PS2 Keyboard doesn't work unless hot swapped?

[RickTheStick]

I have a Rosewell RK-9000V2 Keyboard and a GIGABYTE GA-Z170N-Gaming 5 Motherboard, running on windows 7. The keyboard provided two options of using either a PS/2 or a USB plug with a USB-MiniUSB or a PS/2-MiniUSB cable. I want to use the PS/2 cable take advantage of the N-Key rollover, having a free USB slot, and the "turn on system through PS/2 keyboard passcode" from bios.

However, I am having a problem getting the PS/2 keyboard to work unless I unplug and replug the keyboard while the system is on. I understand that you need to have the keyboard already plugged in before turning the system on, but this did not fix the problem. Upon starting up the system, all lock keys flash at bios splash screen, following with the NUM lock key staying on, same thing again when windows splash screen comes up. The keyboard will not operate, and the keys can't be used to get into bios. The keyboard will work again if i unplug and replug the keyboard at the windows user log in screen. Doing so will turn off the NUM lock light. Strangely enough, If the system is turned off, the lock keys stays lit. With the USB, everything works on start up, but I will not be able to take advantage of the features.

Is there a fix for this?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Is it a native PS/2 keyboard (ie plugs in to the PS/2 port with no adapter required)?
Or is it a native USB keyboard (ie plugs in to a USB port with no adapter required)?

If it's the latter, you need to buy a native PS/2 keyboard which plugs straight in to the PS/2 keyboard port
without any adapters or converter cables. You can buy PS/2 keyboards online (eg from Amazon).

 

[RickTheStick]

Is it a native PS/2 keyboard (ie plugs in to the PS/2 port with no adapter required)?
Or is it a native USB keyboard (ie plugs in to a USB port with no adapter required)?

If it's the latter, you need to buy a native PS/2 keyboard which plugs straight in to the PS/2 keyboard port
without any adapters or converter cables. You can buy PS/2 keyboards online (eg from Amazon).

Well the keyboard has a Mini USB port to connect to the computer, along with it are two cables which are the PS/2 and the USB. There are no adapters for it.

 

[Alex_321]

Is it a native PS/2 keyboard (ie plugs in to the PS/2 port with no adapter required)?
Or is it a native USB keyboard (ie plugs in to a USB port with no adapter required)?

If it's the latter, you need to buy a native PS/2 keyboard which plugs straight in to the PS/2 keyboard port
without any adapters or converter cables. You can buy PS/2 keyboards online (eg from Amazon).

Well the keyboard has a Mini USB port to connect to the computer, along with it are two cables which are the PS/2 and the USB. There are no adapters for it.

I know that this is probably a bit late and I am necroing but I was also having the exact same issue (same keyboard too) so it likely seems it is just a bug with the keyboard. My motherboard is an ASUS H170 PRO GAMING if that matters but I doubt it does.

 

[Herbbug]

I've been troubleshooting this issue for the last 4 days.
In my case I'm using this w/ an Asus Z97 Pro Gamer motherboard.

So we can deduce that :

Spoiler

• 
  ■ Because we have the same keyboard and different motherboards that this is most likely isolated to this particular keyboard model.
  
  ■ Further more because the keyboard functions perfectly (without the benefit of NKRO) with the USB cable that this is an issue with the PS/2 protocol in relation to this particular keyboard.
  If you are curious and like to do some reading about the PS/2 protocol the following resource explains it coherently enough for even someone less experienced.

http://www.computer-engineering.org/ps2protocol/

(I'm not an expert myself but once again I've been researching this extensively and I wouldn't be surprised if, because it's not extremely common, but apparently recurring nonetheless, that Rosewill (Neweggs computer peripheral subsidiary) isn't exactly sure about what the root of this error is.)


Hence my hypothesis, which could be wrong because once again I'm not an expert, is:

The PS/2 port is initialized properly (from the MOBO)
The signal is passed to the Keyboard but gets stuck with the host inhibiting the signal with the clock line low.

I'm not entirely sure if there is a surefire way to fix this as an end user.

I've contacted :

Spoiler

• 
  ■ Asus support -
  (suspecting the mobo)
  After an hour of troubleshooting, bios upgrades/downgrades and reconfigurations, they didn't have much input suggesting I RMA the board assuming it's an I/O controller issue.
  
  ■ Microsoft support -
  (asking if there is a way to automate a service to run at boot, after the initial PS/2 kernel module is loaded then gets stuck, to tell the keyboard to disable then enable, circumventing the otherwise automated reset on the clock line allowing for the clock to begin accepting input)
  The individual I spoke to simply said
  "it is not possible and all devices should work at boot otherwise they are broken" ergo. replace them.
  
  ■ Rosewill support -
  who where actually very prompt and professional ask me to provide them with an sales invoice and shipping address to replace the keyboard itself.

I realize this isn't exactly a solution to the problem at hand, but to devise one by the end user would be convoluted and risk an erroneous execution.
(as this is an issue present at boot, at a BIOS level regardless of OS and is most likely due to an error on the keyboard's controller)

Hopefully this gives you some peace of mind, I will look for my invoice and run the keyboard via the USB cable till then.