XPS 15 9530 Keyboard Skipping Keys

Hi Yoshifizzle,

Thanks for posting.  Apologies that your system is not performing as expected.  

Your post did not mention if you had run Dell SupportAssist yet to diagnose your issue.  If you haven't done that yet, please do and post back any error messages encountered.  

If there are no errors then it may be a software issue.  Here are some things you can try from the Dell knowledge base:

Keyboard Usage and Troubleshooting Guide

If the system is under warranty, please contact me privately. Be sure to include your personal information (name, address, telephone, email) and your computer's service tag number in your message. Thanks.

If there is no warranty, then you could contact our Out of Warranty team to get a quote for a paid service call -http://dell.to/1vnT6CQ

Robert,

I appreciate the kind reply, but it is well established at this point that this is not a hardware issue.  This affects many Dell models and they are working on BIOS updates to fix the problem for other laptop models.  I just want to ensure that my laptop model is among them.

Best Regards,

Mark

Unless the problem has existed since you've owned the system - and particularly given that it's 5+ years old -- it's more likely either a keyboard in need of a thorough brush-out or one with worn key switches that needs replacement.

The newer systems use a completely different keyboard design from the old ones - this is not a BIOS issue.  It's a hardware fault.

Debris under the keys couldn't explain this.  The symptoms were not there one day and then they were the next.  This isn't an isolated issue either, but affects a good portion of the keys.  The timeline of the symptoms appearance also lines up with the issues on the other Dell models. 

I have done all the driver and bios updates I could possible do. I now have to carry an external keyboard with me all the time. It's definitely not a mechanical issue and its not a software issue. Its skipping as described by other XPS users and you have to hold keys in. I was considering getting the new XPS and passing this machine down to my kids but it's basically unusable now and I'm not confident in committing to another DELL. I could not type this message without constantly backtracking to insert missing letters.

Neither updating bios nor replacing the keyboard altogether fixes this issue. Tested on win 8.1, 10 and ubuntu 18.4, 20.04, Bios version A11. Keys that are not working on my machine are 'o', 'c' and '9'. I have to long press for few seconds or press repetedly on the keys for them to register. This happens randomly. This makes the laptop unusable for me and I only keep it around in case Dell releases a fix for this model (same as they did for 9570, shown by multiple online reports). However this seems more and more unlikely. For what this machine costed and having to go through all this trouble to fix it and it still not working properly, it makes me not want to purchase Dell products again.

I don't believe this is a bios or software issue. I think it's oxidation or some other form of corrosion of the key sensor. I have a 9530 that was getting rare usage and the keys began failing as described. Over time, more and more of the keys became flakey. Here's what I did to fix it.

1. Remove the key cap of the offending key. This video shows you how to remove and install key caps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1It2pfKGeCo
2. Using a standard pencil with a rounded off eraser, use the eraser end to push in on the rubber key bubble in the middle of the key. You don't have to remove the key's mechanical mechanism because there is a hole in the middle to access the key bubble. Push in gently with the eraser end of the pencil on the rubber key bubble and wiggle it around a bit. You are not erasing anything, just using the soft rubber of the eraser to grab the top of the key bubble and move it around while pushed in on the pad.
3. Re-install the key cap and test it. 

I recommend you do the above procedure with the computer running. Launch a blank Word doc (or some other application that shows key input) to check the function of the key while you are "cleaning" it with the pencil and once the key cap is reinstalled. This completely restored the functionality of my keyboard. 

Thank you so much.  This has been driving me nuts for almost a year. I was ready to buy a replacement and deal with the many tiny screws and fragile connections. This took less than 15 minutes and now ALL my keys are working again. Brilliant!