Keyboard not found. Press F1 to continue.

(idea) by the_demiurge (2 y) (print) ? (I like it!) Tue Sep 12 2000 at 20:16:26

Classic example of a braindead error message. The engineers were either expecting a F1 key not on a keyboard or spend too much time smoking crack. Of course, it could just all be someone's sick joke.

I can turn this message off in the BIOS, but I still need a keyboard to set the option. Oh well.

(idea) by ariels (4.9 d) (print) ? (I like it!) Tue Sep 12 2000 at 20:30:37

Or, of course, this computer needs a keyboard to operate, so until you find a keyboard, plug it in and press F1, you cannot continue.

The really idiotic thing about the message is that it is not needed, and indeed harmful. I can think of many situations where you do not need a keyboard (e.g. a server locked away in some cupboard, or any MS-DOS computer with an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, or (probably) even a Windows "computer" with some not-too-difficult configuration). Why not leave it to the operating system to decide if it refuses to continue without a keyboard?

The BIOS (which issues this message) simply doesn't have enough information to make a call on this matter! If you don't have enough information to decide, the logical thing is to pass the buck!

(idea) by lj (6.5 mon) (print) ? (I like it!) Sun Jul 01 2001 at 0:39:40

The BIOS know perfectly if the computer needs a keyboard or not - If you've told it it needs a keyboard, it pops up the error; If you've told it it doesn't, then it doesn't. It only does what you tell it to, and if it's misinformed, it's not its fault. The assumption is that the user knows more about the role of the computer than the BIOS or operating system put together.

The operating system, at least as far as the BIOS is concerned, can't even be relied upon to exist, let alone deal with missing bits of hardware. If the machine is also missing a reset switch, and the keyboard error is something more serious than it not being plugged in, there may not be a way to reboot the machine cleanly. Much better to halt it before the OS gets a chance to mess things up.

Also, it's a great way to test if the keyboard error has gone away yet...

printable version
chaos

I choose "D," all of the above.	What consoles need to be as good as computers at games	Honk if your horn is broken: Where do they get these stupid stickers?	Painful User Interface
F1	E2 clueless (newbie) mistakes to avoid	Big Red Switch	BIOS
I have dreadlocks and I don't know where the pot is	You have a sad feeling for a moment, then it passes	Smoking crack	IBM Model M Keyboard
Tora! Tora! Tora!	Vanilla Coke	Pro Tools	Why I love Everything2
autoexec.bat	Paint your computer	definitely	I hate you. Please don't leave me.
and now back to your regularly scheduled test pattern	Survival isn't good enough, you have to live	kbd	Low

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