linux rescue screen- keyboard freezes

[jim]

hi-

i changed my pc to boot from cd-rom.
i type in linux rescue and a screen comes up asking me to specify the
language.
that is when my keyboard freezes.
i have an hp pavillion ze5200 notebook pc.
i have 2 keyboards.  one is the keyboard on the notebook.
another is  a microsoft keyboard that is compatible 101/102 ps2
connection.
i played around with having both connected and then disconnecting the
ps2 keyboard
and just use the notebook keyboard.  kind of frustrating when the first
thing you try
bombs. i need to be in the linux rescue program because i have to use
parted to 
resize my windows partition ( the first thing i must do before anything
else is free
up some space and reduce the size of the windows partition)

any ideas (besides selling my brand new red hat book) ?? 
thanks,
marvin