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Most contemporary computer systems have dual PS/2 ports situated alongside another bank of connectors. In this image, the purple port is for a keyboard; the green port is for a mouse. The two rectangular ports to the right, below the RJ45 jack, are for USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices.
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Even as more and more computer users become increasingly savvy about the inner working of their computers, there's still a large number of users who are new to computers but crave to have the same fundamental knowledge that has become like second nature to the well-trained PC enthusiast. Well, we're here to help. In this article we'll outline one of the most basic tasks in computing: installing a new keyboard.
 Identify The Port
Unless you're using a computer that goes way back to the good old days of computing, your new keyboard will connect to one of two ports, either a PS/2 port or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. For the past six or seven years, motherboard manufacturers have color coded the PS/2 ports on their boards to make them easier to identify for users. If you look at the back of your PC, you'll see a cluster of ports that should be adjacent to your motherboard's expansion slots. If you have a tower case (which is a computer case that's larger in size), the ports will likely be limited to an approximate 6-x 2-inch block of connectors of varying sizes and shapes located above the slots and below the power supply.
In that port cluster, along with an assortment of other connectors, you should find two PS/2 ports stacked one on top of the other. Typically, the bottom PS/2 connector, or the one that's closest to the motherboard's PCB (printed circuit board; the plastic or fiberglass board that holds the electronic circuits of the system) is the keyboard port. The port just above this is for a mouse. If the motherboard has color-coded connectors, the purple port is for the keyboard, and the green port for a mouse. In addition, you may even see icons for a keyboard and mouse at the back of the system next to the ports to indicate which port is which. PS/2 ports are small and circular with six round pin holes flanking a rectangular keyhole.
Also located in that same port cluster will be a group of USB ports. You can connect keyboards and a whole host of other devices to a system using these ports. USB ports are rectangular, about 0.6 x 0.25 inches. If you look into the port, you'll see a metal shroud surrounding a flat plate with four metal contacts. You'll generally find USB ports in banks of two, but their arrangement will vary depending on the type and brand of motherboard that's installed in the system.
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Keyboards that use a PS/2 interface will have a small circular plug with 6 pins and a rectangular orientation key and may be color coded.
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Make The Connection
Connecting a keyboard to a computer system is extremely easy. In fact, there generally is no configuration necessary. If there is some configuration required, it's almost always minimal. In general, you should be able to follow these basic steps to install your keyboard:
Step 1. Identify the type of keyboard you are installing. If the keyboard's cable has a connector at the end that's a circular plug with 6 pins, it will connect to a PS/2 port. If the connector has a flat, rectangular plug, the keyboard will connect to a USB port.
Step 2. Power down your system before you begin the installation. Anytime you're connecting a device to a computer system, it is best to have the power turned off (with the exception of hot-pluggable devices, such as a thumb drive or card reader, which the system will recognize immediately after you plug it in, even if the system is running).
Step 3. Locate the appropriate port in the I/O (input/output) port cluster at the back of your computer. Remember, PS/2 ports are circular with six round pin holes, and USB ports are flat and rectangular. |
Keyboards that connect to a system via USB (Universal Serial Bus) will be equipped with a flat, rectangular connector like the one shown here.
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Step 4. Insert the keyboard connector into the corresponding port. PS/2 and USB cables will fit into their corresponding ports only one way. If the plug doesn't slide easily into the port with minimal force, double-check that you're using the correct orientation. The rectangular key in a PS/2 cable should line up with the rectangular hole in the port. If the USB connector doesn't readily slide into the USB port, flip the connector over and try again. The USB icon that's branded into the connector will usually face up. If the connector is not fitting correctly, take care to not use excessive force or you may damage the pins on a PS/2 connector.
Step 5. With the connector in place, power-up the system and let your operating system load and detect the keyboard. Now try the keyboard to make sure it's working.
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For a USB keyboard to work properly when using real-mode applications or DOS, you'll have to enable USB (Universal Serial Bus) keyboard support in the system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).
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Enable The Keyboard
Once the keyboard is connected to your system, there is usually no other configuration necessary. However, with some motherboards and USB keyboards, you may have to enter the system's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System; software built into the system that controls certain routines and functions of the computer, including the keyboard) and enable USB keyboard or USB legacy device support. This is necessary in order for the keyboard to work properly in real-mode situations, such as when booting to DOS or running a drive cloning tool, such as Norton Ghost (www.
symantec.com), that loads before Windows boots.
To enable USB keyboard support, power up your system and press DELETE (or F1 or F2, depending on your BIOS type) to enter the BIOS. A menu with an assortment of options will greet you. You may have to explore a bit to find the specific option to enable USB Keyboard support, but generally you can find it in the Integrated Peripherals section or in a subsection of Integrated Peripherals that's labeled OnChip PCI Device or PCI Devices. Once you find the correct option, change the setting from Disabled to Enabled and then exit the system BIOS, making sure to save the changes. When the system restarts, you're done.
The Key To Installation
There you have it, a comprehensive explanation of the process of installing a new keyboard. This is certainly not one of the more difficult tasks you're likely to face while setting up or troubleshooting a PC. If you fear touching a computer because you have minimal knowledge of its inner workings, however, you're now armed with more information about installing a keyboard than you're likely to ever need. 
by Marco Chiappetta
Step Up To Multimedia Keyboards
You can install all standard keyboards by simply plugging the keyboard cable into the proper port and powering up the system. However, some multimedia keyboards with customized buttons are more advanced. These keyboards may require installing proprietary software to take full advantage of the keyboard's additional functionality. Logitech (www.logitech.com) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) are two of the largest manufacturers of multimedia keyboards that bundle with customization software.
To install the software for these multimedia keyboards, connect the keyboard to the system and power up, and when Windows starts, it should detect the new keyboard. When the detection process is complete, restart the system, let Windows fully load, insert the bundled CD or floppy disk that came with the keyboard, and complete the setup process as it is described in the keyboard's installation instructions. (This will vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.)
When the installation process is complete, you should see an icon in your System Tray that will launch the keyboard's customization application. If there is no icon in your System Tray, the customization software should be available in your Programs menu or Control Panel. After you get familiar with the software, you can assign specific tasks to specialized hotkeys. Simply press the hotkey, and you can do such things as load your favorite applications, check email, lower the volume of your media player, and launch your Web browser.
Some multimedia keyboards, such as this one from Logitech, require you to install additional software for all of the custom functions to work. Most operating systems will not recognize some of the custom buttons these keyboards are equipped with without installing the bundled software. |
You can use Logitech's SetPoint software to assign specific tasks to customizable hotkeys on its multimedia keyboards. Microsoft also has a similar line of customizable keyboards available. |
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