Nick Swan's SharePoint Blog

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 5/3/2006 12:59 PM Otheus

Mine randomly will have dead keys. Usually several of the 1, 3, ESC, n, t, i, and RETURN keys will suddenly stop working -- then start working an hour later. Very very bizarre!

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 8/11/2006 1:25 AM KC

Yes, I just starting having problems with it not working all of a sudden. The lights go out and I have to unplug and replug. I have it going through an Iomega KVM switch, so at first I thought it was the switch, but it must be the keyboard. Just got it in March. My good old Natural keyboard is still going strong... :(

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 8/27/2006 2:29 PM JONK

I spent several hours with new MNEK 4000, trying to get it to work at all through a PS/2 keyboard port.

I use a Raritan Master Console KVM (to switch between multiple computers, using only one monitor, keyboard & mouse). Computers' connectors (keybd-video-mouse) go to the KVM. The actual devices (mouse, keybd, monitor) cables go to the KVM.

The Raritan KVM has only PS/2 connectors for mouse and keyboard (no USB). My MNEK 4000 has only a USB connector (it did not come with a USB-to-PS/2 adapter), so I used my own standard USB(female)-to-PS/2(male) adapter. Did not work at all - keyboard was not detected by computer at bootup or after.

Suspecting the KVMs were the problem, I eliminated them, and plugged the 4000 directly into the computer's PS/2 keyboard port (using, obviously, the USB-to-PS/2 adapter). That also did not work. I tried several different USB-to-PS/2 adapters that I have on hand, none worked.

I tried connecting the MNEK 4000 directly into the computer's USB port. It worked this way (as God and Microsoft intended). However, I still needed to find a way to get the keyboard to work when plugged into a PS/2 port (because I need to use it through a KVM, ultimately).

So I then tried adding a special Raritan adapter (APKME)which has on one end two PS/2 male plugs (that plug into the computer's PS/2 ports), and on the other end a little box with two PS/2(female) ports. (It is designed to simulate constant presence of mouse, to "fool" computers that are sensitive about that, when the KVM is switched to another computer). But in this case, no KVM involved here. Just MNEK 4000 plugged into the USB(female)-to-PS/2(male) adapter, which in turn is plugged into the APKME, which is plugged into the computer's PS/2 ports. No luck.

Also tried this: I have several USB(male)-to-(2x)PS/2(female) adapter/splitter thingies. (They are used to connect older, PS/2 mouse & Keyboard to a single USB port on the computer). The MNEK 4000 USB connector then plugged into the standard USB(female)-to-PS/2(male) adapter, which in turn plugged into the USB(female) keybd connector on the splitter thingie. My thinking was - "well, if the MNEK 4000 REQUIRES being plugged into a USB port, maybe it will tolerate a USB-to PS/2-to-USB conversion." No luck.

That's where I'm at with it now -- I could find NO WAY that the MNEK 4000 will work when connected to a PS/2 port.

Anybody else have some ideas about how to make this work???

Thanks

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 9/27/2006 6:36 AM CZ

My MNEK 4000 will have keys trigger on their own (like there's a short somewhere). The C and B keys in particular, though F11 and F12 act up occaisionally too. They keyboard is hooked up through a Belkin USB extension cable. Whenever I have problems I can disconnect the two cables and plug them back in, temporarily solving the problem.

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 1/13/2007 11:36 PM dillon

right now on the keyboard, the letters "c x and the enter key dont work.. im using on screen keyboard to type this out, ive tried hookin it up to a ps/2 , im alittle pissed a cause i spent like 100 buks on it.. anyone know whats wrong or what i ould do to fix this?

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 2/4/2007 7:55 PM marg

I wish I had found this site BEFORE buying the keyboard. I've had a problem with mine since I started using it--the righthand ALT key doesn't work, the spacebar is sticky, and when I press the "/' key nothing appears unless I hit the spacebar afterward. Or if I don't hit the spacebar, the next character will be something weird like é or ï or look like this: stop,"she said. I've run Troubleshooting and it didn't help, I ran the diagnostic program and it claims all the keys are working fine (hah!). This is obviously a common problem; I wonder if it has anything to do with the software you have to install for it? I contacted Microsoft about it, hopefully they will have something constructive to say (again: hah!). If not, I'll go back to my good old (like, so old the letters on the keys had worn off) Belkin keyboard.

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 2/24/2007 7:50 PM Derfy

This keyboard is comfortable, but the normal keys aren't functioning after a while. But the "special" keys are working fine. Is there any way to fix this?

# re: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 3/19/2007 4:42 PM Ken

I'm having a similar problem with keys not working consistantly. I have the keyboard hooked up through a kvm/usb switch to 2 WinXP machines. It works perfectly on one machine but not on the other. Both machines are running the same OS code level, AMD CPU's and NFORCE chipsets. Looking for suggestions.