Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!mephisto!mcnc!rti!bbt!djb
From: djb@bbt.UUCP (beauvais)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: AT clone keyboard woes
Keywords: AT, keyboards, problems
Message-ID: <527@bbt.UUCP>
Date: 5 Dec 89 15:47:32 GMT
References: <1466@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Reply-To: djb@bbt.UUCP (beauvais)
Organization: Broadband Technologies, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 30

In article <1466@rodan.acs.syr.edu> cwebster@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Chris Webster) writes:
>
>   I'm having some interesting problems with my AT clone...
>   Every so often, the keyboard locks
>   up...
>
>       ... I
>       presume that the CMOS that's handling the keyboard might be at fault.
>
>       Has anyone have any ideas?  Suggestions?


Do you have any TSRs installed?  Many of these re-vector the keyboard
interrupt, and can cause all kinds of nasties.  Try a simple environment -
get rid of Sidekick, keyboard macro programs, etc.  If the problem goes
away, re-install them one at a time to see which causes the problem.  If
one is found to be the culprit, try installing the beasties in different
orders.   This is a cheap solution, and it sounds familiar...

If that didn't do it, I would try a different keyboard.  Borrow one
from a friend for a couple of days.  If the problem goes away, you have a
relatively inexpensive solution.

Still no luck?  Yuk!  You may have a keyboard controller BIOS bug.   The
keyboard is not handled by the CMOS chip.  It's done with an 8042 or 8742.
That's a general purpose microcontroller chip with ROM (8042) or EPROM
(8742).  They are available from BIOS suppliers.  GOOD LUCK if you try to
convince the computer store that you have a keyboard controller bug...

The first two problems (TSRs or flaky keyboard) are MUCH more likely!