need help with keyboard drivers in XP

[danny_galaga]

I was explaining a strange problem I have with my MAME cab to a friend. He suggested I might try updating the keyboard driver, or installing a 3rd party driver. I think he might be onto something. Now, my cab will never be connected to the net, so just updating it from Microsoft is out of the question. Pity, that would be nice and simple. Doers anyone have any suggestions? First 'driver' I tried (Acer something something) turned out not to appear to be a keyboard driver. Since I have a PS/2 IPAC I suppose it should support PS/2 keyboards. Also, should be for XP. Other than that I don't suppose there is any special requirements.

So can anyone point me in the right direction?

[SavannahLion]

Keyboard functionality is such an intrinsic part of the Windows OS (or any other significant PC OS for that matter) that I haven't come across the need to deal with actual "drivers" in freaking years. Jesus, not since Windows 95 when the switch from PS2/ to USB and neither motherboard manufacturers or Microsoft properly supported USB despite the existence of said hardware. Maybe a small blip later when there was a slew of custom function keyboards, but does anyone still buy that crap?

What are you suffering from that would lead you to think that you need to update your drivers?

[danny_galaga]

What are you suffering from that would lead you to think that you need to update your drivers?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106824.msg1131670.html#msg1131670

The problem wasn't actually solved in the end because I couldn't in fact use my original XP disk with a new motherboard (couldn't register it properly) So someone gave me a business copy or something that mostly works (for instance, no more issues with sound or USB plugs) but still has the keyboard problem mentioned in that thread.

Either I play with some drivers, live with the problem, or get a brand new OS installed. And since I paid for XP once, I don't feel inclined to pay for an OS again. I sure wish modern mobos worked out of the box with win98. That was a great OS for MAME...

[SavannahLion]

Ah... I see. I can see where someone might have problems with TinyXP, especially with a new gen motherboard where the hardware outstripped the software. Bizare it should be a keyboard problem though.

Hhmmmm while I chew this over, here's a couple of things to chew over.

Checked for any patches here? There are a few specific to XP.
http://www.foxconnchannel.com/ProductDetail.aspx?T=motherboard&U=en-us0000480

Of interest might be the VGA and BIOS patches. Though I feel if there's no BIOS patch that mentions a specific fix for a problem you have, then shouldn't go through the risk/danger of updating the BIOS. I've come across a few machines where the video portion is so finicky that patching it fits a myriad of seemingly unrelated problems. Shared RAM I guess.

Check to see if you have a good ground circuit. It wasn't clear if you're on the same circuit as the arcade cab when you did your tests with a known good PC. I had an insane number of problems with a PC that had no proper ground circuit, a $5 Radio Shack test tool solved months of head banging.

Andy can answer this better than I can, but what happens to the iPac if the +5v on the PS/2 isn't stable enough? Foxconn isn't a company that would blip on my radar when buying new motherboards so..... I don't know their build quality.

[danny_galaga]

Thanks for having a think about it (",)

It's definitely the OS, since the problem was there with tinyxp, went away with my original XP disk (but was pointless because i couldn't register it to another mobo) and then reappeared with this current instal. Everything else is spot on, so it would be brilliant if I can keep this instal and fix the only prob it has.

[Howard_Casto]

I keep warning people about tinyxp... that thing is evil. 

When it works, it works, but when it doesn't tracking down the offending dll/exe/whatever is so time consuming that you might as well just give up and install xp. 

There are other versions of xp out there, ones that are tweaked not to run a lof of stuff, but the stuff is still there (in case you run into issues).  I can't really say anymore, because any info I give could lead to piracy, but just search the net, there are other builds out there.

All that being said, I'm with SL though, keyboards are such a low-level device, it's odd that it would effect keyboards.  My guess is that maybe your ps/2 ports needed drivers, not the keyboard itself.  Even that is unheard of though.

[danny_galaga]

Well, it's heard of now 

So how ps/2 drivers then? I would like to fix this...

[Howard_Casto]

So how ps/2 drivers then? I would like to fix this...

Most likely you don't.  You need to install a proper copy of xp unfortunately.

[danny_galaga]

So how ps/2 drivers then? I would like to fix this...

Most likely you don't.  You need to install a proper copy of xp unfortunately.

 

Just to be clear, it's not tinxp on there now. It's a copy someone on another forum sent me. The name of the type escapes me, but it's one of those for businesses where you install on a number of machines, you know, where you have a licence for X number of machines or summink. It works perfectly except for this one thing.

Hmmm, just typing this now, I wonder if I go to update the keyboard driver on my MAME cab, and then insert the disk of my own XP (the one where the keyboard worked, but I couldn't register it to another mobo) would that maybe work? I won't do it yet in case you say 'DONT DO THAT!' 

[Howard_Casto]

Well was the keyboard working in that version?

The DOS setup of xp doesn't count, that uses low-level dos drivers. 

You can probably pull the drivers off of the disc... do usb keyboards work?  If so then you could just get/make a ps2 2 usb adaptor....all ipacs have a usb mode afaik. 

[danny_galaga]

Well was the keyboard working in that version?

The DOS setup of xp doesn't count, that uses low-level dos drivers. 

You can probably pull the drivers off of the disc... do usb keyboards work?  If so then you could just get/make a ps2 2 usb adaptor....all ipacs have a usb mode afaik.

Yes, keyboard worked properly on my XP instal (the one I caont register to another mobo). It was definitely something missing on both tinyxp and the current instal (the businessy one). It definitely wasn't a problem that USB could solve as I did the adapter and IPAC in USB mode thing. I guess you are saying it can't hurt to update the driver using the good disk. Hopefully I can find that disk again and I'll give it a shot as soon as I can (",)

I'll report back with the result.

Ah, dagnammit. It's been so long I can't remember where I left the disks