USB Keyboards and Motherboards

Judas · Jan 28, 2006, 02:42 AM

Anyone seeing any issues running TRUE native USB keyboards with any motherboards?

I'm seeing quite a few boards.... newer ones even that still seem to have some issues with USB keyboards....

For example.. various bios updates related to my Asus A8N-E rev 2.0..... the latest bios update i've got make booting the computer almost impossible.... it won't detect or will semi detech my keyboard and cause it to just not post at all.. or post in as if i was holding down the emergency startup buttons.... (like the bios recovery bootup)....

Hitting reset usually just put it into the endless non post bootup mode where all the fans spin right up to max and remain there.... other times it just refuses to post to the default giving me a Keyboard error...

I can confirm this is a USB related issue as i've tried 5 other USB only keyboards with exact same results on various other motherboards as well.. I've got a motherboard.. ABIT that has absalutely no issue with boot with only a USB keyboard hooked up..

The momemt i connect a PS/2 keyboard though all is well..

Anyways, i'd love to revert to an older version of my ASUS bios version. .but i kinda require some of the fixes included in the latest....

What's irritating me is the fact that motherboard manufactures are starting to completely scrap ps/2.... i'm seeing several prebuilts with absalutely NO ps/2 ports on them at all.. strickly a set of usb ports (usually 6 in the back or 8).... with a network port.. sound and video....no serial or parrel ports at all..

Anyone else experiecing the occasional annoying problems?

H3X4D3C1M4L · Jan 28, 2006, 05:55 PM

You might try a USB to PS/2 adapter.

Necrosis · Jan 28, 2006, 10:12 PM

I haven't noticed it at all.

dipstick · Jan 31, 2006, 12:53 PM

Disable usb keyboard and mouse support in bios and see if that helps (don’t worry they will still work in windows just fine). The DFI RDX200 had the same crappy problem with usb and disabling those two settings in the bios helped a lot.

Judas · Feb 11, 2006, 04:26 PM

thing is.... alot of computer.. even motherboards no longer come with PS/2, serial, even old parrell printer ports... NONE.. zip.... ziltch.... and frankly i'm happy.... but there are plenty of manufactureres still spitting out the ps/2 support.. and it doesn't seem like they have testing anything much with USB only sets across all various configurations..

A well.... i'lll play.. .and i'll give your suggestion dipstick .. a try... i just don't have a PS/2 keyboard always handy to plug in.... and i really shouldn't need one....

eatingrich · Feb 23, 2006, 06:25 PM

Whats the difference really between PS/2 and USB keyboards and mice? I suppose theres a certain ease about having everything come through USB, at least when theres enough USB ports to go round!

H3X4D3C1M4L · Feb 23, 2006, 06:29 PM

Much as it doesn't make a difference there's less overhead with a PS/2 port. If you disable a USB port by accident or somehow have too much on one USB controller the keyboard at least works

Judas · Feb 23, 2006, 07:16 PM

USB has rather less resource hogging/ness

and support more features and abilities.

Another PLUS is the a ability to use more than 2 (on standard keyboards) or 4 (on better PS/2 keyboards).

For example, some games where pressing a combination of 5 keys at once could and does occasionally cause grief on a ps/2 keyboard.. this situation doesn't appear to happen at all on the USB variations.... hell doesn't appear to be a limit (i've encounter some games where more then 2 players can play on one keyboard, nearly impossible to accomplish with some of the standard ps2 keyboards)..

Future Proof. Enless you got a usb keyboard now, don't worry, you'll be required to get one with your new system if it's built shortly.... PS/2 ports are being dropped completely.