Dell Dimension 8250 keyboard problem.

I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
2003.

I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.

When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.

For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens

for all the letters on the keyboard.

I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.

Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
keyboard itself ?

The only way to solve this is to reboot and it goes away for awhile -
then comes back again.

Does anyone know what could be wrong ?

Thanks for your help - Jim

My first guess is a keyboard failure. Second guess is a motherboard failure.
Get another keyboard and try it for a while. The 8250 does not require a
special Dell keyboard. Most any keyboard will suffice for a test... Ben Myers

On 13 Dec 2006 10:02:28 -0800, "" <>
wrote:

>I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
>2003.
>
>I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>
>When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>
>For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>
>for all the letters on the keyboard.
>
>I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
>a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>
>Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
>keyboard itself ?
>
>The only way to solve this is to reboot and it goes away for awhile -
>then comes back again.
>
>Does anyone know what could be wrong ?
>
>Thanks for your help - Jim

What keyboard are you using? If it's not the Dell original keyboard,
and especially if it's an "IBM" keyboard, then the problem may be a
keyboard incompatibility. Keyboards are not as totally standard as many
think that they are.


wrote:
> I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
> 2003.
>
> I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>
> When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>
> For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>
> for all the letters on the keyboard.
>
> I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
> a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>
> Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
> keyboard itself ?
>
> The only way to solve this is to reboot and it goes away for awhile -
> then comes back again.
>
> Does anyone know what could be wrong ?
>
> Thanks for your help - Jim
>

Huh? My IBM 101-key clicky-clack keyboard works just fine in Dells and many
other boxes. So does a more recent IBM branded keyboard made by Lexmark.

But, yes, keyboards and keyboard electronic signalling interfaces on
motherboards deviate somewhat from the old IBM keyboard gold standard, and I run
into keyboard-mobo combinations that do not work. If one deviates one way and
the other deviates the other way, ya got problems. Talk about deviates! ...
Ben Myers

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:40:35 -0500, Barry Watzman <>
wrote:

>What keyboard are you using? If it's not the Dell original keyboard,
>and especially if it's an "IBM" keyboard, then the problem may be a
>keyboard incompatibility. Keyboards are not as totally standard as many
>think that they are.
>
>
> wrote:
>> I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
>> 2003.
>>
>> I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>>
>> When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>>
>> For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>>
>> for all the letters on the keyboard.
>>
>> I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
>> a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>>
>> Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
>> keyboard itself ?
>>
>> The only way to solve this is to reboot and it goes away for awhile -
>> then comes back again.
>>
>> Does anyone know what could be wrong ?
>>
>> Thanks for your help - Jim
>>

Some of the IBM clicky keyboards (the technical name is "buckling
spring" keyboards) don't work reliably with some newer motherboards. A
primary issue was that they drew more power than some keyboard ports
could supply, and that they also loaded the "clock" line of the PS/2
port too heavily, causing unreliable operation. The problem became kind
of severe in the 2003-2002 time frame when a number of Asus motherboards
in particular were severely afflicted (The P4T-E was one where I
personally first encountered this issue).

It took me a long time to find out what was going on, but I finally got
a white paper that discussed the problem and a fix in detail. Only some
specific part numbers of IBM keyboards were involved, mostly produced in
the 1980's and the early 1990's. Some other keyboard models exhibited
these problems also. Because of the nature of the problem and the PS/2
port, although the keyboard could cause this problem, the keyboard might
work and the symptom could involve the mouse or just general instability
of the system at bootup.

There is an unofficial writeup by another end-user of one of the major
aspects of this problem here:
http://www.geocities.com/jszybowski/keyboard/

It's possible that this could be the issue that JLowenha was experiencing.


Ben Myers wrote:
> Huh? My IBM 101-key clicky-clack keyboard works just fine in Dells and many
> other boxes. So does a more recent IBM branded keyboard made by Lexmark.
>
> But, yes, keyboards and keyboard electronic signalling interfaces on
> motherboards deviate somewhat from the old IBM keyboard gold standard, and I run
> into keyboard-mobo combinations that do not work. If one deviates one way and
> the other deviates the other way, ya got problems. Talk about deviates! ...
> Ben Myers
>
> On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:40:35 -0500, Barry Watzman <>
> wrote:
>
>> What keyboard are you using? If it's not the Dell original keyboard,
>> and especially if it's an "IBM" keyboard, then the problem may be a
>> keyboard incompatibility. Keyboards are not as totally standard as many
>> think that they are.
>>
>>
>> wrote:
>>> I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
>>> 2003.
>>>
>>> I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>>>
>>> When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>>>
>>> For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>>>
>>> for all the letters on the keyboard.
>>>
>>> I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
>>> a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>>>
>>> Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
>>> keyboard itself ?
>>>
>>> The only way to solve this is to reboot and it goes away for awhile -
>>> then comes back again.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know what could be wrong ?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help - Jim
>>>

The referenced page has a very detailed explanation of the problem, which I've
only understood in the past from above 20,000 feet. I will still guess that
the OP simply has a keyboard gone bad, causing it to pass different keystroke
values to the BIOS than he actually typed.

http://www.clickykeyboards.com/ is selling the IBM Model M's for good money. I
have a few cartons of them in need of cleanup and testing. Maybe I can get
rich yet.

