Mouse and keyboard help

Thanks — this is almost always a Windows driver / USB controller problem (since devices work in BIOS but stop working when Windows loads). A few quick questions before we start so I can give exact steps:

• Are the keyboard and mouse wired USB, wireless with a USB dongle, or Bluetooth-only?
• Do you get to the Windows login screen / desktop and the keyboard lights (NumLock / CapsLock) respond at all after Windows boots?
• Can you boot to Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) — i.e., does the keyboard work there? (If you’re not sure I’ll show how to test.

Below are step‑by‑step troubleshooting options in order (start at #1 and stop when the input devices work):
1) Quick checks

• Try different physical USB ports, especially rear motherboard USB 2.0 ports (not front panel or USB 3.0/Type‑C ports).
• If you have a simple wired keyboard (no special drivers), plug that directly into a rear USB port and test.
• In BIOS make sure “USB Legacy Support” / “Legacy USB” (or similar) is ENABLED (you said you enabled mouse & keyboard there — that’s good).

2) Boot to WinRE / Safe Mode (recommended)

• Force WinRE: power on, when Windows logo appears hold power to force shutdown. Repeat 2–3 times; on the next boot Windows should enter Automatic Repair / WinRE.
• In WinRE choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 4 (or F4) to boot to Safe Mode. (The keyboard usually works in WinRE/Safe Mode if it worked in BIOS.
• If keyboard works in Safe Mode, proceed to step 3. If keyboard still does not work in Safe Mode, tell me which port/type you used and we’ll try USB drivers from installation media.

3) In Safe Mode: uninstall/reinstall USB and HID drivers

• Open Device Manager (Windows key + X → Device Manager). Expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers” and “Human Interface Devices”. For each item that lists Generic USB Hub / xHCI / eHCI or HID-compliant device:
  • Right‑click → Uninstall device (do NOT check “Delete the driver software for this device” unless prompted and you’re comfortable).
• After uninstalling, reboot normally — Windows will redetect USB controllers and reinstall drivers. This resolves corrupted HID/USB driver cases.

4) Disable Fast Startup (if you can get to Windows)

• Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable → uncheck “Turn on fast startup”. Reboot.

5) Run SFC / DISM from WinRE Command Prompt (if drivers still fail)

• In WinRE go to Troubleshoot → Advanced → Command Prompt. Run:
  • dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  • sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
    (Adjust drive letter if Windows is not on C: in WinRE; let me know what the prompt shows and I’ll help.

6) System Restore / Repair install

• If you have a restore point use WinRE → Troubleshoot → Advanced → System Restore.
• If nothing works, consider a Windows Repair/Reset or an in-place repair using Windows 10 installation USB (keeps files/apps). I can walk you through creating the USB and the steps.

7) Other possibilities

• If your machine has USB 3.0-only front ports, Windows may lack USB 3.0 drivers after being offline for 2 years — use rear USB 2.0 ports or a simple wired keyboard to force basic drivers.
• If the devices are Bluetooth only, the Bluetooth stack won’t load until Windows starts; use a wired USB keyboard to complete repair.

If you tell me the keyboard/mouse types (brand, wired/wireless), whether you reach the login screen, and whether keyboard works in WinRE or Safe Mode, I’ll give an exact sequence tailored to your system and walk you through commands/screens.

ChatGPT said:

Thanks — this is almost always a Windows driver / USB controller problem (since devices work in BIOS but stop working when Windows loads). A few quick questions before we start so I can give exact steps:

• Are the keyboard and mouse wired USB, wireless with a USB dongle, or Bluetooth-only?
• Do you get to the Windows login screen / desktop and the keyboard lights (NumLock / CapsLock) respond at all after Windows boots?
• Can you boot to Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) — i.e., does the keyboard work there? (If you’re not sure I’ll show how to test.)

Below are step‑by‑step troubleshooting options in order (start at #1 and stop when the input devices work):
1) Quick checks

• Try different physical USB ports, especially rear motherboard USB 2.0 ports (not front panel or USB 3.0/Type‑C ports).
• If you have a simple wired keyboard (no special drivers), plug that directly into a rear USB port and test.
• In BIOS make sure “USB Legacy Support” / “Legacy USB” (or similar) is ENABLED (you said you enabled mouse & keyboard there — that’s good).

