USB Keyboard Power Key Turn ON computer

Check your bios for a setting to allow power-on via usb keyboard power button.  Your motherboard also might have an option to allow power-on from a ps/2 keyboard power button.  You could then get a usb-ps/2 adapter for the keyboard.  If you provide your specific motherboard information we should be able to provide more information.

Sophisticated Circuits does have a product that will power up a Mac from their ADB keyboard:
http://www.sophisticated.com/products/powerkey/pk_classic.html
They have not yet produced a pc usb product.

Thanks to you both,

I can tell by both of your responses that you know why I posted this.
:-)

A quick rundown:
I had a ps2 kybrd witha power key that turned my computer off AND on... life was good.

Then I bought a USB keyboard with a Power key.
It turned the computer off, but not on again!
:O

The Bios clearly stated "Power On PS2 keybord Power key".

So now I remember from my previous "NumLock on boot up" issue that USB devices are not really "recognized" until the OS boots.

My question was really to try and figure out why manufacturers are making USB keyboards with Power keys that can't turn ON the computer (only turn it off). Or to see if there are in fact some USB keyboard/motherboard combinations that support the  Power key turning the computer on AND off.

Newer motherboards are coming with the "Wake on USB keyboard/mouse" option in the bios.  You usually have to have a jumper set on the mobo, install manual for a specific mobo will show which and how.

michko,

Where were you last week, BEFORE I bought the next lower ASUS MB without this feature!
:)
Oy!

I could kick myself!

Do MoBo mfgrs sometimes issue Bios Upgrades that would provide this same funtionality to other boards?

Anyway, I can probably still buy a PS2 keyboard with the Power key.
(I hope)
:)

JeffCoachman

michko,

Whoa!

At first I was going to say "Thanks but I tried those adapters but they did not help"

Then I read the links a little closer...
These are *keyboard* usb/ps2 adapters.

The ones I tried were all *mouse* (Green) adapters.

While they were mouse adapters, they still allowed the keyboard to function normally.

But that might not mean the Power Key functionality was retained.

Thanks.

For $2, it's worth a try.

I am ordering one now, I'll let you know as soon as I try it.

Thanks again!
:)

JeffCoachman

JeffCoachman,

I don't really know that there's any difference between the green usb/ps2 mouse adapters and the other colored usb/ps2 keyboard adapters.  Like you I've used the green adapters for keyboards with no noted loss of functionality.  Then again, I don't use the power on keyboard.  You may be right about the functionality for the Power Key, hope it works for you.

michko

michko,

OK I just got the "Purple" adapter, as soon as I asked for the "Purple" on the salesman said exactly what you said.
(They are both the same except they are colored coded to be consistient.

Here is another update.

I simply bought a PS2 keyboard with the Power keys and it worked fine on my old machine.
The same keyboard "turns off" and and "Sleeps" the new computer, but does not turn it on or wake it up.
Despite the "Power up" on Power Key being set in the bios exactly the same as the old machine.

I'll play around with it some more this week.

But all of that is just backgroung info.

You provided more than enough info, Thanks!

Bumped the points and gave some to nobus as well

JeffCoachman