ajocius@gmail.com wrote:
I went first to BIOS and I am able to use keyboard and mouse there. USB options are all enabled. However, when I start installing Windows 7, I get to the first screen to select language and neither keyboard nor mouse is detected.
There should be a "Legacy USB" setting somewhere in BIOS. Try booting with this setting enabled/disabled to see if it helps.
I understand that relevant USB drivers are not on W7 installation that I use. I wouldn't want to purchase new Windows just because of that.
Some possible solutions ... at least ideas to try out or consider ...
- Connect the keyboard/mouse to a USB hub to the computer, the older and cheaper the better, because if the hub only supports early USB2 or USB1.x protocols then all downstream USB devices connected through it will enumerate with older USB2 or USB1.x protocols that Win7 natively supports.
- Alternately, if a USB keyboard works but USB mouse does not then you might be able to connect the mouse through a USB hub built into the keyboard.
- If your Win7 isn't SP1 then you can upgrade it to SP1 at no cost (using the same Windows Product Key), I can't recall but I think it had better USB support.
- You can try reinstalling a clean copy of Win7 from a bootable USB flash drive, when I did this with a Win8 installation it automagically fixed similar USB issues in some way I never quite bothered to understand but which still worked perfectly.
- You can try installing an Intel USB driver (like
this one) intended for other Win7 platforms, sometimes they won't install or won't work, sometimes they will.
- You can try
fixing Win7 USB drivers. Apparently the perfect solution for many users.
- You can
buy a Win10 Product Key. Microsoft charges CAD$148+, other vendors charge much less ("only" $20~$50), and there's often promo codes or coupons. A sucky option, but at least it will future-proof better against future USB (or other hardware) problems and probably cost less than you paid for the keyboard and mouse. I hate giving Microsoft money, I already bought stupid Windows at least two dozen times over the years.
- You can install a linux!
Mint is a popular and powerful choice for linux novices and Windows refugees. There's also SteamOS, Androids, etc, though I don't know much about running them on desktops. It might do everything you wanted Windows to do except run DirectX (although Mantle and Vulkan are pretty good
*). These non-Windows operating systems are well-supported, always FREE, and can run off "Live USB" or "Live CD/DVD" installs so there's not even any need to do a fixed OS installation if you're apprehensive about "wrecking" your Win7. Nothing to lose by trying one out.
* Vulkan is proving very compelling (one example) and even superior in some ways over Microsoft DirectX 12. The caveat is that *very few* games are optimized for Vulkan, it's supported by SteamOS and UE4 and it's steadily gaining traction, it will be supported by many (if not all) upcoming titles ... but in the meantime it is poorly supported and games with no Vulkan and no DX12 must run sucky OGL, lol.
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