Hi!
As the owner of recent (end of '06) DELL(with XPMce OS) ps/2 kbs are not an option since there are NO ps/2 connections on my model in the first place! (just like there are no IDE mobo sockets - well except for the power switch cable!! - certainly makes for a tidier,downsized, air flow friendly system that is easier/quicker to connect/disconnect if nothing else in practical terms).
The boot time scan is personally very appealing (more convenient than setting up scanning the HDD as a mass storage device or setting up avast in another active partition to scan the other OS part. of a double etc boot system when its not booted/inactive).So i put in some effort to see if i could find a solution.
All the ideas and tips i found in this forum didn't provide me with a direct answer but after lots of experimenting, i remembered from certain PC activities (OS install + usb mass storage device/external hdd error free connection when using ACRONIS TI (linux based) boot disc) about how removing as many USB connections as possible reduced chance of interference/improved efficient connection of lone USB device.
So i disconnected all USB devices EXCEPT KBoard from the comp. and after all the previous completely failed trys this WORKED PERFECTLY. However of note the USB keyboard was still unresponsive/dead at cancelling any pre-load up CHKDSKs.
Since DELL's mobos are proprietry even if this isn't a repeated idea it might limit its potential success even more but i thought it was worth reporting , especially as its easy to try.
Thanks for all the info and tips that i read, i doubt i would have had the idea of trying disconnecting other USB devices without assimilating it all.
Al