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  1. Member
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    Jan 2004
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    I bought a Logitech cordless mouse and Keyboard (MX-700 Dual or something) a couple of years ago but I have always had to keep my old corded keyboard hooked up also for when I had to use Safe Mode for trouble shooting and such. I also needed the corded keyboard to switch to my other harddrive when needed (I have a dual booting computer). For whatever reason my cordless keyboard won't work under these two conditions but that no big deal since I can always pull out the corded one from under my desk when needed.

    Out of the blue I can't get my corded keyboard to work and I've also tried another corded keyboard but it won't work either. I say out of the blue but I did have trouble with Windows loading some of my programs at startup and I had to reinstall several of them like my firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware and my cordless keyboard and mouse software. My problem might have started sometime after that. Any idea what I need to do to get it working?
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  2. Member
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    GEORGIA US
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    USB?
    IS IT SUPPOSED TO SMOKE LIKE THAT?
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  3. Member
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    I guess I don't know what you're asking me?
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  4. Member ViRaL1's Avatar
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    Making the Rounds
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    Does the keyboard have a round (PS/2) or flat (USB) connector?
    Nothing can stop me now, 'cause I don't care anymore.
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  5. Banned
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    Feb 2005
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    USA
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    To use a USB keyboard pre-windows bootup you need enable USB support in the BIOS. This is sometimes labeled USB keyboard, USB Support, USB mouse, USB interface, etc. Instead of an 'N' or a 'NO' after this select 'Y' or 'Yes' and you can put away your old PS/2 keyboard.

    Did you recently unplug your PS/2 keyboard? When you plugged it back in is it in the keyboard port or mouse port? Did you by chance bend any of the pins?
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  6. Most PC/Motherboard support only the round connector(PS/2) keyboard as default, and on reboot.
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  7. Member
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    Oh I feel so stupid I had the mouse and keyboard plugs switched! I do have another problem I just realized though after being able to switch to my other harddrive. I originally had Windows 98 on a harddrive on this computer but three years ago I had my brother add another larger harddrive for me which is running XP Pro that I use for everyday use. I only use the 98' drive for old records and such and I probably haven't switched over to it in several months. My wife now needs to get to the 98' harddrive because it has some resumes on it she needs.

    When I now rebooted I selected the Windows 98 drive and the 98 screen comes up but I get this error message: "Insufficient memory to initialize Windows. Remove unnecessary utilities from Config. System & Auto Exec.Bat files". I also get this same error message if I try to use Safe Mode. I've rebooted several times but get the same message when trying to use the 98' drive.

    Does this mean my 98' harddrive is bad and I've lost all my important stuff? Is there anything I could try to get 98' to open up? I don't have a clue how to remove unnecessary Utilities from Config. System or Auto Exec.Bat files or even if I could find them what to remove. I would think I could open 98' in Safe Mode but I can't.

    When I'm using the XP Pro harddrive (as I am now) it does show both of my drives C & D under My Computer. Windows 98' is the C drive and XP Pro is the D drive. If I click on the C drive I can navigate to MSWorks and then Documents to find the Resume Files but when I click on them I get: The file 'C:\ Program Files\MSWorks\Documents\resume#1.wps', as specified in the execution parameters, cannot be opened." It then will go ahead and open MS Works but without my resume.
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  8. Member
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    May 2003
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    If ur using win xp you should be able to access the win98 drive whilst running xp .... no need to boot up the 98 drive at all .... it should be listed as a drive under 'my computer' (most likely drive d if ur xp drive is drive c ... but this could differ)
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  9. Member
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    psx_pirate since I can get to these files using XP Pro drive is there a way for me to get them to open?
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  10. VH Wanderer Ai Haibara's Avatar
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    XP should read the drive like another normal disk or hard drive; Win98 uses the FAT filesystem, and XP reads that just fine. You should be able to access most of the contents without any problems.

    Of course, attempting to start programs/applications that were installed under Win98 may have problems, because they might expect something that's present in the Win98 installation (such as 98's registry), but it won't be present in XP's registry (unless you install the program while in XP).

    I forget - does anyone know if XP/2K still support Win16 apps?
    If cameras add ten pounds, why would people want to eat them?
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  11. It is difficult to understand what you are doing.

    The Insufficient Memory problem on starting Win98 could be a lot of things, but most likely a corrupted 98 file. Could be fixed with a re-install, but mostly a waste of time. Just copy over the data files that you need. Note that the corrupted file also points to possible read errors on the old drive, these tend to multiply rapidly on older hardware.

    You are apparently attempting to use MS Word to open a Works word processor file? But you indicate that Works does in fact open and run? Have you tried to open Works and then select the file to open?

