Details of ann's problem
HI everyone --
I'm using my old computer (i.e., the one I have kept only for storage of
files) to write this
So I can explain what the problem is with the computer I need ... and
I'm cutting and pasting it into the body of an email ... copying to an
external drive.. yadayada....
Tuesday - suddenly keyboard stops working - plugging and unplugging of
same, etc and
fiddling a bit (but now not remembering what I did) rebooting ...
talking to a friend
who couldnt get to me right then but who is a computer tech...
mysteriously after reboot,
keyboard back....
(I have a Dell Dimension c521 - windoze XP) DESKTOP
Wed morning... no keyboard action... all previously suggested
fiddling repeated...
Now I think it is really just the piece of hardware, the keyboard , that
is truly dead...
I buy another keyboard (new but old) compaq but it has the old type of
connector
There are no ports in the Dell for connecting with a PS2 device... I got
an adapter -
USB to PS/2 it says USB Bus powered... supports USB and PS2 plug and
play...etc
(I actually thought it was just my keyboard that was messed up and
stupidly trashed it
when I got a replacement keyboard at the Sal ARmy for $7.00 the compaq)
Now I also have an "emachine" keyboard that was on my old Dell I had a
hell of a time
finding the adaptor , too. another story...
So Wed night I assemble and I'm up again... I decided I dont like the
feel of the compaq so
I put that keyboard on my OLD machine and put the comfy emachine
keyboard on my newer computer...
all is fine _ I type away at my project for several hours...
THurs AM - I go to answer email --- boom -- dead keyboard..
I'm needing to be out for a few hours so I leave, then get in touch with
another friend
with tech expertise who nicely comes over late in afternoon and we
fiddle with misc controls... we switch my scanner to the USB slot that
seemed to be the one not working
and reloaded the drivers for that... and it works fine (still)
Renzo (friend's name) did something with the USB device things we
rebooted and got things to work... I can't remember what he did...
I wrote happily all evening...
This morning.. yup once again keyboard dead...
Now when I say it was dead I mean the light on the keyboard did not come
on not just that the keys were locked...
The USB ports all work with other things plugged into them... including
external drives, scanners, printers etc...
I've got real time virus scan running and no reported virusi ...
Paul Stenquest mentioned something about getting a USB "card" but I'm
not understanding
that...
IT's a holiday weekend - My friend's son in law is not going to be able
to help this weekend...
Lots of very good reason's why and not that he wouldn't under normal
circumstances... I
just could absorb all he went through when he was there so can't repeat
it...
Ecke nicely offered to take over my machine remotely but
trying to do that just caused error messages.
What I need is to be able to tell someone over the phone what I am
seeing on the puter
and have him or her tell me what I should be looking for... I observed
one thing I thought
odd was that there are two icons one after the other that say USB root
Hub. Shouldn't there just be one?
OF course I went to buy a new keyboard with it's USB connector but as I
have no credit card
and not enough cash to pay for one new I couldn't do it. The one I
bought cost $7 and the connector/adapter only $10 so I managed that.
Aside from my disasters with old netscape, which don't in the long run
matter much, this
Dell has been wonderful .
I'll call anyone that could be of help (In the USA -or , very briefly
in Canada ) I don't
have a way to call anywhere else.
Christine was great posting for me when I had actually called her about
something else
and she called me offering help
I'm glad I finally thought of writing email with this cut and paste
method... I know
some of you actually already have my cell phone number , aside from
Christine...
The keyboard thing is only the straw that is breaking my back at the
moment... but
I'm pretty desperate because the only income I have is from ebay or
other internet stuff
aside from my social security.
thanks for those of you who read this -- remember I can't answer beyond
cutting and pasting or talking on phone...
on the lighter side, where I prefer to be, I CAN pick out words from
other things Ive written
with cut and paste and briefly acknowledge mail and I now have texting
on the phone so
I could write a very short thing from my phone to email - however that
is realllly difficult
for me with the phone I have.
ann
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