Just can't get it to start

Restart your computer
have a close look at the screen it will be quick you will see which key to press to enter bios

During the boot process you will see on the screen to press a certain key to enter setup usually the Delete or F2 key
this will vary depending on your computer and operating system

Press and hold that key during the boot up process to enter BIOS using the arrow keys load failsafe defaults or load optimized defaults press escape then press f10 to save to cmos to restart

hope this helps

others you might try

Acer: - Ctrl+Alt+Esc

ALR PC: (F2) or (Ctrl)(Alt)Esc)

AMI BIOS: (Del), (F1) or (F2)

AST, Advantage, Award, Tandon: - Ctrl + Alt + Esc

Award BIOS: (Del) or (Ctrl)(Alt)(Esc)

Hi

is it a usb keyboard or a ps2(round connector) keyboard? the problem is most likely that due to the computer not having started up properly the keyboard is not properly configured / installed by windows.

to get rid of this problem, you need the old type of keyboard, turn off the computer, and plug in a keyboard to the ps2 connector.




green one is for the mouse, the other is for the keyboard, plug in a keyboard, then turn the computer on, you should be able to press CTRL+ALT +DEL now and ones you sign in to the computer it should install the usb keyboard and it should work from now on, just make sure the keyboard is not disconnected or port changed when the power is off from the computer that cause the configuration loss.

Try the following:

Just like a ctrl-alt-del except press ctrl-alt-up arrow (on some video cards and/or tablet pc's, ctrl-alt-down arrow flips it upside down. ctrl-alt-left and right arrows also rotate the screen.

You're talking about My PC and device manager and I'm talking about Bios.
The BIOS (stands for Basic Input/Output System) is system software inside your computer that helps the computer start up, even before Windows does. It also contains key settings about what the computer has on board.
In newer computers, it exists on a special chip called CMOS (stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

You can go into the BIOS to edit or change the technical information about key components of the computer like disk drives, keyboards, and display settings. It also keeps track of the date and time.
The BIOS can normally be accessed when you start your computer. You may see a reference to "Setup" when you turn your computer on. That’s your opportunity to get into the BIOS. It usually requires the push of a function key, such as F10, to get access to it. That "F" key varies between computers. Sometimes it’s not even one of the Function keys, but the ESC key or DEL key.

If a logo screen—like HP or Dell—is displayed during the start up process instead, then you may want to check with your computer maker for a command to turn off that screen and display the start up information, which is listed when a computer is powered on.
A partial list of BIOS access commands by brand is listed at the end of this article.
The BIOS also contains the boot-up sequence. Normally, computers are configured to boot from a hard drive.


Before you do anything to your BIOS, it’s always a good idea to record the original settings on a sheet of paper that can be kept in a safe place so you can reference it later if you need to reset it.
Here is a list of key sequences for various brand-name computers. If yours is not there, check with your manufacturer or watch for info flashed on-screen when your computer first starts, before Windows begins. It may say

"For setup hit..." That will be how to get into the BIOS on your machine.
Acer: - Ctrl+Alt+Esc
ALR PC: (F2) or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
AMI BIOS: (Del), (F1) or (F2)
AST, Advantage, Award, Tandon: - Ctrl+Alt+Esc
Award BIOS: (Del) or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
Compaq: (F10) (do this when the cursor is in the upper right corner of the screen blinking)
Dell: - F1 or Del.
Dell: - Some require pressing reset twice
Dell: - Ctrl + Alt + Enter
DTK BIOS: (Esc)
Gateway 2000: - F1
Hewlett Packard: - F1
IBM:
Older Models - In order to get into the configuration of the IBM setup screen (CMOS) screen you need to hold down both mouse buttons during boot up.
Aptiva - Press F1
IBM PS/2: Ctrl+Alt+Ins after Ctrl+Alt+Del
IBM PS/2 with reference partition: - Press Ins during boot
Some PS/2s, such as 75 and 90: - Ctrl Alt ?
Some PS/2s when pointer at top right of screen: - Ctrl + Ins
NEC: - F2
Packard Bell: - F1 or F2
Phoenix BIOS: (F1), (F2), or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
Phoenix BIOS: - Ctrl+Alt+S
Phoenix BIOS: - Ctrl+S
Phoenix BIOS: - Ctrl+Alt+Ins
Sharp Laptop 9020: - F2
Sony: (F3) while you are starting the PC, then (F2) or (F1)
Tandon computers: - Hold down the key after turning on power
Tandon: - Ctrl+Shift+Esc
Toshiba Laptops: - Toshiba Utility
Toshiba: - Press Esc during boot
Toshiba, Phoenix, late model PS/1 Value Point and 330s: - Press F1 during boot
Olivetti PC Pro: - Shift+Ctrl+Alt + Num Pad Del
Miscellaneous PC’s: - Ctrl + Esc or Ctrl and Alt and +
Zenith: - Ctrl+Alt+Ins

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Pablo

1. try single-user mode (hold down Cmd-S during startup tone and sequence). this should take you to a command-line screen where you can run the suggested fsck command: /sbin/fsck -fy (at the command prompt).
2. go here to see complete startup procedure in situations like this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417.
3. if that doesn't work, it sometimes helps to start the computer in target mode while attached to another computer via Firewire (hold down the "T" key while starting up). then you can navigate through your ~/Library/Preferences and find the most recently modified ones and pull those into a test folder on your hard drive somewhere (just create a new folder to hold them temporarily). then restart as normal. sometimes just yanking the most recently modified preference files (.plist files) works.

Try pulling the battery, unplugging the cord and holding the power button for 10 seconds.

Try go to safe mode. press f5 during boot (for xp) and f8 for vista.

What kind of BIOS version do you have?? here are some commands for the diverse kind of BIOS.


AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) BIOS: DEL
Award™ BIOS: CTRL+ALT+ESC
Award BIOS: DEL
DTK® (Datatech Enterprises Co.) BIOS:P ESC
Phoenix™ BIOS: CTRL+ALT+ESC
Phoenix BIOS: CTRL+ALT+S
Phoenix BIOS: CTRL+ALT+INS