    You can select a file from a directory and Windows will attempt to open it with what it thinks is the correct program. Or, you can open a program and tell it to open a particular file.

    Unfortunately, old Works word processor files are not compatible with Word. I'm pretty sure there is an import filter available from Microsoft. Your real solution is to COPY needed files from the old drive - this should have been done years ago - and then CONVERT these files to some reasonably modern program. Again, this should have been done years ago. To continue using your current system is to risk losing ALL of those old files.

    Almost forgot. Are these two drives using the same IDE ribbon cable? Drives with that age difference will Definitely lose performance when paired on the same cable, this could also cause the read errors, corrupted files, and boot errors you experienced on the XP drive.
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  12. Member
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    Nelson37 thanks for the reply. I'm only so so when it comes to trying to figure things like this out but it looks like the files I need on my 98 drive (C) are in MS Works and what I have on XP Pro drive (D) is Corel WordPerfect Office 11 so I guess you are saying that is why I can't open the files. I have tried to retrieve the file using WordPerfect and that's when it says it can't be opened as specified in the execution parameters.

    So the first thing you say I need to do is copy all of the important files to my XP Pro drive (like to a folder on my desktop), and then do a search for a import filter that will change the files from MS Works to Corel's WordPerfect?

    As to using the same IDE ribbon I have a feeling that was what my brother did.
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  13. Exactly right, you need a filter for the Wordperfect program to allow it to read the MSWorks files.

    I really want you to re-read your description of the file opening action and explain it more thoroughly.

    "Navigate to MS Word and then Documents". Are you referring to a Directory Structure or actions performed within a program?

    The actual file location appears to be "program files\MSWorks\documents", then you state "MSWorks opens"

    I cannot tell where you Run a Program or Open a File or Directory.

    Some versions of MSWorks include MSWord as their Word Processor, earlier versions had a proprietary word processor, which the filename ".WPS" seems to indicate.

    If you can Run the Program MSWorks, it should be able to open this file. Was MSWorks upgraded to a new version after the resume was originally created?

    Sounds like you have an old MSWorks file, an upgraded MSWorks program, and no MSWord on the new OS. May have to convert to Word, then WordPerfect. Will probably loose most of the formatting. You may be better off re-typing it.

    Also, I would get rid of the old Hard Drive, it is likely hurting performance and could even cause data corruption. You may need to change the Master/Slave jumper on the existing XP drive.

    I would also guess that some XP update or install is the cause of 98 no longer booting. Doing a dual-boot that way is usually not a good idea, for just this reason. You may have additional problems in removing the 98 drive.
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  14. Member
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    I'm sorry I guess I haven't done a very good job trying to explain what is happening. When I navigate to MSWorks and then Documents in my C drive ( from XP Pro) and click on the file, WordPerfect is trying to open the file not MSWorks. If I click on Properties of one of the files it does show WordPerfect has been selected to open the files but it does not list MSWorks as an option to be able to open the files with. So it almost seems like C Drive does not recognize MSWorks as being installed.

    In C Drive under Program Files I have two folder pertaining to MSWorks, (1) Microsoft Works 4.5 (which has a setup folder in it), and (2) MSWorks (which has Documents and then the files inside it I need).

    Yes all of the files end in ".wps". I don't remember if MSWorks was upgraded after the resume was originally created or not. I tried to install MSWorks on XP Pro when I first got it but it wouldn't install so I guess it was too old of a version. You're right I should have copied these files a long time ago but I actually kind of forgot they were still on 98 Drive. I figured if the 98 Drive went bad it was no big loss not knowing there was still things on it I might need. When it comes to the computer I kind of do my own thing and my wife does her thing so since these files were some of the things she did I really wasn't aware of them until she asked me to find them for her.

    I have now copied the files to my XP Drive just need to being able to convert. So I first need to convert the MSWorks file to a MSWord file and finally to a Corel WordPerfect file? Hopefully I can find free programs to do this.

    I know my XP Drive is starting to make some noise so I will be replacing it at some point and I will do away with the dual boot. You think the 98 Drive having corrupted files might be causing problems on my XP Drive since it is a dual boot?
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  15. The two drives being that dissimilar in age and performance will definitely lead to performance lags on the new drive. These can be severe, and could lead to data corruption.

    When you boot XP from the D drive, none of the programs installed to Win98 on the C drive are usable to your OS. They are just a bunch of files.

    You may find a WordPerfect converter for the WPS files. I know there is one for WPS to Word 2000, and I am reasonable certain WordPerfect could open a Word 2000 file. You are going from an old program with no support to a new program with limited support.
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