PS/2 + USB Keyboard and Mouse not working during XP Home repair install

There are days when one wants to get a large piece of timber and smack Bill Gates forcefully about the head. No? And today is one of those days. I have a crappy socket 939 mobo that has been giving me trouble. Decided: sod it - upgrade time. Bought all new components for new cheap PC - now using socket AM2, with Sempron CPU. Thought I'd have a lash at a repair install instead of having to frig about with all the re-loads, updates etc. First, Windows had a bitch about nvatabus.sys missing, since I nuked everything in the system32\drivers folder that was younger than 2004. Finally got that sorted (had to copy the file to the directory, THEN start the repair install from scratch again, otherwise error kept coming up - how stupid is that?). Now, after the Windows-like install part of the repair is installing devices, I discover that I can't use any sort of keyboard or mouse! PS/2 keyb works fine during the DOS phase of the repair install, but dies once the Windows part starts. I watched the light on my USB mouse go out as soon as the Windows part started also. I'm determined to beat Uncle Bill on this one. Anyone know what's needed to kick the hardware back in to touch? I see that the system32\drivers folder has been repopulated with the bulk of the stuff I deleted (minus the nVidia and some other machine-specific stuff that was in there that pertained to the old PC setup), but the dates are now 2008 instead of 2004 -poss 'cos I'm using a slip-streamed SP3 install CD?

Anyway, I'd love to know how to beat Windows rather than have to give in and do the reformat (which, as you all know, is a right sod and needless in this instance - I mean, going from one AMD system to another, even if they are different sockets, should be a cinch - I've done it plenty of times before).

Let me know.
Cheers
Peter

Do you have a standard XP disc to boot from for the repair. Slipstreamed discs can often cause hardware issues.

Do you have the motherboard drivers CD.

Yes - I tried the non-slipstreamed too - same result. Yes, have motherboard CD (since the board is brand new). Clearly some service is not being activated or some such. This is the first time in over 100 installs / repair installs that I've struck this. Any more thoughts?

Patience... and keep trying, with the PS/2 devices. I have had the same instance reinstalling on customer systems and found that it's usually just a matter of timing. I mean that as soon as you see the onscreen prompt, hit whatever key it needs. If you miss it, try again. It can be very frustrating but I think this is more a manufacturer issue than a Microsoft one, even though we love to use them as the antagonist in most cases.

I gave up - the customer can't wait for me to get to the bottom of it, and it DOES seem very much like one of those poxy MS issues. Clean install went off without a hitch, no issues, no problems.

glad you got it 'fixed' with a clean install... While you stayed with AMD, AM2 does use a totally different chipset and bus architecture to 939 (including I/O for USB/PS2).

But I share your pain for having to re-install the 'Lot'... ;)