Turing wrote:

John McGaw wrote:

Turing wrote:

I am trying to fire up this W7 PC to eventually use on a PS/2 KVM. The
PC has only one PS/2 connection (plus a few USBs of course). I want
to use a keyboard and a mouse which both are PS/2. I tried using both
the keyboard and mouse one at a time and both work during bootup. So
they both seem to work. Even in W7 altho still only one at a time.
I have to make things work with both mouse and keyboard connect of
course. I then tried using both connected to a Y connector which
changes the connections to the single PC USB input connection. Both
mouse and keyboard still work during boot. However, when I get to W7,
neither work. Funny, since both work when alone. Even when using the
Y connector. So the mouse, keyboard, Y connector, and PC USB port all
seem to be good individually, but not together, which I seem to need.

No guarantees:

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-Keyb...dp/B000067SLZ/

There are cheaper alternatives availlble.

That looks like mine except the white end on my 'y' is USB. Are you
saying that reducing the keyboard and mouse PS/2 connectors down to
one PC/2 connector will work when mine won't? That wud mean the
problem is in the conversion from PS/2 to USB wouldn't it?

When converting between hardware protocols (USB and PS/2), you need an
*active* adapter, not just a bunch of wires. For some keyboards, they
do the conversion inside them; that is, they have the hardware protocol
conversion logic. Lots of keyboards do not as they as designed solely
for USB or PS/2 but not both.

Did your USB keyboard come with a PS/2 adapter? No, not did you find or
buy one separately and try to use with the keyboard but instead did the
keyboard come packaged with its own USB-to-PS/2 adapter? That would
indicate (but not guarantee) the keyboard contains the hardware protocol
conversion logic.

Keyboard can come in the PS/2-only variety, USB-only, or USB-PS/2. It
depends on the logic inside the keyboard. You did not mention your
brand and model of keyboard. What brand and model of keyboard do you
have? If it has a USB end on its cord, and unless you specifically
looked for a USB-PS/2 keyboard, it is highly likely to be USB-only. To
connect to the PS/2 port on your computer, you need:

- PS/2-only keyboard (and mouse).
- USB-PS/2 keyboard and use its USB-to-PS/2 adapter.
- USB-only keyboard and an active USB-to-PS/2 adapter to convert
hardware protocols (USB to PS/2).

The Y-adapter that Paul mentioned is just splitting the wires from a
PS/2 port to a couple of PS/2 ends. No hardware protocol conversion is
required because both ends are PS/2. Some examples of an active
USB-to-PS/2 adapter a

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ps%2F2+adapter