC alone and the boot loaders automatically boot the standard entries, XP doesn't load. When I manually tell the boot loaders what to load by pressing Enter, XP starts without problems. I guess this is related to the keyboard only because I recently switched to a new one after using a Compaq PS/2 wired keyboard. The Mouse (Microsoft Wireless Optical 2.0) was there all the time and never caused problems. As I said, I also had this problem with the Logitech keyboard that I brought back in the meanwhile, but the Logitech also had a PS/2 adapter which helped solve this issue. Turning off legacy USB support in my BIOS is not an option because I want to start Linux sometimes and GRUB doesn't have any special drivers.

In case it matters, I have Windows XP Service Pack 2 and all WU updates installed.

Any idea what might be causing this? I also tried plugging the receiver into another built-in USB port, but no luck. When I plug the receiver into the PCI USB 2.0 controller I bought extra, the BIOS reports that no keyboard was found. Even if I tell the BIOS not to stop at keyboard errors, I don't have a keyboard during the boot loaders.

Regards,
Sebastian

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #1 – 2006-06-27 18:12:26

Did you have any special drivers for your previous keyboard? Did you uninstall them?
Maybe that keyboard falls into some sleep mode and if it won't wake up due to keypresses it causes problems?

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #2 – 2006-06-27 18:44:50

I didn't have special drivers for my Compaq keyboard - Windows used the default ones. Since the Logitech also had the same problem, it can't be a driver fault. Before I got the MS keyboard, I uninstalled the SetPoint software and am using the IntelliType drivers now.

I noticed something interesting. The BIOS is set to enable Numeric Lock when boothing. The first time I turn on the PC and during the POST process, the Numeric Lock LED on the receiver is turned off - shouldn't be. When arriving at the boot loader, the LED is still off. If I let the boot loader(s) start with the default settings, the LED is still turned off at the time XP wants to start. However, if I press the Enter key in boot loader, as soon as I push the key, the Numeric Lock LED lights up. I think the receiver loses connection to the keyboard and whenever I press a key, it finds the keyboard again. With PS/2 (Logitech and Compaq), the power was maintained even after turning off the PC since I was able to start the computer by typing "on" (or whatever password I defined in BIOS). On the other hand, if I connect my small Trekstor HDD which is connected via USB only (no external power supply), I can hear the drive spinning and the power LED is still turned on even after the PC went off, so power must be maintained over USB, too, I suppose. Really funky stuff here.

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #3 – 2006-06-28 16:19:23

I had a VIA chipset motherboard that would lock up on boot if I had a one brand of USB key plugged in. I have seen the same thing with an ALI chipset. No problems with Intel or AMD chipsets to date.

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #4 – 2006-06-28 16:39:13

I have this crappy SiS chipset. Since I don't use Vista and Linux that often and since VMware is free in the meanwhile (or at least I can create VMs using Workstation or Server and then run them using Player), I deleted them from the partitions, resized my XP partition again, rewritten the MBR and the boot sector using the XP repair console and disabled USB legacy support in BIOS. XP boots up fine now and whenever I need access to Ubuntu or Vista, I can start VMware.

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #5 – 2006-06-28 23:28:04

Is your USB 2.0 driver correctly installed?
There is a problem with usb when you installed Windows from an "old" XP CD that had no Sp2 integrated.

The Problem shows when you open the hardware device manager and see a yellow warning sign under "erweiterter USB root hub controller" or so
SP2 "forgets" to enable the USB 2.0 driver, you must install it manually. Its already on the system though, so it goes fast.

Also, make sure you enable USB keyboard support in you BIOS.

Windows XP hangs during start-up when USB keyboard is connected

Reply #6 – 2006-06-29 07:19:35

USB 2.0 drivers are installed. And USB legacy support was enabled all the time. I disabled it now and XP boots fine (although the downside now is that I don't have keyboard / mouse acess under DOS or whatever doesn't have special drivers for USB keyboards).