I have bought many years ago a MSI S250 notebook (MSI link). I never had any problem with this NB, which runs on a XP Home Edition, except from the battery. But because I never take it outside, I use it with the battery removed and only plugged to electricity (well... before going on, sorry for my english.. !!) Some days ago, because I was tired of the noise done by NB fan, I decided to open it to do a quick clean inside. After having done the job, when I did close the keyboard panel, I did break the "pin connector" on the motherboard linked to the mousepad. Well, I thought that was not a big problem. So I finished screwdriving and when I launched my windows session, my keyboard and mouse (the only one I used, connected on USB) were freezing few secondes after login in. I did try many times. But same effect. I did try in safe mode and it was working fine (so like I have read after, it's not a problem of overheated CPU due to my cleaning action). But in safe mode, I didn't find any problem (once again, like I said fropm the beginning, I never had any kinf of problem with this NB). So, my first idea was to try to desactivate the PS/2 mouse (which wasn't any more connected but still visible in the device driver window). I did succeed following some advices from a MSI forum thread (http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=111063.0) But always the same effects, both keyboard and mouse were freezing few seconds after entering my login data for a new window session. Hours later, after having saved my documents, images and so on, I decided to format my NB and do a clean windows install (because after X years, I don't really know if and where were any recovery CDs). First, because on MSI website, I have seen there was an "update" of my bios.. I decided to begin doing this. I know that it's not necessary when nothing goes wrong but because in my actual bios, I only have 5 options to be modified (amount of share memory, date/time, boot order, USB legacy and bios password), I thought that was the right moment to do this update. By the way, with this bios, you can't boot on any USB device. But after many tries, I didn't succeed... when I type my update command in DOS, I have always the same window-message : DOSFLASH ROM_FILE / <COMMAND1> with a list of available command I have tried all the possibilities.... nothing !! I try to find if my mainboard had a BIOS protection jumper.... I didn't find anything ! Well.... after hours.... I stopped trying to flash my bios decided to do my clean windows install... ANd again, I never succeeded.... Each time, the installation stops due to my keyboard freezing (I didn't plug my mouse on USB). 90% of the time, it was occuring after having choosen my language and country parameter, when I was on the window where I have to indicate my product key. So yesterday, because I have quite all my NB drivers, I have done a new installation via the unattended method (using nLite and reading the bible http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/)... But it's always the same... I would say ironically it's better, because now, the install process stops during the "networks install window" appeared... But each time, I relaunch the install, my NB is freezing.... So.... my questions are : 1) May be anyone, after reading this, have THE solution that I would love to read 2) Is it possible to desactivate quickly in the windows install process the PS2 keyboard and mouse device (in that case I'll plug another keyboard and mouse on USB) ? 3) Is it possible to do this installation in another way ? (for example, make a quicker install by bypassing lots of parameters, like the networks.... or by copying the setup files in another partition on my NB HD) ? 4) Is anyone be able to help me solved my bios flash problem too ? (I don't really know what's on the new bios I intend to implement but may be there will some interesting options) I think of making a clean install on an external HD that I will plug via USB on my NB.... But if there is no "functionnal system" on my NB, I'm questionning if it will be working. Of course, I could buy a new HD for my NB but I really don't know what's wrong and where (like I saifd before my cleaning task, this NB was perfect... and in safe mode, I didn't have any freezing problem).. SIncerely Franck