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"Pigmy Elephant" <> wrote in message
news:...
> My keyboard is unavailable during boot up for some reason so I can't
> use the "hit any key now" option to boot from CD. Is there any way to
> get around this?
>
> When the computer is first booted before post screen the keyboard
> definitely works because it will allow you to use the del key to get
> into the BIOS. But during the boot up to Windows none of the keys
> register so after option for BIOS I don't have any keyboard support it
> just runs through and loads windows all the way to xp desktop GUI.
>
> I have a wireless usb keyboard. Shouldn't this have support all the
> way through? And is there a way to get the keyboard supported when
> its not being? Its that gap between option for Bios and loading up
> windows that I have no keyboard and none of the keys register.I'm
> wondering what this no mans land is called? Is it DOS? If so how do I
> get it supported in there? Is there a way?
>
> I really need to a repair install, or if I don't have that option to
> just do a clean install of windows xp as I have backed up everything
> important recently.
>

When you have an opportunity to go into the BIOS, do it and make sure the CD
is the FIRST BOOT DEVICE, and set the POST (Power On Self Test) to be
displayed. Watch the POST display for a line that says, PRESS ANY KEY TO
BOOT FROM CD. Since this comes up long before the Windows logo screen, you
will be able to force a boot from CD.

Depending on the machine, you may have an option of F10 or F12 to boot to
the Recovery Partition that has a copy of XP on it. Once you've
installed/repaired XP, you'll want to do the Windows Update a few times to
catch up on the updates. You might need to go to the device maker's sites
and get updated drivers for the various hardware components.

"Pigmy Elephant" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:33:21 -0400, A. Jones <>
> wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:40:50 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
>><> wrote:
>>
>>>When you have an opportunity to go into the BIOS, do it and make sure the
>>>CD
>>>is the FIRST BOOT DEVICE, and set the POST (Power On Self Test) to be
>>>displayed. Watch the POST display for a line that says, PRESS ANY KEY TO
>>>BOOT FROM CD. Since this comes up long before the Windows logo screen,
>>>you
>>>will be able to force a boot from CD.
>>>
>>>Depending on the machine, you may have an option of F10 or F12 to boot to
>>>the Recovery Partition that has a copy of XP on it. Once you've
>>>installed/repaired XP, you'll want to do the Windows Update a few times
>>>to
>>>catch up on the updates. You might need to go to the device maker's sites
>>>and get updated drivers for the various hardware components.
>>
>>That's good advice. Perhaps I do not understand the problem.
>>
>>Mr Pigmy,
>>
>>Do you see the cd/dvd bootdisk "press any key" message during bootup,
>>and the keyboard simply does not respond or work?
>>
>>Or, do not see the "any key" message at all?
>>
>>Thanks
>
> I saw the any key message but the keyboard doesn't respond at this
> stage.
>
> It responds when first switched on as I can hit the DEL key to get
> into the Bios screen, its just after that initial bit that I loose the
> keyboard during boot up.
>
> I see the hit any key screen but no response from the keyboard, no key
> works.
>
> It kept going around and around with the option selected as Windows
> Setup but it came up with some error and kept rebooting. I think it
> may have not recognised any CD Drive then even though I had selected
> it as first boot device in bios.
>
> To get back into Windows I had to use a boot disk because the boot.ini
> file kept me going through windows setup in a catch 22 without
> allowing me to get back into Windows itself.
>
> So I believe that it doesn't recognise the USB keyboard after
> initially recognising it for the DEL key to get in Bios. And also
> possibly not recognising the CD Drives too.
>
> I don't have any PS/2 keyboards unfortunately nor an adapter. I've not
> seen any PS/2 keyboards on sale for some time now.
>
>

You need to go into the BIOS and set the primary boot device to the CD. Set
the secondary boot to the HDD. The machine will pause IF there is a CD
loaded and ask you if you want to boot from it. If the CD is not the primary
boot device OR it is empty, you will not be asked to press a key to boot
from other than the HDD.

If the CD is set as the primary boot device, and the CD does not boot, then
the CD itself is the problem -- either the drive or the disc. If the drive
is bad, then you may not see the opportunity to press any key to boot from
it. If the disc is the problem, then you would see the chance to boot from
CD, but the effort would fail. Given the description of your issue, my money
is on a defective CD drive.

"A. Jones" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:08:09 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
> <> wrote:
>
>>If the CD is set as the primary boot device, and the CD does not boot,
>>then
>>the CD itself is the problem -- either the drive or the disc. If the drive
>>is bad, then you may not see the opportunity to press any key to boot from
>>it. If the disc is the problem, then you would see the chance to boot from
>>CD, but the effort would fail. Given the description of your issue, my
>>money
>>is on a defective CD drive.
>
> I think that could be the answer but my bet is on the bad cd/dvd disk
> side of it.
>
> Pigmy, have you tried the cd disk in a different machine?
>

I'm not certain, but I think that if a non-bootable CD was loaded into the
tray, AND the CD drive was set to the First Boot Device, the machine would
still halt and wait for the instruction to boot from the drive. The boot
would then fail because the disc has problems, or isn't bootable in the
first place. Perhaps the drive would skip over a non-bootable disc, but the
OP says he's using the Windows Install CD, so if ever there was a bootable
disc, this would be it.

My money remains on the drive itself as the problem, assuming it has been
set as the primary boot drive.

"A. Jones" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:27:06 -0700, "Jeff Strickland"
> <> wrote:
>
>>I'm not certain, but I think that if a non-bootable CD was loaded into the
>>tray, AND the CD drive was set to the First Boot Device, the machine would
>>still halt and wait for the instruction to boot from the drive.
>
> I think a non-bootable would disk cause the bios to try the next
> device without asking for interaction, or stop the boot process and
> give a message similar to "invalid boot device".
>
> I have always thought the bootable disk creates the "any key now"
> message. There is a message with most cd's, operating systems for
> example, but some will not ask for interaction; boot right through
> with no confirmation. If no interaction, the bootable disk itself
> will boot the first active hdd partition.
>
> At least that's what I've always thought. I probably have most of it
> wrong. LOL
>


But NONE of that happens if the drive doesn't work.

My machine looks to see if the tray is loaded, it does not check if the
loaded disc is bootable until I want to boot from the drive. The OP isn't
even given the opportunity to boot from the drive, therefore my money says
the drive is defective OR isn't the First Boot Device.