Dimension 8300 BIOS won't recognize my newer USB keyboard

We tried reaching you on a private message but did not receive a response. Please feel free to reply to the private message whenever you are available.

Which USB2 port are you using for this keyboard. It should be connected to one of the two USB ports next to the Ethernet jack.

And, if you have one handy, try plugging a USB hub with its own external power adapter into one of those two rear USB ports and plug its adapter into a wall outlet. Then plug that keyboard into the hub.

Long shots...

Thank you very much for the reply Ron, you are a rockstar!  You know my USB ports better than I do.

(I thought I might've remembered that they were all USB1.1; then a couple days ago I found the manual which said they're all USB2.)

What are they actually please, and how do the (two bottom USB) ports next to the Ethernet jack differ?

But you were right it was a longshot, the newer keyboard didn't get recognized by the BIOS in the bottom USB ports, or in my powered USB hub (attached to the bottom USB ports.

Since you're a rockstar, with apologies may I please mention this tangent:

Testing your suggestion took hours because now sometimes the BIOS doesn't recognize any of my keyboards, and recently I usually need to hit F1 to complete bootup.  I discovered that when the BIOS doesn't recognize any of my keyboards, I need to turn the machine off (even with the PSU switched off) for longer than 45 minutes (times up to 20 minutes weren't enough [I tried many times]; but leaving the PSU switched off for an hour does the trick to restore the BIOS' ability to recognize my old PS/2 keyboard).  (This mystifies me.)

(I think the need to press F1 to complete bootups began when I removed the HDD the BIOS identified as 'Secondary' to install a dual boot to Linux. Even though I did the IDE scan thing in BIOS, by which I mean the BIOS Setting Alt-E, Alt-F then reboot thing; I know this sounds crazy, but: I need to first detach all drives, do the IDE scan thing a couple times, then re-attach all drives and do the IDE scan thing a couple more times, LOL. I discovered this crazy little dance years ago while learning it resolved Windows startup hangs when they cropped up. When I posted about this here years ago it was suggested that I change the CMOS battery, and I did, but that didn't help.)

I guess, ultra longshot, I'll try that IDE scan dance again and see if it resolves my USB issue.

What version of Windows is this? Dell only supported XP on this model.

Did that keyboard come with a driver and did you install that driver on the D8300?

Your USB ports are supposed to be USB2 because USB2 support was added assuming Win XP SP1 (or later) is installed. Open Device Manager and expand the list under USB. there should be one Enhanced USB Controller entry. That's the USB2 controller.

If "Enhanced" isn't listed or has a ! or X next to it, USB ports are running as USB 1.1. In that case you should (re)install the chipset drivers. You probably have to go to the Intel Download Center and install their wizard which will scan your PC and offer new drivers, if any, because Dell is only offering an old chipset for Win XP.  If that doesn't add "Enhanced" to the USB list in Device Manager, on Device Manager's toolbar, click Action>Scan for hardware changes and see it that adds it.

All of the other things you mentioned suggest -to me- your PSU and/or the USB controller hardware may be failing. That's why I suggested trying the powered USB hub with the keyboard connected via that hub.

BTW: Do you know this PC can actually support more than one keyboard at a time, regardless of whether they're PS/2 and/or USB?

IMHO, t may be time to put this ancient PC into the recycle bin, after you safely wipe all personal info off the drive(s) with something like DBAN (free).

This machine topped out at 32bit Win7sp1; when that went EOL I switched and am now running 32bit Linux Mint on it (I'm a Linux noob, frustrated by all the time that takes).

No driver needed.

This is my only PC right now, and I need it both to support the selection of the new one I need to build, and then as a fallback (I never believe in having only one PC). Linux Mint 32-bit won't be supported more than another couple years, and then I'll recycle this old warhorse. I'm hoping I can nurse it along until then.

Thanks for the interesting theories. I guess it could be the PSU, but this has been happening for years. I'm not sure how the USB controller theory fits with the SATA issues I've had?

BTW, I did the IDE config dance, and it's booting without requiring an F1 now, yay!

You only mentioned USB issues, not SATA issues, until your last post. So I have no idea what SATA issues you're talking about.

The USB controller depends on the PSU to power all USB devices that are connected. So if the PSU is weak/ailing...

Since you're running Linux, everything I said about an Enhanced USB controller entry in Device Manager is irrelevant. You should have mentioned Linux in your OP.

Maybe you need to post on one of the Linux forums about your USB/keyboard issues. I don't know anything about Linux...

"You only mentioned USB issues, not SATA issues"

Oops, sorry, you're right, when I've previously mentioned "detach all drives" that could have meant just USB drives.

Also sorry I didn't think to mention my OS.