# Keyboard Won't Work in BIOS **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020 "2013-04-06T15:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/1 "2013-04-06T15:29:46Z")
I have an old computer that I want to sell on craigslist (its not that old, it runs Vista). I want to erase the hard drive & reinstall Vista. Here is what I did and what happened; [ul] [li]I downloaded Darik’s boot and nuke and made a dvd.[/li][li]I changed the bios so it booted first from the dvd drive (I had no problem here).[/li][li]I booted up from the DBAN dvd. I got the first screen, but I could not do anything because the keyboard would not work.[/li][li]I googled about a bit and found suggestions that I enable “USB legacy” in the BIOS.[/li][li]I booted into the BIOS (I had no trouble doing this, so the keyboard seems to work here), but once there, the keyboard would not work.[/li][/ul] The only suggestions I can find now are to get an old PS2 keyboard. I can’t find one and nobody I know has one. I don’t want to buy one because I am not going to get much for this computer. Do you have any other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/2 "2013-04-06T15:40:20Z")
Is your current keyboard wired? If it’s wireless or bluetooth I could see that being a problem. My keyboard is bluetooth and I keep an old wired keyboard hanging around just for these sort of problems. I end up using it about once a year. Can’t remember if it’s PS2 or USB though. If for no other reason, it’s nice to have when the batteries die and I don’t have a new set on hand (or nearby). ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/3 "2013-04-06T15:46:38Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Is your current keyboard wired? If it’s wireless or bluetooth I could see that being a problem. My keyboard is bluetooth and I keep an old wired keyboard hanging around just for these sort of problems. I end up using it about once a year. Can’t remember if it’s PS2 or USB though. > > If for no other reason, it’s nice to have when the batteries die and I don’t have a new set on hand (or nearby). It is a wired USB keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/4 "2013-04-06T18:12:18Z")
Can you pick up a cheap ps2 keyboard from Goodwill or some other 2nd-hand store? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/5 "2013-04-06T19:47:49Z")
I don’t really see this working, but there are usb to ps/2 adapters that you should be able to scrounge from a friend. female usb side and male ps/2 side. It might fake out the m/b, or might not. Could also try a cmos (bios) reset which restore all factory defaults (including the one you had to override to get the USB kb to work in the first place). Obviously the machine sees the kb since you have to hit ‘del’ or some other key to get into the bios menu. It’s only after that you have the problem, so maybe a complete reset would make it work more like it does when it first boots. It starts to sound like voodoo after a while, but occasionally it works. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/6 "2013-04-06T19:58:13Z")
Older USB controllers don’t always work without OS-level drivers loaded. Any computer store should have a box of USB-PS2 couplers and will throw one in free with any small purchase. They came with every USB keyboard for a long time; I probably have a dozen in the bottom of my misc cables box. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/7 "2013-04-06T19:58:56Z")
Are you plugging the keyboard into a USB 2 port or a USB 3 port? Or are you going via a powered hub? Because on the motherboard in this PC you have to be plugged directly into a USB 2 port. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/8 "2013-04-06T20:05:14Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Are you plugging the keyboard into a USB 2 port or a USB 3 port? Or are you going via a powered hub? Because on the motherboard in this PC you have to be plugged directly into a USB 2 port. Excellent point. Even on my newest UEFI m/b, usb3 ports only seem work with drivers not natively. USB3 ports will be color coded with blue plastic tabs inside the sockets. USB2 will normally be black but can also be other colors - except blue. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/9 "2013-04-07T22:56:38Z")
Per needscoffee thrifts are lousy with ps2 keyboards. Usually a few bucks at most. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/10 "2013-04-08T01:09:53Z")
What I can’t figure out is how you were able to change the BIOS the first time, but not this time. Did you use the same USB keyboard each time? In the same slot? Are you sure to boot the computer with the USB keyboard plugged in? Honestly, you’d be able to accomplish the same thing by reinstalling Vista fresh and then using Windows-based software to blank out the rest of the hard drive. If you want to be extra careful, be sure to turn off Virtual Memory before doing that. There’s really nothing that multiple rewrites will do that a single rewrite won’t. Not on modern hard drives. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-wont-work-in-bios/655020/11 "2013-04-08T01:16:23Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Excellent point. Even on my newest UEFI m/b, usb3 ports only seem work with drivers not natively. > > USB3 ports will be color coded with blue plastic tabs inside the sockets. USB2 will normally be black but can also be other colors - except blue. that’s because the USB 3.0 ports are connected to an add-on controller, and not integrated into the system core logic chipset.