Just downloaded Silent Service 2 and it won't launch. Program gets to the "Do you have a joystick (Y/N)? and doesn;t allow me to enter anything. Have tried all the suggested fixes recommended on the troulbshooting page and still nothing. Can anybody help?

See if this game-specific forum has some info for you. If not, post about your issue and maybe a blue can help out.

https://www.gog.com/forum/silent_service_1_2#1478958036

Don't feel offended by TARFUs post, but what a lot of people do not know (till recently I was one of them ;) )

The forum link of some games does NOT bring you to the correct sub-forum, instead you end up in the MAIN English forum.

But it looks like that you did check the sub-forum, but the best replies you normally get in the sub-forums.

Plus you do know that most of the relevant info is missing from your post? Like OS? Error messages and similar?
For your problem: is the game started with dos-box?

Sorry about lack of info. The OS is Windows 7, 4gig ram, 2.93 gig dual core pocessor. Didn't mention error message because I don't get one. The game starts in DosBox and stops on the prorams first screen asking "do you have a joysick (y/n)? From here I can't do anything. No keyboard control. I can perform a "Ctrl-F10" and toggle the mouse on / off but still no keyboard. I am using GOG Galaxy to download and install the program. I have read the troubleshooting hints supplied by GOG and the suggestions posted on the forum. It's a little fustrating at this point.

Okay sounds like a good working system (no Win10 :P )
Do you have by any chance any other DOS-box game from GOG? Do you have the same problem there?

I assume you use the short-cut out off the start-menu?
Were did you install the game into? For games, never ever install in Program files or even worth (x86) folder. If you did, install it somewhere else and try again!

Win and games and (x86) folder is not a got idea.
If the above still doesn't work, have you tried starting it via a default DOS-box?

You can just create a shortcut of dosbox and drag the BAT/EXE of silent service over it, do you still have the same problem?

Did the above and still won't launch. Could it be I'm trying to launch on a laptop and DOSBOX doesn't see the laptop's keyboard?

Normally not, for things like y/n
for numbers or similar you might have those problems but not the normal letters.

Do you have any other DOS-box game?

No, this was my first.

Lovely ;)
Okay let;s do baby-steps:
In the same folder as silent service you shall see a folder called dosbox? right?
Go in there and run dosbox, now try typing something in the window which will pop up saying like:
Z:\>set blaster=a220 I7 D1 h5 t6

Can you type anything?

No, I've included 2 screen shots.

NOOOOOOO.
As I said, DO NOT start silent service!!!!
You shall have in the silent service folder a subfolder called dosbox, in there is a file called
DOSBox.exe
double click.

DO NOT DO anything else! ok? ;)

This will open up two windows, one saying the above mentioned stuff.

In there type anything!!!

No

No as in no, you can not type anything?

If so this would mean a general problem.

Which is good and bad at the same time ;)
Try to type something while keeping the function key pressed. IIRC somewhere on the bottom left. Do you now get something?

No, as no I can't type anything.
With function pressed I still can't type anything

A reaaaal wild guess.....
To you have a touch screen/OSD?

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41913

or the links provided in here?
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/dosbox_keyboard_input_in_windows_10