[Jonath Nell]

Ok, so here it is, I was wondering if it is at all possible to use a ps/2 mouse in the ps/2 keyboard port. For the most part, I haven't really found any satisfactory answers to this, though I have checked about the internet. In most places where they speak of this most people say no, but there is always one person who says yes, also, the person who set my computer up said it is possable, though I am unsure if you need to change something. If the answer is no then i will look into getting a USB mouse, but I would rather not have to buy one, if I can use my old mouses.

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Even though the 6 pin PS2 plugs are exactly the same, it is the motherboard which tells which socket is used for a mouse and which is used for a keyboard. This is software in the bios that defines what socket does what. That is why mouse ports are green and keyboard ports are purple. It is nothing more than that, because many years ago i watched a tech switch plugs on a old IBM computer and the KB and mouse still worked. Both the mouse port and KB port were black colored.

You cannot change this in the bios.

SRX660

[SRX660]

Even though the 6 pin PS2 plugs are exactly the same, it is the motherboard which tells which socket is used for a mouse and which is used for a keyboard. This is software in the bios that defines what socket does what. That is why mouse ports are green and keyboard ports are purple. It is nothing more than that, because many years ago i watched a tech switch plugs on a old IBM computer and the KB and mouse still worked. Both the mouse port and KB port were black colored.

You cannot change this in the bios.

SRX660

[Neil Jones]

PS/2 mice always connect in the green hole and PS/2 keyboards always connect to the purple hole, they are not interchangeable, though strangely enough a lot of systems that would normally report the famous "Keyboard Error, Press F1 to continue" message when there is no keyboard, will quite happily go straight through even though the keyboard is plugged in the wrong hole and is unusable...

[warriorscot]

What is said above is true, however some motherboards will take both but usually because they only have one PS/2 port as they are being phased out as not many companies still make PS/2 based products all the good kit is USB based now.

If you want a good keyboard and mouse, which I reccomend it will be USB anyway. People often skimp on keyboards and mice which is daft as its the way you interact with your computer and they need to be good quality and comfortable.If its a junker you can get away with cheap or old suff but if its your main rig you use all the time make sure to use good quality new hardware both for performance and comfort.

[The Skeptic]

I always prefer PS-2 over USB for the following reasons.

1: It saves USB ports. You have the PS-2 why not use them.

2: USB is a great part of any computer but it's quite sensitive to overload and driver corruption. Most new hardware is USB connected. The combined power demand can destabilize the system. Lots of drivers are installed. A failed one can paralyze the entire system. Keyboard and mouse are so basic to computer operation that without them you are left helpless.

3: There are many computers in which USB keyboard and mouse are, for reasons I can't fathom, disabled in the BIOS. Many users will not know how to enable them.

[Neil Jones]

I always prefer PS-2 over USB for the following reasons.

1: It saves USB ports. You have the PS-2 why not use them.

Dell do not provide PS/2 ports on their computers and haven't done for a while now. The most interesting situation comes up quite frequently when an end-user corrupts the USB drivers or screws the system up to a point where it'll boot but you can't get past the log-in screen because it's decided it don't wanna talk to any USB keyboards or mice.

2: USB is a great part of any computer but it's quite sensitive to overload and driver corruption. Most new hardware is USB connected. The combined power demand can destabilize the system. Lots of drivers are installed. A failed one can paralyze the entire system. Keyboard and mouse are so basic to computer operation that without them you are left helpless.

Theoretically you can have up to 127 USB devices connected at any one time with no issues if you daisy-chain them all. The next logical question is why the [bleep] would anybody want 127 USB devices connected to one computer?

3: There are many computers in which USB keyboard and mouse are, for reasons I can't fathom, disabled in the BIOS. Many users will not know how to enable them.

This option normally has no effect in Windows, the setting is specified if you are somehow stupid enough to install an OS that can't talk to USB devices on its own, therefore the BIOS options are available as a pass-through if you like.

With Dell again you can actually turn off USB support entirely in the BIOS and be greeted with our old friend, "Keyboard not detected, press F1 to continue or F2 to setup".

[The Skeptic]

Hi Neil.

I am not surprised about Dell. I assume they try to save any penny, sometimes with what to me is unacceptable results. The lack of PS-2 is a good example. Another example is the lack of temperature sensor to read CPU and other hardware. This takes from the user a most basic hardware diagnostic tool.

Theoretically it's true that you can connect lots of USB devices if each have an outer power supply. many do not. Cameras, media players, web cams, external USB storage devices etc etc. Those that do not have external power supply draw current through the USB hub. If the combined current draw reaches a certain level, which isn't high (I think that's about 0.5 Ampere) the system can be destabilized, if not burned. PS-2 is a sub system dedicated entirely for the most basic I/O devices, keyboard and mouse.

I see lots of computers which will not run a USB mouse or keyboard unless they are enabled in the BIOS. I could never understand why in many BIOSs they are disabled. In other computers they are set to Auto, which is fine.

[vally]

Back to the original question.
If you swap between keyboard and mouse, most computers will not respond after they load up (with no errors from the bios) windows is just frozen. There are computers (Mother boards) that will work even if they are not connected in their original places but the computer does not work a smooth as it would if was connected properly.
Getting a usb mouse does not mean trouble you don't have to have an optical mouse if that is what bothers you.