2) Boot to WinRE / Safe Mode (recommended)

• Force WinRE: power on, when Windows logo appears hold power to force shutdown. Repeat 2–3 times; on the next boot Windows should enter Automatic Repair / WinRE.
• In WinRE choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 4 (or F4) to boot to Safe Mode. (The keyboard usually works in WinRE/Safe Mode if it worked in BIOS.)
• If keyboard works in Safe Mode, proceed to step 3. If keyboard still does not work in Safe Mode, tell me which port/type you used and we’ll try USB drivers from installation media.

3) In Safe Mode: uninstall/reinstall USB and HID drivers

• Open Device Manager (Windows key + X → Device Manager). Expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers” and “Human Interface Devices”. For each item that lists Generic USB Hub / xHCI / eHCI or HID-compliant device:
  • Right‑click → Uninstall device (do NOT check “Delete the driver software for this device” unless prompted and you’re comfortable).
• After uninstalling, reboot normally — Windows will redetect USB controllers and reinstall drivers. This resolves corrupted HID/USB driver cases.

4) Disable Fast Startup (if you can get to Windows)

• Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable → uncheck “Turn on fast startup”. Reboot.

5) Run SFC / DISM from WinRE Command Prompt (if drivers still fail)

• In WinRE go to Troubleshoot → Advanced → Command Prompt. Run:
  • dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  • sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
    (Adjust drive letter if Windows is not on C: in WinRE; let me know what the prompt shows and I’ll help.)

6) System Restore / Repair install

• If you have a restore point use WinRE → Troubleshoot → Advanced → System Restore.
• If nothing works, consider a Windows Repair/Reset or an in-place repair using Windows 10 installation USB (keeps files/apps). I can walk you through creating the USB and the steps.

7) Other possibilities

• If your machine has USB 3.0-only front ports, Windows may lack USB 3.0 drivers after being offline for 2 years — use rear USB 2.0 ports or a simple wired keyboard to force basic drivers.
• If the devices are Bluetooth only, the Bluetooth stack won’t load until Windows starts; use a wired USB keyboard to complete repair.

If you tell me the keyboard/mouse types (brand, wired/wireless), whether you reach the login screen, and whether keyboard works in WinRE or Safe Mode, I’ll give an exact sequence tailored to your system and walk you through commands/screens.

Click to expand...

I am unable to boot in safe mode. I do not see a windows logo come on screen. The Alienware logo comes on screen then it switches to windows wallpaper with the time date and a lovely picture of a mountain range.
I cannot log in to Windows as the mouse and keyboard stop functioning when I exit bios.

Also I cannot or don't know how to run a command prompt from bios.

I can't run system restore unless I can do it from bios. I've attempted to force startup into safe mode to no avail. No matter how many times i shut down and restart the same thing happens every single time. The Alienware logo comes on then the desktop wallpaper.

I have tried both front and back USB ports. The ones in back connected to the motherboard seem to function but the keyboard both light up when the computer is powered on, then the lights go out after about 4 seconds. This happens when the devices are connected to the ports on the graphics card as well.

I cannot disable fast startup unless I can do it from bios.
Bios is the only place the mouse and keyboard function. So I can't access the device manager.
I have tested the mouse and keyboard on another computer next to me and they function normally.

ChatGPT said:

Thanks, Keith — good details. This is a classic case of USB/HID drivers being fine in BIOS/UEFI but failing once Windows loads. Other users with the same symptom (keyboard lights on in BIOS, then go out at the Windows desktop) have resolved it with offline repairs or a System Restore / driver reset.
Because your keyboard/mouse only work in BIOS, the fastest way to repair is from Windows Recovery (WinRE) or from a Windows 10 install USB (you said you have another PC nearby — you’ll need it to make the USB). Below are step‑by‑step options. Start at A and do each step until your devices work; I’ll walk with you if you get stuck.
A — Make a Windows 10 install/repair USB (on the other PC)

1. Get an empty USB stick (8 GB+).
2. On the other PC download and run Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool and choose “Create installation media (USB flash drive)”. (If you want I can give exact clicks.)
3. When finished plug that USB into the Alienware and boot it. Use F12 (or F11 on some Dells) at power-on to open the boot menu and select the USB drive. (Your keyboard works in BIOS so you should be able to select the USB.)

Why: booting the machine from the USB gives you WinPE/WinRE tools where keyboard/mouse typically work, so you can run repairs even though Windows on the internal disk disables them. This approach is recommended in forum threads with the same symptom.
B — Use the install USB to try Startup Repair / System Restore

1. Boot from the USB.
2. At the Windows Setup screen click “Repair your computer” (bottom left).
3. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair. Let it run.
4. If Startup Repair doesn’t fix it, return to Advanced options → System Restore (if a restore point exists) and try that. Many users fixed HID problems with a restore.

