# Keyboard suddenly not working, mouse OK--WTF?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-suddenly-not-working-mouse-ok-wtf/219155>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 15, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-suddenly-not-working-mouse-ok-wtf/219155 "2003-12-15T17:44:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-suddenly-not-working-mouse-ok-wtf/219155/1 "2003-12-15T17:44:38Z")

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Computer dopesters…

The keyboard on my other computer just stopped having any effect on the situation, though the mouse still works for pointing, clicking, navigating…have checked connections, restarted, defragged, rain danced…nothing. This is the eMachines keyboard that came with the unit, and it worked fine yesterday. I know they die at some point, but this one’s rather new. What’s my next step, besides just buying a new keyboard?

Thanx

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-suddenly-not-working-mouse-ok-wtf/219155/2 "2003-12-15T17:47:24Z")

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Any other keyboards you could borrow, just to test the theory that the keyboard is broken?

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-suddenly-not-working-mouse-ok-wtf/219155/3 "2003-12-15T17:53:28Z")

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Are there caps-lock and scroll-lock lights on the keyboard?

If you restart without a working keyboard windows, in it’s brilliantly logical way, says something like “Keyboard error, press F1 to continue” If your comp is booting up without throwing any kind of keyboard error your keyboard might be faulty. Try rebooting with the keyboard unplugged (to see what happens)