MBP problem

Hi I've got MBP 13" 2009. The keyboard does not work and had to replace the hard drive. Now I cannot install new operating system because every time i insert Mac OsX it displays text asking to restart the machine in few languages. I tried disk utility but keyboard does not work so i cannot use neither C or D key to start it up. Can I use external keyboard to boot it, but I do not have apple keyboard, just a cheap one. Please help

I think you can use any standard USB keyboard to boot with, yes.

If it works with external keyboard it is probably the flat-cable connected to the logic board that is loose.

Hi thank you for reply. The reason why keyboard is not working is water spillage. I bought it in that state. That is why I cannot use disc utility, C and D Keys don't work. When i insert retail version of leopard 10.6.6 it gives me kernel panic and asks for reboot. I guess I have to strip it, get to the keyboard and try to clean it. When I bought it it was stated that something Keys not working but MBP works perfect. At that time I thought it's not a big problem. But it arrived without a hard drive SMS now I cannot do anything with it. D'OH!!! I bought very cheap Windows keyboard, turned MBP on and closed the lid immediately to start shell mode. Aparently in this mode external keyboard should work but it doesn 't. Now I wonder if cleaning the keyboard will help or shall i buy a new one. If i just get it to work I'll see how many Keys doesn't work and how big the problem is. Or maybe it's worth buying proper Apple keyboard. I bought a hard drive but cannot get any screws to fit it in the brackets.