C — If Repair/Restore don’t help: use Command Prompt from WinRE

1. From Advanced options choose Command Prompt.
2. Identify the Windows drive letter (WinPE may assign different letters):
   • type diskpart then list vol and note the volume letter for the Windows partition, then exit to leave diskpart.
3. Run these checks (replace C: with the letter you found if different):
   • chkdsk C: /f
   • dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
   • sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
     These look for & repair corruption in system files and the offline Windows image. Many driver/HID issues are fixed by repairing corrupted system files.
4. Reboot and test.

D — If the keyboard still dies after Windows wallpaper appears

1. In BIOS turn OFF any “Fast Boot” or “Ultra Fast Boot” options (these sometimes skip USB initialization). Also confirm “USB Legacy Support” is ENABLED (you said you enabled mouse/keyboard already but double‑check).
2. Try booting with only one keyboard directly into a rear motherboard USB 2.0 port (not front panel, not GPU ports). Leave other USB devices unplugged. (You already tried ports, but try again after the DISM/SFC run and after disabling fast boot). Forum reports often showed rear ports + repair fixed it.

E — If you can get into WinRE with keyboard working but not full Windows, consider a Repair Install or Reset

• If you can boot the USB and the keyboard works in WinRE but not in the installed Windows, you can:
  • Back up your data (I can give copy commands from the Command Prompt), then try Reset this PC → Keep my files, or
  • Perform a clean install / in-place reinstall. (In-place reinstall that keeps apps/files requires running Setup.exe from inside Windows; if that’s not possible, the installation USB can still reinstall Windows and you can choose the “keep personal files” option — still plan for a backup.)

F — If you want to try driver cleanup first (advanced)

• If you do manage to boot to Safe Mode or WinRE with keyboard working, uninstall any non‑Microsoft keyboard/mouse drivers and the USB Host Controller entries in Device Manager (HID, xHCI/eHCI). Then reboot so Windows redetects them. This is the usual fix when Windows loads incorrect HID/USB drivers. If you get to Safe Mode later I’ll give exact Device Manager steps.

If none of the above works (or you don’t want to mess with installations yet):

• I can give the exact Media Creation Tool steps, exact Command Prompt commands for finding the right drive and running DISM/SFC, and commands to back up your files to an external USB drive before doing a reset/reinstall. Which would you like to try next? Do you have:
  1) The other PC available to make the install USB?
  2) A spare USB stick (8 GB+)?

Tell me “Yes — make USB” or “No — can’t make USB” and I’ll give the next exact step.

Click to expand...

Yes, make USB.

Great — thanks. Below are exact, step‑by‑step instructions to create the Windows 10 repair USB on the other PC, then how to use it on the Alienware to run repairs, run offline DISM/SFC/chkdsk, and (optionally) back up files before trying a Reset or reinstall. This method is the usual way to fix HID/USB driver problems when devices work in BIOS but stop after Windows starts.
Part 1 — Create the Windows 10 install / repair USB (other PC)

1. Get an empty USB stick 8 GB or larger.
2. On the working PC, open a browser and go to Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page. (Search “Windows 10 download” if you need the link.
3. Download the Media Creation Tool and run it.
4. Choose “Create installation media (USB flash drive)” → Next.
5. Pick language/edition (leave defaults if uncertain) → Next → Select USB flash drive → Next.
6. Wait for it to finish. You’ll now have a bootable Windows 10 USB with Repair tools.

If you want, tell me the other PC’s OS and I’ll give exact clicks/screens.
Part 2 — Boot the Alienware from the USB

1. With the Alienware off, plug the USB stick into a rear motherboard USB port (prefer rear port).
2. Power on and press F12 repeatedly at the Alienware logo to open the One‑Time Boot Menu (Dell/Alienware standard). If F12 doesn’t open, use F2 to enter BIOS then change boot order.
3. Select the USB drive and press Enter. Wait for the Windows Setup screen.

Part 3 — Use the Repair tools (GUI)

1. On the Setup screen click Repair your computer (bottom left).
2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair. Let it run and reboot if it finds/fixes anything.
3. If that doesn’t fix it: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → System Restore (try a restore point if available). Many users fixed HID issues this way.

