Hi there!
Have been having troubles with my Windows XP computer, it seems to boot up fine when there's no mouse or keyboard plugged into the back but of course then you can't do anything else. However, when you plug them in it restarts shortly after displaying the white writing that comes up when you first turn the computer on. I've taken it to a computer shop and they say that the computer is screwed and I may aswell buy a new one but I don't think this is the case, they're probably just trying to get more money out of me. Any ideas anyone?

Cheers
Jade

Hi Jade and welcome.

I've taken it to a computer shop and they say that the computer is screwed and I may aswell buy a new one

I certainly would not go back there, or let any of my friends go there. While this could be a serious motherboard problem, they should have been able to be more precise rather than to tell you to get a whole new computer. That said, if old, then it is often not economical to fix, but they should have explained that to you.

Can you boot into Safe Mode? Can you get into the BIOS setup menu?

What type connections do the mouse and keyboard use? I suspect USB. If your motherboard supports PS/2 mouse or keyboard (with the small round connectors, typically purple and green), see if you can borrow someone's temporarily and see what happens. If you are already using PS/2 mouse and keyboard, make sure they are in the correct ports. Do not use wireless.

As for your laptop, unless two identical computers with the exact same problem, you should always post questions about different computers in different threads to avoid confusions. So I have split your Laptop issue out to a separate thread, http://www.d-a-l.com/help/windows-xp...ba-laptop.html

Cheers Bill,
The computer is fairly old (5 years) but has been updated with memory and ram. I do use PS/2 connections on both keyboard and mouse so maybe usb is worth a try?
I can't get into safe mode or anything else due to the keyboard not working and so am unable to use the cursor to scroll down to safe mode! If all else fails would wiping the computer down to nothing sort it out? I've not got anything overly important on the computer. It is used for music software and has a built in audio interface and sufficient speed and memory to handle the music software. I just want to make music on it again!
Thank you also for splitting my queries. I'm new to this game!

It is worth a try, but note the PS/2 ports and nearby USB ports may be controlled by the same Host Controller Interface (HCI) - which might be bad. If you have more than one set of USB ports, such as front panel USB, you might try them.

I'm new to this game!

As we all were once.

Cheers,
Tried the USB ports last night and they do not work either. Does this mean it is the controller that's gone? I have no ports on the front of my computer!

Tried the USB ports last night and they do not work either. Does this mean it is the controller that's gone?

Sadly, it sounds like it, and that is an integrated circuit on the motherboard. I would try a different mouse and keyboard before anything else, to ensure one of them is not damaged, possibly shorting everything out when connected.

If optical mouse, does it light up? Do the keyboard NumLock, CapsLock and ScrollLock LEDs turn on and off when pressing the keys?

Once you verify no mouse or keyboard will work, then maybe (finger's crossed) the BIOS was corrupted some how, and resetting it may fix the problem. Check your motherboard manual for resetting the BIOS, or follow these instructions:

• Power off AND UNPLUG the computer from the wall,
• Open the side of the case and locate battery on motherboard,
• Touch bare metal of case with fingers to discharge any static in your body, putting you and case at the same "potential",
• Use thumbnail, wood or plastic prying device and pop out battery, being very careful not to damage surrounding surfaces,
• Wait 1 minute (see note following),
• Clean battery - do NOT touch with bare skin - the oils promote corrosion and attract dust - use a clean cloth, or I put a clean sock over my hand
• Observing battery polarity, touch bare metal, insert battery,
• Inspect interior for loose wires, connections, excess dust, or leaky capacitors,
• Replace side panel, connect cables,
• Boot computer going directly into the BIOS Setup Menu,
• Set date and time, check for proper identification of drives, Save and Exit.

Hopefully, keystrokes will be picked up and you can enter the BIOS.

Note: Since these batteries, typically CR2032, are common and only a couple bucks at your local battery/watch/camera counter, I generally recommend replacing them. Do NOT toss the old Lithium battery in the trash, but take it with you as many battery centers recycle Lithium and rechargeable batteries. Radio Shack, for example will recycle your old SLA (sealed lead-acid) UPS batteries too!
RadioShack!