I have a Dell PS/2 keyboard connected to a desktop PC running Slackware 12.2 & Windows XP. After a recent, brief power outage/disturbance at my home, the keyboard has begun to quit working at random times. It has stopped at POST, but not by keyboard error -- I have to press the F1 key to continue booting, and at times the keyboard has already stopped working. Other times, the keyboard will work perfectly for a long time (a day or more) before it finally quits. It has stopped at boot, in Windows XP, and in Slackware. The led lights continue to work regardless.

I have tried another PS/2 keyboard and it seems to be immune to this problem. The USB mouse always works. Does anyone have any ideas about how this might have happened? If this is related to the power disturbance that killed the power to the running PC, is it feasible that it would have only fried the keyboard itself (which still works sometimes) and not the PS/2 port nor anything else? I have experienced no other problems since the event.