I've also prepared myself for the day when PS/2 keyboard ports disappear
completely, 'cause I have a PS/2-USB adapter for this IBM clicky keyboard,
attached to an Intel motherboard, by the way... Ben Myers


On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:55:19 -0500, Barry Watzman <>
wrote:

>Some of the IBM clicky keyboards (the technical name is "buckling
>spring" keyboards) don't work reliably with some newer motherboards. A
>primary issue was that they drew more power than some keyboard ports
>could supply, and that they also loaded the "clock" line of the PS/2
>port too heavily, causing unreliable operation. The problem became kind
>of severe in the 2003-2002 time frame when a number of Asus motherboards
>in particular were severely afflicted (The P4T-E was one where I
>personally first encountered this issue).
>
>It took me a long time to find out what was going on, but I finally got
>a white paper that discussed the problem and a fix in detail. Only some
>specific part numbers of IBM keyboards were involved, mostly produced in
>the 1980's and the early 1990's. Some other keyboard models exhibited
>these problems also. Because of the nature of the problem and the PS/2
>port, although the keyboard could cause this problem, the keyboard might
>work and the symptom could involve the mouse or just general instability
>of the system at bootup.
>
>There is an unofficial writeup by another end-user of one of the major
>aspects of this problem here:
>http://www.geocities.com/jszybowski/keyboard/
>
>It's possible that this could be the issue that JLowenha was experiencing.
>
>

wrote:
> I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
> 2003.
>
> I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>
> When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>
> For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>
> for all the letters on the keyboard.
>
> I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
> a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>
> Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
> keyboard itself ?

It could also be you set up the keyboard language wrong for your
locale.

Sure, it can be the keyboard too.

wrote:
> I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
> 2003.
>
> I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>
> When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>
> For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>
> for all the letters on the keyboard.
>
> I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
> a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>
> Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
> keyboard itself ?

It could also be you set up the keyboard language wrong for your
locale.

Sure, it can be the keyboard too.

wrote:
> wrote:
> > I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
> > 2003.
> >
> > I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
> >
> > When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
> >
> > For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
> >
> > for all the letters on the keyboard.
> >
> > I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
> > a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
> >
> > Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
> > keyboard itself ?
>
> It could also be you set up the keyboard language wrong for your
> locale.
>
> Sure, it can be the keyboard too.



Hi everyone - thanks for all the help. If this problem persists I will
try a new keyboard. I guess that is my cheapest ($$$) solution.
Hopefully that is all it is. The keyboard I am using now is the "dell
multimedia keyboard". It has a audio volume knob on the upper right
and browser buttons on upper left of the keyboard. It plugs into the
back of my computer -
but is NOT USB. It has a round(ish) purple connector. I havent yet
tried Dell Customer Support. I'm not sure I have the strength yet to
hash it out with them. I've had a very tough time in the past
communicating with them. - oh well - thanks for everything . - Jim
().

It is probably not worth the bother to even deal with Dell tech support, unless
your system is still under warranty (unlikely).

You can get a usable keyboard in the store for cheap, and you can probably beg
or borrow a used keyboard to use for testing. If you are not far from Routes 2
& I-495 im MA, I have used Dell keyboards in excellent condition. Probably not
worth shipping though.

From the symptoms you described, I'll place my bets on a keyboard gone bad. Any
takers? ... Ben Myers

On 14 Dec 2006 09:23:47 -0800, "" <>
wrote:

>
> wrote:
>> wrote:
>> > I have a Dell Dimension 8250 with windows xp that I bought in february
>> > 2003.
>> >
>> > I seem to be having a intermittent keyboard problem.
>> >
>> > When I type text the letters coming out are not what I typed.
>> >
>> > For example the letter "a" comes out as another letter and this happens
>> >
>> > for all the letters on the keyboard.
>> >
>> > I know enough to check device manager to see if there is
>> > a hardware problem and the keyboard check out OK.
>> >
>> > Could something be wrong with the keyboard driver ? or the physical
>> > keyboard itself ?
>>
>> It could also be you set up the keyboard language wrong for your
>> locale.
>>
>> Sure, it can be the keyboard too.
>
>
>
>Hi everyone - thanks for all the help. If this problem persists I will
>try a new keyboard. I guess that is my cheapest ($$$) solution.
>Hopefully that is all it is. The keyboard I am using now is the "dell
>multimedia keyboard". It has a audio volume knob on the upper right
>and browser buttons on upper left of the keyboard. It plugs into the
>back of my computer -
>but is NOT USB. It has a round(ish) purple connector. I havent yet
>tried Dell Customer Support. I'm not sure I have the strength yet to
>hash it out with them. I've had a very tough time in the past
>communicating with them. - oh well - thanks for everything . - Jim
>().