By "outside" windows, if you refer to the boot process, no. When the computer loads, it does the Ram Check, drives check, etc. and I can press any key at any rate, and it won't shut-down. In BIO's I can do the same thing, soon as it boots into Windows XP (This also happens when ScanDisk boots up on a non-normal shutdown) It will happen after the big Windows Xp logo and the "Windows is now starting" moving box.
So to answer your question, it doesn't happen outside. Well, I did install wrong drivers for the keyboard (My computer picked up the keyboard as a microsoft 101-102 button keyboard, but it isn't) but that was removed, and the right drivers were installed.. Again, I removed them, and let the computer install it's own. It happened anyway, right drivers or not..
This is the reason I posted it here, because it didn't happen outside windows, I didn't want to think it was a port problem..