Part 4 — If Startup Repair / Restore don’t fix it: Command Prompt (WinRE)

1. From the same Advanced options open Command Prompt. WinRE may assign different drive letters; confirm yours using diskpart:
   • diskpart
   • list vol
   • note the letter of the volume that contains Windows (look at sizes and the one labeled NTFS or OS)
   • exit
2. Replace C: below with the letter you found and run these (wait for each to finish):
   • chkdsk C: /f /r
   • dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth
   • sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
   These check and repair disk and offline Windows image files and often fix corrupted drivers that break HID. Reboot and test.

Part 5 — Back up your files from WinRE (optional but recommended before Reset/reinstall)

1. Attach an external USB drive. In Command Prompt identify its drive letter with diskpart -> list vol -> exit.
2. Use robocopy (recommended) to copy user data (replace letters and user folder as needed):
   • robocopy C:\Users E:\Backup\Users /MIR /R:2 /W:5
   Or copy just Desktop/Documents:
   • robocopy "C:\Users\YourUser\Desktop" "E:\Backup\Desktop" /MIR
   Replace YourUser and drive letters. robocopy preserves files and resumes on errors.

Part 6 — BIOS settings to check (do this before booting Windows again)

1. Reboot to BIOS (F2).
2. Disable Fast Boot / Ultra Fast Boot. Fast boot can skip initializing USB properly.
3. Make sure USB Legacy Support / USB Keyboard and USB Mouse are enabled. On some Alienware BIOS these may be under Advanced → Onboard Devices.
4. Save & Exit.

Part 7 — If keyboard still dies when Windows wallpaper appears

• Boot from the USB again and confirm the keyboard works in WinRE. If it does, but fails only after Windows starts, the next safe options are:
  1) From WinRE try Reset this PC → Keep my files (this reinstalls Windows while keeping personal files).
  2) If you prefer to preserve programs, you can attempt an in-place repair install, but that requires running Setup from inside Windows — not possible if inputs are dead. So Reset (Keep my files) is the practical next step after backup.
• If you want to avoid losing installed apps, I can show how to export a list of installed programs first while in WinRE (or from a Linux/WinPE environment).

Quick troubleshooting tips while you prepare USB

• Use rear motherboard USB 2.0 ports (not front panel or GPU ports).
• Unplug every other USB device except the one keyboard during tests.
• If you have a USB-to-PS/2 adapter and a PS/2 keyboard, try that (older motherboards support PS/2 which bypasses USB drivers).

What I’ll do next with you

• If you want, I can give the exact Media Creation Tool click sequence and screenshots (textually), then the exact keystrokes to hit F12 and select the USB on Alienware.
• Or I can wait while you create the USB and then walk you step‑by‑step through Startup Repair → Command Prompt and the DISM/SFC commands and/or backing up files.

Tell me:
1) Are you ready now — is the other PC and an 8 GB+ USB stick available so I can give the step‑by‑step as you do it?
2) Do you want me to include the exact robocopy or xcopy commands for a specific folder structure to back up?
If you prefer, start by making the USB and tell me when it’s done — I’ll give the exact next steps to run on your Alienware.

I'm ready now

Good — let’s do this step‑by‑step. I’ll give exact clicks/commands to create the USB on the working PC, then the exact WinRE steps and offline commands you’ll run on the Alienware. Do each numbered step and tell me the result (or paste any error/output). I’ll stay with you until we get input working or decide the next safe step.
Summary of why we’re doing this: booting from a Windows 10 install USB gives you WinRE/WinPE tools where the keyboard and mouse normally work even if Windows’ drivers break on the internal disk. From there we can run Startup Repair, System Restore, or offline DISM + SFC and back up files before a Reset/reinstall.
Part A — Make the Windows 10 install USB (on the working PC)

1. Get an empty USB stick 8 GB or larger.
2. On the working PC:
   • Download and run Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool.
   • Choose “Create installation media (USB flash drive)”.
   • Accept defaults (language/edition) unless you know your Windows edition and want to match it precisely.
   • Choose the USB drive you inserted, let it finish.
     (This creates a bootable installer with Repair tools.

Part B — Boot your Alienware from the USB

1. With the Alienware powered off, plug the USB into a rear motherboard USB port (use a rear port, preferably a USB 2.0 port). Unplug all other USB devices except the keyboard if you want to test input there.
2. Power on and immediately tap F12 repeatedly at the Alienware logo to open the One‑Time Boot Menu. If F12 doesn’t show, press F2 to enter BIOS and change boot order to the USB. Select the USB (UEFI: name of the USB) and press Enter.

