How to install Windows Vista mouse drivers without mouse or keyboard working
First, try booting into safe-mode. Windows should load generic drivers for the mouse and keyboard and they should stick when you reboot into normal mode.
If you have a special kind of mouse/keyboard for which Windows keeps ignoring the generic drivers and tries to load advanced drivers, then you can try the System Recovery Options.
- Reboot
- Press F8 to access the Advanced Boot Options (figure 1)
Select Repair Your Computer
It should bring you to the System Recovery Options screen (figure 2)
- Select Command Prompt
Mount the registry hive
- Locate your normal Windows installation (you can use the
dir
command, but you may be able to use Explorer (explorer
) to find it). It will usually be a different drive letter. Navigate to the registry folder. If your Windows installation is in
d:
during recovery, then you would use this command in the command-prompt:cd d:\windows\system32\config
Mount the registry hive (we’ll use
z
as the temporary branch):reg load hku\z software
Run the registry editor (
regedit
)- Navigate to
HKEY_USERS\z\Microsoft\Driver Signing
Check if thePolicy
value is0
. If not, set it to0
(automatically install drivers) - Repeat for
HKEY_USERS\z\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing
Unmount the hive with this command:
reg unload hku\z
Reboot and check that it installs the drivers without prompting you
- Locate your normal Windows installation (you can use the
Figure 1: Screenshot of Advanced Boot Options screen
Figure 2: Screenshot of System Recovery Options screen
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RTF
Updated on September 18, 2022Comments
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RTF over 1 year
I can boot into Vista just fine, but the mouse and keyboard (both USB) are not working. However, they are both working fine up until Vista boots. Immediately after boot, the found new hardware dialog pops up for the mouse with option to find drivers and install them (the keyboard doesn't register at all). But it's a catch 22, I can't select an option!
Both stopped working about a week ago after a dodgy hard disk was plugged into the PC. I'm assuming that was the cause of the problem, since they haven't working since then. I've tried system restore, but all checkpoints I've tried have resulted in failure (with the helpful Microsoft error message "Catastrophic Failure"). Safe Mode results in the exact same scenario as booting normally.
Is there a way to set an option to force Vista into automatically installing drivers without prompting, but in such a way that it can be set before boot?
I'm willing to entertain any and all solutions. I need to get at my disk fast.
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RTF over 10 yearsOops sorry, I'll take a look at that post. Also, the default auto install option was not changed manually.
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RTF over 10 yearsThat's outstanding. I haven't tried it yet, but I won't be able to until tomorrow morning. However, I've been having trouble getting into the advanced boot options menu under normal circumstances. I've tried hitting F8 like a mad man but it does nothing. Is there an alternative key? I have an installation disc though, and I can access the command prompt by booting from that, if that's appropriate?
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Synetech over 10 yearsNo, there isn’t a different key, but have you tried simply holding the key down? As soon as you reboot and see the BIOS screen, just hold
F8
down; it should fire continuously. If that doesn’t work, then yes, the installation disc also has an option to get you to the recovery screen. -
RTF over 10 yearsThis didn't work unfortunately. Thanks anyway.
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Synetech over 10 yearsDidn’t work how? Were they already
0
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RTF over 10 yearsI actually don't know. It's not actually my PC and someone else took over troubleshooting the issue. All I know is that it didn't work. I think whoever is looking after it now is gonna do a repair install. I don't think the owner has any installed software that can't be re-installed on the fly when they need it. Thanks for the detailed answer though.
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RTF over 10 yearsAlso, I don't have enough rep yet to upvote you.
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OuzoPower over 4 yearsOutstanding procedure, but unfortunately it didn't work in my case.