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April 30th, 2022 14:00

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m15 R4, Windows 11 updates, keyboard ceased to function

Hello, I'm posting about my recent experiences with the Alienware m15 R4, which I purchased 5 months ago in November. Has anyone else with a Windows 11 Alienware laptop had issues with the keyboard ceasing to function? Sorry for the long post, but I do have some questions at the end.

After installing a Windows update in late March, I shut my laptop down after installing the update. The next morning, when I went to log back into the computer, the internal keyboard did not work. I didn't realize it at the time, though I've since worked it out with a technician's help, when the computer boots up into windows, the keyboard stops working, and it will continue to not work when restarting. However, on a cold boot after turning the computer off, the keyboard responds fully outside of Windows. I can go into BIOS etc outside of Windows and use the keyboard perfectly fine. However, the moment it reaches Windows, the keyboard ceases to function. This apparently means that the problem is a driver/software issue, is my understanding.

The first tech who came out to my house to deal with the problem disassembled the entire laptop and replaced the keyboard, which did not fix the problem. He insisted that I mail the laptop in for service, and it was mailed to the Texas facility where the motherboard and palm rest were both replaced. I suspect that the first tech, who was very young and inexperienced, may have broken said palm rest and panicked, considering the number of times he went outside to call his fiancee. However, that doesn't matter so much since the part was replaced free of cost.

The laptop's Windows was fully reinstalled etc, and when it arrived at my home, it booted up and worked fine, including the keyboard. However, while testing the laptop, I discovered that the speakers were now broken. Again, I suspect the original tech who was sent to my home, but again it doesn't matter how it happened. A second tech was sent out to my house to deal with the speaker problem, and he discovered a broken prong in a connector. When he returned later to replace the board and fix the speaker problem, he learned it was a daughter board problem and not motherboard, so that part has been ordered and will be fixed later. However, after the motherboard was replaced, the original issue of the keyboard non-functioning returned exactly as it originally was. We have come full circle here.

Additionally, now my 1TB second drive doesn't work anymore. It shows up as "You need to format the disk in drive before you can use it.", and any attempt to format the drive gets stuck/hung up at 51% and refuses to proceed beyond that.

Everyone involved in the repairs has been phenomenal, and though I do suspect that the hardware damage/issues were caused by the first tech who came to my place, he was very nice and it was clearly unintentional if he is really at fault as I suspect. At this point, once the speaker's daughter board is fixed and the non-functioning hard drive is made to work again, the only problem to remain will be the keyboard issue.

The second tech has been incredible to work with, and if I ever need service again I will request him by name. Dell has offered to replace my computer with a refurbished computer, though that makes me uncomfortable as I avoid refurbished computers due to a poor experience in the past. I would love to make the laptop I currently have work again, but if the keyboard is going to die every time windows updates, that's discouraging.

Do drivers for this sort of thing get updated? Is this a compatibility issue that will eventually be resolved with updates? Since the core problem that sent me to tech support is clearly software/driver, if that gets updated my problem should cease and my computer function properly, right?

One way to work around it I've considered is requesting for Dell to give me a downgrade to Windows 10 (with the option retained to upgrade back to Windows 11 when the software issue with the keyboard is confirmed fixed), since windows 10 will be supported until 2025, that gives a few years for a software issue to be sorted out, doesn't it? I understand a downgrade would require a full wipe etc, and I'm perfectly fine with that - it's still wiped from the last time I tried reinstalling Windows 11 to fix the keyboard problem.

Has anyone else had a similar keyboard problem with their Windows 11 Alienware m15 R4? Have you managed to fix it? How did you fix it? Is this something that will be addressed/fixed in an update to the driver(s) in the future? I understand that the motherboard is from Alienware itself?

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16 Posts

July 7th, 2022 20:00

Windows 10 did not fix the issue.

Dell replaced my laptop with a brand new one.

1 Message

July 10th, 2022 21:00

I have same problem and this method works when I remove the charger.

Maybe something wrong with my charger?

July 14th, 2022 20:00

I just faced this issue today evening (7/14/2022) and my current BIOS version is 1.11.0.

I have Windows 11 (x64) and Alienware M15 R4 - a fully updated system. For me, the problem with the keyboard occurred right after the Cumulative Update for Windows 11 for x64-based Systems (KB5015814). The system and keyboard were working fine until this update required my system to restart. I tried uninstalling this update but it did not fix the keyboard.

So, I followed the solution given by rxs20 above for now.

Please let me know if I can help in any way.

1 Message

July 14th, 2022 20:00

I have the same issue.  The workaround is working for me but dell support is still maintaining it is a hardware issue.  Has anyone had hardware replaced (keyboard, motherboard etc) and the replacement has fixed the issue?

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2.7K Posts

July 14th, 2022 21:00

We're still looking into this, but during troubleshooting with tech support have you ever seen the keyboard not work in the BIOS/outside of Windows? Or was there something different you noticed? 

I will update this thread as soon as I hear something back.

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2.7K Posts

July 14th, 2022 21:00

Thanks for the update and sorry you're facing this issue. I am hoping for an update sooner than later on this. If you have time, can you see if you can post what Dell-Chris M asked for regarding the KB FW, VID, and PID?

It would look like what rxs20 posted, with the images. Thanks in advance!

July 18th, 2022 08:00

AWM15R4_keyboardissue.jpg

July 18th, 2022 09:00

I just received a fresh BIOS update via SupportAssist and completed it. The issue still persists and rxs20's solution still works so far.

Updated current BIOS version as of on 7/18/2022 is: 1.12.0

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2.7K Posts

July 22nd, 2022 13:00

Thanks for the updates on this. I will let you know once I hear something. 

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2.7K Posts

July 27th, 2022 12:00

Can you send me your Service Tag in a Private Message? Also, when you restart the PC does the number of keyboards listed in your device manager ever change? 

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July 29th, 2022 13:00

@icedemon72 @crs1234 @Nerlands @Snow126 

Are you still having this issue? If yes, would you please send your Service Tags via PM to @Dell-BradL .

Dell engineers are looking for more information on this. 

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August 1st, 2022 07:00

Update = After completing troubleshooting, a DELL-Cares agent setup a part replacement.

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17.9K Posts

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69K Points

August 22nd, 2022 06:00

Update = After completing troubleshooting, a DELL-Cares agent setup a part replacement.

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3 Posts

September 3rd, 2022 20:00

It's not a hardware problem. This is not the solution, just a workaround. Currently typing with the on screen keyboard while knowing this is a driver issue that should've been fixed months ago and seeing this as a "solution" is aggravating. Please find an actual fix for this.

3 Posts

September 6th, 2022 21:00

I'm having the same issues. Dell please have a solution for this, this is unacceptable. 

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