Dell XPS 15 9560 unwanted character repeat.

Hi stavrosk, on your system does the issue with the keyboard only seem to occur when using the keyboard on the system? If so, I was wondering if you could try an external keyboard just to see if the symptoms change. 

I will see if I can find anything else as well. 

Best regards,

Brad

Hey Brad,

yes, it does. External keyboards work fine. However, this seems to be two separate problems:

1) The spacebar double-presses a lot of the time.

2) Pressing caps lock+ sometimes keeps repeating that key until another key is pressed.

Both issues only happen with the stock keyboard, in both OSes, and not with an external keyboard.

Hi Brad and Stavrosk,

I, too, am having this problem. For an example of thiis problem (it is widespread), see my post here:

en.community.dell.com/.../20015932

That typing sample is typical. There are many reports from people who have had the keyboard replaced - some more than once, and the issue did not go away.

To backup my claims:

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Dells only web page on suggestions of how to solve what is obviously a qualaity control issue.

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www.dell.com/.../xps-13--9343--unwanted-keyboard-character-repeat

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People reporing the typying of double-keys / Key bounce or non-responsive keypresses

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XPS Models:

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.cnet.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

forum.notebookreview.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

np.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

www.reddit.com/.../

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Long Standing Problem that  never gets fixed, relase after  release, including High-end $2000+ modelss:

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# Problems reported 7 years ago, as early as 2009/ 2010

en.community.dell.com/.../19280281

en.community.dell.com/.../19321202

en.community.dell.com/.../19328066

en.community.dell.com/.../19321556

superuser.com/.../keys-on-laptops-keyboard-register-duplicate-letters-intermittantly

en.community.dell.com/.../19641739

en.community.dell.com/.../19295994

en.community.dell.com/.../19326763

en.community.dell.com/.../19321556

en.community.dell.com/.../19328066

en.community.dell.com/.../6173831

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Dell Only fixed one model , one time - the XPS 9343 with a BIOS update.

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www.dell.com/.../xps-13--9343--unwanted-keyboard-character-repeat

www.dell.com/.../xps-13--9343--unwanted-keyboard-character-repeat

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Consumer Affairs havve collected over 1000 Complaints on various Dell products.

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www.consumeraffairs.com/.../dell_lap.html

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# A 62 page thread on hardware problems with the XPS 9550

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forum.notebookreview.com/.../

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Reviews or Blogs that mention keyboard problems:

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www.mobiletechreview.com/.../Dell-XPS-15-Late-2015-Infinity.htm

xps-15.wikia.com/.../Keyboard_Issues

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YouTube Videos of peoplel showing the problem:

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www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

Agreed,  I've been waiting for a BIOS update that will fix this ever since I got the laptop...

@Savrosk and Je25.025,

I'd like to get some product captures on this in order to replicate and drive solution. Please send me friend requests and include your service tags.

I have the same problem as described as well, for me though it's mainly the "S" key.

I have a similar problem; keys randomly seem to repeat (just once, typically), and not always a "simple" repeat. E.g. typing "can't" yields "can't'" (the apostrophe repeats, both before and after the "t"). The spacebar is also a common repeat, causing words to split (e.g. "Hello this is a test"' becomes "Hello t his is a t est" where the space repeated after the first character of the next word).

This is a fairly annoying problem that I hadn't experienced on prior Dell XPS laptops. I've tried changing the Windows key repeat settings to no avail. I've tried varying my typing style without much difference.

If a BIOS fix was indeed what it took for the XPS 13, I'd love to have that option for the 15.  Mine is a XPS 15 9560 with service tag HG1BXF2.

Me, too. It's almost always the "s" key. Almost.

And the weird thing is that it didn't start that way. I bought my XPS15 last December, and the problem didn't pop up until the beginning of this summer - almost as if a BIOS (or other automated) update created a problem that hadn't existed before.

I've tried the secondary solution, too: slowing the character repeat rate on my keyboard through Win10. But I can't even find that option anymore. All of the other (older) solution threads describe a progression of screenshots that don't even exist anymore. When I go to "Keyboard" now, the only topics pertain to autocorrect of misspelled words, text suggestions, adding spaces or periods, or modifying settings on the touch keyboard. But not the hard, laptop keyboard.

I too have this key switch bounce problem with the space bar, o, i, and other characters. Switch contacts always bounce - they close when you hit a key then open again and close a few times over a few milliseconds. This is normal so designers usually employ hardware or software methods to "debounce" the switch so you don't get repeats. It appears that Dell has not addressed this adequately. I, too, await a solution from Dell. (I had to correct a double o and double i in this single paragraph. This is bad.)

There is a Debounce AutoHotKey script here: pastebin.com/.../XYErShPB

Requires AutoHotKey (AHK): https://autohotkey.com/

Once AHK is running you can right-click the desktop and select New/Create AutoHotKey Script, paste the contents of the Debounce script and save. You can then right-click the Debouce script and select Compile to create a stand-alone .exe file. When executed this will debounce the keyboard. One side-effect is that it slows down key auto-repeat to uselessness. I'd rather have the switch bounce fixed, though. So far, so good.

I have the same problem with my XPS 15 9560, service tag 1VBX2G2.  For me, it's always the space bar.  No other keys.  According to  user e25.025,  this problem has been around for years? Yet nothing has been done about it by Dell?  This is shocking.  I change my laptop every 2 to 3 years and have had Lenovos, Asus, etc. and have never seen such a basic problem such as this with laptops from other vendors.  I also purchased laptops for customers with our software loaded on them.  After spending close to $2800 CAD for a supposedly high end laptop, you would think it wouldn't have problems like this.  

@Community,

I can now confirm that the following systems will be receiving new BIOS versions in order to fix the double key issue. 

XPS 15 9550 1.7.0

XPS 15 9560 1.8.0

Precision 5510 1.7.0

Precision 5520 1.8.0

The new BIOS versions should be released within the next 2 months.

Hi Community, 

Status updates: 

XPS 9550 1.7.0 Improved keyboard typing experience with high typing speed.

XPS 9560 1.9.4 Prevent ghost key trigger while pressing multiple keys at the same time.

Precision 5510 1.7.0 Improved keyboard typing experience with high typing speed.

Precision 5520 1.9.4 Prevent ghost key trigger while pressing multiple keys at the same time.

XPS 13 9370 - Awaiting new BIOS to be released for key skip issue

XPS 13 9365 - Key skip issue submitted to Dell engineering. Awaiting response 

Latitude 7490 - Key skip issue submitted to Dell engineering. Awaiting response