Solved No keyboard after virus removal

[ideatree]

I think I've tried everything I could find on this forum (great info, by the way), and still I have no keyboard. Here's the play by play, been working on it a week now.

Ran a 2004 version of AdAware. It says it found something (though AVG and Microsoft Essentials did not) and recommended a reboot. I did, and thereafter, the keyboard on my Toshiba Satellite laptop no longer works (Standard PS/2 driver). Nothing in the AdAware log at all about that scan, so I can't see what files it deleted.

Uninstalled the PS2 keyboard driver (including all the hidden drivers), and re-installed by rebooting. Device Manager says it's operating normally (as it did even before uninstalling).

Ran Windows 7 Hardware Troubleshooter. It says a change has been made and try it now. No good.

Keyboard DOES work if I'm viewing the BIOS. It DOES work if I boot in Windows Repair mode with a command line. Which says to me it's not a hardware problem. It DOES NOT work if I boot in Safe Mode.

SFC /SCANNOW runs clean.

So I gave up and tried doing a System Restore to a date before the virus removal. After many tries, I still get "unspecified error 0x80070005". Ran with disk ownership set to current user and to Administrator both, and both with all access boxes checked, full control, etc.

So today I bought a new USB keyboard. Its driver installed fine, but it doesn't work, either! Same with an old PS2 external keyboard. Looking at the Toshiba user manual, there doesn't seem to be any function key needed to turn on an external keyboard.

Oh, and the function keys work (you can dim the display, etc), but no other keys.

Now what??

 

[GokAy]

Just guessing here:

Maybe something wrong with "Human Interface Devices" in Device Manager.

Also, are you sure you got rid of the infections for good?

 

[ideatree]

Good idea. Checked Human Interfaces Devices, all report ok, but I checked for updates anyway. Reports all up to date. I did find about 50 "hidden" drivers, which I deleted and rebooted.

Similarly for Non-PlugandPlay Devices. Deleted a bunch of hidden devices, reboot.

No change.

Thought I'd try one more time doing a System Restore, so I turned off Microsoft Essentials antivirus and the firewall, and rebooted into Safe Mode. But I've done so many attempted restores (which didn't complete) that the restore point I need is no longer available in the list, even when clicking 'see more restore points'.

I've run MS Essentials numerous times, as well as AVG Free before I uninstalled it, and neither have found any malware.

Next idea?

If I get to the point I have to re-install the OS, 1) what kind of re-install (I assume not a whole disk wipe), and 2) is the built-in Backup system ok? I have only a backup of MyDocuments, due to a small external drive space, which doesn't include all the installed applications, the Registry, etc. So thinking of buying a new external drive, doing a backup using the Win7 Backup program, and partially re-installing the OS, if that's possible/feasible.

But would be nice to solve this in a simpler way.

 

[GokAy]

You can do a repair install as described in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

Please read the warnings.

 

[ideatree]

Just bought a backup external drive in preparation for doing a repair install, the old drive is no longer big enough. Was thinking of using Macrium to do an image backup before following the instructions you referenced for a repair install.

But will Macrium just image the corrupted drivers in the present system, and re-install them into the new clean system?

What I want to do is backup all my data, applications, and whatever is needed to run them (registry), but not the OS system files.

 

[GokAy]

I am not sure if that is possible. Per tutorial, a repair install preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers. But device drivers are cleaned, among some other configuration (tip box in tutorial).

 

[ideatree]

Update:
I contacted Microsoft to get a Repair Install disk. They won't provide one for an OEM installation. (Originally, this Toshiba had Vista installed, but since it was just before Win 7 was released, they sent an upgrade disk to Win 7 a couple of weeks after purchase. The product code for that upgrade disk is what is not allowed for getting a Repair Install disk.)

I'm really trying to avoid a clean install.

I ordered a System Recovery Tools disk from Toshiba for $30. However, it only offers a clean install. They do have drivers and utilities available from their website, I re-installed the Intel chipset drivers, but that didn't fix the problem.

Maybe one of the other Toshiba downloads? Or another way of getting a real Microsoft Win 7 Repair Install disk? Their tech support suggested I buy Windows 7, which seems strange since they're giving away Windows 10 trials.

 

[ideatree]

In case someone else has a similar problem:

I successfully fixed the keyboard problem by doing a Repair Install using a Win 7 retail disk (not an OEM disk). Took awhile, but no data lost. The Repair Install instructions on this forum worked precisely.