Pete's QBASIC Site

I am trying to increase the life of my laptop's power cord by hooking it up like a desktop & not moving it around all the time... but it only has 1 ps/2 port and all I have is 1 ps/2 keyboard and 1 ps/2 mouse... my dad was able to bring home a COM to PS/2 port home from work, but I cannot find any drivers to work for either the keyboard or the mouse... any help?

THere might be another solution. A Fujitsu/sIemens generation laptops (5 years ago) had a t-splitter ps2. You connect it to your laptop ps2-port and it should be able to work.

I've gotten one myself and I am going to try it. Tell ya later if it works kk?

grtz
Seb

I know I can connect it to my ps/2 port, but I need that for the mouse (assuming I am using the keyboard through the COM port).

I might. I have an old 286 that only uses ps1 ports, I'll take a look.

I'm still a little confused as to what your saying though... What have you and what do you need again?

matt

I undestand what you're saying -- I know that most IBM laptops with PS/2 connectors only have one, which can be used for either mouse or keyboard; however, there is also a Y cable (like SebMcClouth was speaking of for Fujitsu/Siemens laptops) that allows you to connect both mouse and keyboard. I've never heard of a PS/2-to-serial mouse converter, but it could potentially be possible, I guess... I've got about a dozen serial mice back home, too, if you want to come pick one up.

Well, finally, I may have an answer!

Nathan, if you are using an MS-DOS Mouse Driver (MOUSE.COM), search for your MOUSE.INI (or .sys, I don't remember.) and edit it (EDIT MOUSE.INI). Where it says type=ps2, switch the ps2 to serial1. Exit and restart your laptop with the keyboard in the PS2 port and the mouse in the SERIAL adapter and it should work.

UPDATE: Don't bother with this method. Download the drivers from the Utilities section, and activate "msetyp.exe". And then press the S key. Yep, that simple...

I will post a download in the Utilities section with MS-DOS mouse drivers. It will also include a program, "msetyp.exe", which will changes the files to make your mouse work with a serial or PS2 port.


UPDATE: The file is now available for download, tell me if it works

And, Seb, yes you can use it for QBinux , but I'll make a few adjustments for it if that's the case.

Sorry, I am using it with windows... but anywhay, here:

I have a Serial to PS/2 port converter...

I have 2 PS/2 devices.

I need to hook them booth up, but with the converter, the drivers fail.

Try it, just activate the "msetyp.exe" file while in the command prompt. Activate the SERIAL mode. Then, add "C:\(path)\MOUSE.COM" to your AUTOEXEC.BAT - It should work...

BTW, what version of Microshit Windung are you using?

98SE

I've never heard of a PS/2-to-serial mouse converter, but it could potentially be possible, I guess...

Yes, they exist, and I have at least one.

Nathan, does your laptop have any serial ports?

my dad was able to bring home a COM to PS/2 port home from work,

you mean a PS/2 to serial adapter? It should have PS/2 female on one end and 9 pin serial female (DB9F) on the other.

I'm not sure about this, but I think that with at least some computers, the PS/2 port will be for mice only, and not keyboards, or keyboards only, and not mice. My IBM 486 has 2 PS/2 ports, one is labeled for keyboard, the other for a mouse. I doubt it would work if I switched the two.
Also, does your computer have an AT keyboard port? It is round like a PS/2 port, but significantly larger. If so, you can get a PS/2 to AT adapter for your keyboard (PS/2 female to AT male).

but I cannot find any drivers to work for either the keyboard or the mouse... any help?

Keyboards do not require drivers. Mice do, but usually this is a generic driver that will work with either serial or PS/2 mice. Windows 98SE should support either with its own drivers. Since you use 98SE, you have MS-DOS also. Most generic MS-DOS mouse drivers will support either serial or PS/2.
Don't connect your keyboard to the serial port using the adapter. It will not work.
Regards,
Michael

that helps.... sorta... but it does have a female ps/2 port, and it goes into the com port... i do have a com port... no, no AT port... and i can use mouse or keyboard in my ps/2 port

Put the mouse into the COM adapter, put the keyboard into the PS/2 port. Then, run 'msetyp.exe' from my mouse drivers download in the utilities section. Set it for serial. Then, add: to your AUTOEXEC.BAT, where X is the drive you saved it in, and PATH is where you saved the driver files.

Ill try that, but I am trying to switch to 'nix. Until I am sure I love it, im gonna use a bootable cd... downloading knoppix right now.

A correction of something I said...

If so, you can get a PS/2 to AT adapter for your keyboard (PS/2 female to AT male).

More specifically, it consists of PS/2 female on one end, and AT male on the other, making it actually a PS/2 male to AT female adapter... I was imagining it correclty but forgot that saying "a such-and-such to such-and-such adapter" means the "such-and-such" are the things that need connecting, not the connectors on the adapter. Oh well. Just needed to make that correction.
Regards,
Michael

PQBC wrote:I will post a download in the Utilities section with MS-DOS mouse drivers. It will also include a program, "msetyp.exe", which will changes the files to make your mouse work with a serial or PS2 port.


UPDATE: The file is now available for download, tell me if it works

And, Seb, yes you can use it for QBinux , but I'll make a few adjustments for it if that's the case.

Yes, me interested... not sure what it is... but yes... definatly interested...

I couldn't get it to work on my IBM... the mouse did work, but the keyboard didn't... Could be because the only ps2 device on my laptop is for a mouse. Anywayz...

ttyal

grtz

Thanks for the help all

-Nathan1993, posting from the power of Feather Linux.