Part C — Try Startup Repair / System Restore (GUI)

1. At the Windows Setup screen click Repair your computer (bottom left).
2. Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair. Let it run; reboot and test.
3. If Startup Repair didn’t fix it: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → System Restore (use if you have a restore point). Many HID/driver regressions are fixed by a restore.

Part D — If Startup Repair/Restore don’t fix it: Command Prompt (WinRE) — exact commands
Important: WinRE may assign different drive letters. Use DiskPart to confirm letters first.

1. From Advanced options open Command Prompt.
2. Identify drive letters:
   • Type:
     
     Code:

     diskpart
     list vol
     exit

   • Note which volume letter is your Windows partition (look for the large NTFS partition or the one labeled OS).
3. Run disk check and offline repairs (replace C: below with the letter you found if different):
   • Run chkdsk (this can take a while):
     chkdsk C: /f /r
   • Run DISM (offline mode) to repair the component store:
     dism /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
     If the machine is offline or DISM reports missing source files, you can point to the USB installer as a source (example if USB is E: and installer has install.wim or install.esd):
     dism /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:\sources\install.wim:1 /LimitAccess
     or (if install.esd)
     dism /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:E:\sources\install.esd:1 /LimitAccess
     Use DISM /Get-WimInfo on the USB if you need the correct index number.
   • After DISM completes, run SFC against the offline Windows:
     sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows
   • Reboot and test.

Notes on DISM/SFC: run DISM first, then SFC. If DISM complains about source files (error 0x800f081f), mount the ISO on the working PC and recreate the USB or use the /Source: pointing to the installer’s sources\install.wim or .esd.
Part E — Back up your files from WinRE (recommended before Reset/reinstall)

1. Plug in an external USB hard drive. Use diskpart -> list vol to find its drive letter.
2. Use robocopy to copy your user data (replace letters and username):
   • To copy the entire Users folder:
     robocopy C:\Users E:\Backup\Users /MIR /R:2 /W:5
   • To copy only Desktop and Documents for user "Keith" (replace YourUser):
     
     Code:

     robocopy "C:\Users\YourUser\Desktop" "E:\Backup\Desktop" /MIR
     robocopy "C:\Users\YourUser\Documents" "E:\Backup\Documents" /MIR

     Robocopy is resilient and is recommended for offline backups from WinRE.

Part F — BIOS settings to check (do this before booting Windows again)

1. Reboot into BIOS (F2).
2. Disable Fast Boot / Ultra Fast Boot — these modes can skip USB initialization that Windows expects, causing devices to stop once Windows loads.
3. Make sure USB Legacy Support / USB Keyboard and USB Mouse are enabled. (On Alienware these options can be under Advanced → Onboard Devices. Save & Exit.

Part G — If keyboard still dies after wallpaper appears

• If WinRE tools work (keyboard works in the installer environment) but Windows boot still kills input, the practical next steps are:
  1. From WinRE → Troubleshoot → Reset this PC → Keep my files (this reinstalls Windows but preserves personal files).
  2. If you want to keep installed programs and settings, an in‑place repair (running setup.exe from a matching ISO while booted into Windows) is an option — but that requires keyboard input in the live Windows session, so it’s usually not possible if input dies at desktop.

What I need from you now (next actions)

1. On the working PC: create the USB following Part A and tell me when it’s done.
2. On the Alienware: boot the USB (Part B). If you see the Windows Setup screen, tell me whether the keyboard works in that environment.
3. If keyboard works in WinRE, run Part C → if needed Part D commands. Paste the output of diskpart → list vol here (copy the text), and tell me whether any command produced errors. That output tells me which letter to use in the DISM/SFC commands and how to proceed.

Warnings / timing / expectations

• chkdsk and DISM can take a long time (30–90+ minutes depending on drive size/health). Be patient; let them finish.
• If the drive is failing (SMART errors / many chkdsk bad sectors) back up now and consider replacing the drive. DISM/SFC won’t fix physical hardware failure.

If you want, I can:

• Give the exact Media Creation Tool clicks (screens) step‑by‑step.
• Walk you live through the USB boot and each WinRE menu option.
• Interpret the diskpart list vol output and give the exact DISM/SFC commands for your system.

Tell me when the USB is created and when you’re at the Windows Setup screen (or paste the diskpart list vol output). I’ll be here and we’ll run the next command together.