Customer got a used PC… installed a new hard drive, but then couldn’t install windows XP.

I tried it myself, and found I couldn’t hit “any key” to start the XP install process from CD.

I know the USB keyboard works, because I can press del to get to the bios.

The system was reasonable: P4 3Ghz, 3Gb RAM, a Sonata case and PSU, 250Gb drive.

So I started UBCD4Win, and I got a bluescreen (stop 0x000000A5)… and a message about the bios not being fully ACPI complient.

Since I couldn’t select the memtest option from the ubcd4win startup screen, I created a standalone memtest CD, and it found some faulty RAM.

I fix the RAM, but I still cannot start the XP setup…

The PC doesn’t have any PS2 plugs, just USB… So I can only use USB Keyboards and mice.

I try a few different keyboards, but none seem to help.

After a lot of searching around inside the case, I’m just about to say “its a faulty motherboard”, when I notice a green reflection on the rear backplate, inside the PC.

I think: no, it can’t be!

Yep: the 2 PS2 ports are covered over by an “incorrect” backplate!

On closer inspection, its obvious that the backplate really doesn’t match some ports on the back, and parts of it had been cut to expose more ports.

I really don’t want to disassemble the whole PC, just to get the backplate out. And since the backplate was already damaged and had some loose steel flaps, I just carefully pulled at the flaps & gradually ripped out the whole backplate from the back of the PC.

I didn’t have a matching backplate, so I just left the PC without one.

Once I could use a PS2 keyboard, XP installed without any problems.