I finished building a new PC and entered the BIOS to make sure everything looked correct. After shutting it down, I connected my Windows installation drive, but the keyboard was no longer detected, so I can't start the installation or navigate the boot process. I've unplugged and reconnected it, tested multiple keyboards, and tried using several USB ports, including the rear motherboard ports. Has anyone run into this issue or found a reliable fix?
3 Answers
Try using a wired keyboard connected directly to a rear USB 2.0 port on the motherboard rather than a front-panel port or hub. Those ports are often recognized more reliably during BIOS and Windows setup.
This kind of keyboard detection problem has happened on older PCs as well, though it’s much less common on modern systems. If different keyboards and every USB port fail, the next things worth checking are a full power cycle, clearing CMOS, and whether the motherboard is receiving normal USB power.
Make sure the system isn’t waiting for input on another display. Some boot screens can appear on a different monitor, although that’s less likely if you’re only using one display.
I’m only using one display, so the boot screen shouldn’t be appearing somewhere else.
I already tried the rear USB ports and tested every port I could find, but the keyboard still isn’t detected.