When you have inserted the installation disc of Windows 2000, XP or Vista, it will check if there is a bootable operating system installed. If not, it will immediately launch the installer. However if it detects an OS, you need to press a key to boot from CD. This works in most cases, but in some rare cases the keyboard is only working after being detected. This happens often when using a USB keyboard on a computer with an older BIOS. If that happens to you, you can only let Windows Setup load by itself if it doesn't find an OS on your computer. As said before, if the older BIOS doesn't detect a USB keyboard, you won't be able to change the boot order in the BIOS. But there is a solution. 1) Open the case of the PC. 2) Locate the hard disk that contains a bootable partition. 3) Pull out the molex power cable from the hard disk. 4) Turn on the computer, and wait for the CD to load. You should see the message "Setup is inspecting your current hardware configuration". Then plug the molex plug back into the hard drive (keep the computer turned on). During the loading progress, the USB drivers get loaded too. Then you will be able to use your keyboard, and continue with the rest of the installation. Notes: Unplug the cable from the drive itself, and not at a molex extension. This because the plugs that connect 2 molex cables could short-circuit the cables when powered on. Make sure that you plug the molex connector back into the correct position (not upside down). This method is safe, however I don't take any responsibility for any problems that could occur.
