MSI Motherboard - No Keyboard/Mouse Navigation In BIOS

[sapphirescales]

I recently got an MSI motherboard online (new old stock) and it has an infuriating problem. The mouse and keyboard work fine in Windows, but I can't navigate the BIOS menus at all via mouse or keyboard. This includes PS/2 mice and keyboards! The thing is, CTRL+ALT+DEL work while in the BIOS menu as does F12 (which takes a screenshot of the screen and writes the screenshot file to whatever flash drive is plugged into the USB port). I just can't navigate the BIOS menu using the arrow keys or any keys at all.

Unfortunately this is an older motherboard so you can't flash it without being able to get to the M-Flash menu in the BIOS (which requires a working keyboard and/or mouse) so I can't flash the firmware. It has the latest firmware available for the motherboard, which was released in 2016.

I've swapped literally every part. Power supply, memory, CMOS battery, etc. I bench tested the motherboard the moment I got it in the mail so it's never been installed in a case or used as a real computer. The only thing I can think of is that the BIOS must be corrupted or a slightly different version was flashed to it that isn't 100% compatible. What do you guys think?

 

[Haole Boy]

Can you flash the BIOS from Windows?

 

[mr m]

Man, this is a weird one. Usually the input devices work fine in the BIOS and it's the OS that has the issue.

I see that you replaced the CMOS batt but it is worth a shot to reset the BIOS with the onboard jumpers.

Check for a bent pin on the PS2 connector, maybe you'll get lucky. Also try a kybd in all the USB ports.

Sorry that I can't be of more help and am grasping at straws. It sounds like you did everything possible.

 

[Philippe]

[...] you can't flash it without being able to get to the M-Flash menu in the BIOS.

Seems strange. Try booting an USB flash drive or a CD with a DOS flash utility on it.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

shot in the dark, did you already try tapping the ctrls and alts to see if for some bizarre reason its flagging as being held down?