this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On Win98 machine boots up says keyboard initialized etc, keyboard
works, BUT! in the Device Manager the keyboard comes up with that
little yellow dot with black exclamation point inside which usually
means trouble.

What's going on? Where to look?

So went and looked further and oddly under "System devices" the
Processor Support has a similar little exclamation point AND the
Universal bus to USB is lit up with yellow tag, too Intel 8237 etc

Nothing makes this go away, yet eveyrthing 'appears' to beworking ok.

What diagnostic can I perform to make all these proper?

As I said, everything 'seems' to be functioning ok.

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

Robert Macy wrote:

On Win98 machine boots up says keyboard initialized etc, keyboard
works, BUT! in the Device Manager the keyboard comes up with that
little yellow dot with black exclamation point inside which usually
means trouble.

What's going on? Where to look?

Is the keyboard USB or PS2?

If its USB, then note that some motherboards have a BIOS setting that
enables / disables USB keyboard support.

So went and looked further and oddly under "System devices" the
Processor Support has a similar little exclamation point AND the
Universal bus to USB is lit up with yellow tag, too Intel 8237 etc

Nothing makes this go away, yet eveyrthing 'appears' to beworking ok.

What diagnostic can I perform to make all these proper?

As I said, everything 'seems' to be functioning ok.

Disable or uninstall the problem devices, then let windows try to
re-install them upon next boot. Might have to disable or delete them
from safe mode.

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

Check the motherboard's on-board battery. Maybe it's time for a new
one.

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On May 12, 8:18*pm, 98 Guy wrote:
Check the motherboard's on-board battery. *Maybe it's time for a new
one.

Thank you for the responses.

It's a standard old Dell DTXQ6 with Pentium II, or III?, [333MHz]
system with PS/2 keyboard and not a single USB criver installed [I
think] I would like to get at the power ON/OFF switch, since it's
unreliable, but haven't figured out how to disassemble the plastic
case to get at those switches, but that's another issue.

The PC is left on all the time, except for the occasional power
failure. Not even used online. Simply a highpowered wordprocessor with
printer.

Battery? hmmm, you're right VERY old indeed. But doesn't being powered
ON all the time negate the need for the battery?

Is it alright to disable these three functions WHILE running the
system?

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On 05/13/2013 09:13 AM, Robert Macy wrote:
On May 12, 8:18 pm, 98 Guy wrote:
Check the motherboard's on-board battery. Maybe it's time for a new
one.

Thank you for the responses.

It's a standard old Dell DTXQ6 with Pentium II, or III?, [333MHz]
system with PS/2 keyboard and not a single USB criver installed [I
think] I would like to get at the power ON/OFF switch, since it's
unreliable, but haven't figured out how to disassemble the plastic
case to get at those switches, but that's another issue.

The PC is left on all the time, except for the occasional power
failure. Not even used online. Simply a highpowered wordprocessor with
printer.

Battery? hmmm, you're right VERY old indeed. But doesn't being powered
ON all the time negate the need for the battery?

Is it alright to disable these three functions WHILE running the
system?





Since you are not using USB, you'd be safe to delete it in the control
panel and reboot...hopefully it will be reinstalled correctly...
and if so you can do the same for the other devices.

OTOH: If all is working ok, you may want to just ignore it

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On May 13, 5:30*pm, philo* philo@priv cy.not wrote:
On 05/13/2013 09:13 AM, Robert Macy wrote:





On May 12, 8:18 pm, 98 Guy wrote:
Check the motherboard's on-board battery. *Maybe it's time for a new
one.

Thank you for the responses.

It's a standard old Dell DTXQ6 with Pentium II, or III?, [333MHz]
system with PS/2 keyboard and not a single USB criver installed [I
think] I would like to get at the power ON/OFF switch, since it's
unreliable, but haven't figured out how to disassemble the plastic
case to get at those switches, but that's another issue.

The PC is left on all the time, except for the occasional power
failure. Not even used online. Simply a highpowered wordprocessor with
printer.

Battery? hmmm, you're right VERY old indeed. But doesn't being powered
ON all the time negate the need for the battery?

Is it alright to disable these three functions WHILE running the
system?

Since you are not using USB, you'd be safe to delete it in the control
panel and reboot...hopefully it will be reinstalled correctly...
and if so you can do the same for the other devices.

OTOH: If all is working ok, you may want to just ignore it

It's Ms.' PC which she uses everyday for her work. I'm not sure; but
in the event I screw it up, there may be a death penalty involved, or
at least some type of organic dismemberment policy. :)

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On May 12, 8:18*pm, 98 Guy wrote:

Check the motherboard's on-board battery. *Maybe it's time for a new
one.

Just remembered this. When powered OFF [by means of a power strip
switch], the TIME/DATE clock keeps working, so may not be the battery.

But battery is over 10 years old.

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

Robert Macy wrote:

Check the motherboard's on-board battery. Maybe it's time for
a newone.

Just remembered this. When powered OFF [by means of a power strip
switch], the TIME/DATE clock keeps working, so may not be the
battery.

But battery is over 10 years old.

When you turn off any desktop PC (desktop PC made since about 1999) the
PC's power supply normally remains connected to wall power (120/240
volts). The power supply doesn't totally shut-down - it supplies a very
small amount of current to part of the motherboard the contains the CMOS
settings and clock, and the clock is powered by that current (not by the
battery).

If the computer is connected to main power through a power strip, and if
you are in the habbit of turning the power strip off when the computer
is not in use, then the on-board clock will be powered by the
motherboard battery.

So bottom line - the battery will run down faster when the computer's
power supply is not connected to a live power source.

And yes, these batteries will drain themselves down internally over time
regardless.

It's probably type CR2032 - 3 volts. Looks like a shiney new quarter.

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On 05/14/2013 08:46 AM, 98 Guy wrote:
Robert Macy wrote:


snip
batteries will drain themselves down internally over time
regardless.

It's probably type CR2032 - 3 volts. Looks like a shiney new quarter.




And has absolutely nothing to do with the OP's problem

this is strange, need Win98 guru to explain
 

On 05/14/2013 07:55 AM, Robert Macy wrote:
On May 13, 5:30 pm, philo philo@priv cy.not wrote:
On 05/13/2013 09:13 AM, Robert Macy wrote:



Since you are not using USB, you'd be safe to delete it in the control
panel and reboot...hopefully it will be reinstalled correctly...
and if so you can do the same for the other devices.

OTOH: If all is working ok, you may want to just ignore it

It's Ms.' PC which she uses everyday for her work. I'm not sure; but
in the event I screw it up, there may be a death penalty involved, or
at least some type of organic dismemberment policy. :)





Though you are not likely to hurt it, being your wife's machine and it's
working...I'd leave it alone!


When my wife was at work, I updated her Win7 machine and the update
broke Photoshop.

Though I uninstalled the update and got Photoshop working again.

I should not have done anything to her machine when she was in the
middle of a big project.

Anyway, her book is going to the publisher tomorrow .