# Keyboard frozen on BIOS setup
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-frozen-on-bios-setup/475585
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 3, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-frozen-on-bios-setup/475585 "2008-12-03T23:06:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-frozen-on-bios-setup/475585/1 "2008-12-03T23:06:01Z")
I want to install Linux on my rather old (early 2002) Dell laptop. To do this I need to boot from a CD and so need to change the boot order in setup. Unfortunately when I enter setup the keyboard has become totally unresponsive. I can’t do anything, including exit. The keyboard works fine before I enter setup (otherwise I couldn’t have hit F2 to get there). I also tried using an external keyboard but it acts just the same as the built in. It won’t even boot from a floppy.
Any ideas or am I just going to have to junk it? It is not worth it to me to continue using as it is as it badly needs a clean install of XP or some other OS.
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### Author:  [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-frozen-on-bios-setup/475585/2 "2008-12-03T23:27:18Z")
You could try blowing away the boot sector on the hard drive. With any luck, the BIOS will then try booting the CD.
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### Author:  [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-frozen-on-bios-setup/475585/3 "2008-12-03T23:36:33Z")
> [@Rysto](#):
>
> You could try blowing away the boot sector on the hard drive. With any luck, the BIOS will then try booting the CD.
That may be worth a try, I even have an old hard drive I could swap in as a non-destructive test. A project for the weekend I think.