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November 4th, 2022 03:00
Area-51m R1, some buttons work sporadically
Hello!
The keyboard of DELL Alienware Area-51m R1 notebook has recently started to behave weird: two buttons (namely 3 and E) are working sporadically. Sometimes, when you press the button, the key is not getting registered, sometimes it registers two times. Also, it has periods when these buttons are not working at all or are working absolutely fine.
I have a feeling it could be related to the notebook overheating in the past, but I didn't see a direct correlation between the temperature and the working of the keys.
I've disassembled these two keys and have removed all the crust and they seems physically fine, however, the problem persists. I've also disassembled the notebook and reconnected the keyboard to the motherboard several times without any luck.
What could be the reason for this behavior? All the other keys are working absolutely fine. Also, the problem is not related to the OS, it happens in both Linux and Windows and even in BIOS (UEFI) software.
Thank you!
crimsom
9 Technologist
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6.1K Posts
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November 4th, 2022 04:00
Hi @slavafomin welcome to this free user-to-user Alienware laptop discussion forum.
Thank you for including your excellent troubleshooting in opening post. Intermittent problems are difficult to determine root cause. Users have used an external keyboard, but this is not ideal.
Many users are reporting that their keyboard keys have problems. The focus seems to be on drivers and the Dell Alienware Command Center (AWCC) application. Can you recall if this problem started with a Windows update and/or Dell Drivers & Applications updates?
The following are some random examples: -
Solved: Area-51m, various keys not working - Dell Community
Area-51m R1, keyboard stops working - Dell Community
Area-51m, keyboard stopped working - Dell Community
slavafomin
1 Rookie
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2 Posts
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November 4th, 2022 05:00
@crimsom thank you for the suggestions. However, I see the problem not only in Windows, but in Linux and even BIOS. So I can guess that the problem can't be with the software? Or can it?
crimsom
9 Technologist
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6.1K Posts
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November 4th, 2022 10:00
Hi @slavafomin thank you for your comments.
Support for Alienware Area-51m (R1) Drivers & Downloads say Operating System can be Windows 10, 64-bit or Windows 11. Clicking on Supported Operating Systems provides BIOS/UEFI firmware compatibility for Linux and asks User to check if Linux only environment is supported, Update the Dell BIOS in a Linux or Ubuntu Environment.
Does your boot menu setup ask which drive to load, Windows SSD or Linux SSD. Or are Windows and Linux on the same SSD, or is the system using a virtual program to emulate running different operating systems so that there is no inherent conflict?
Please open Windows in safe mode to determine if keyboard key(s) function has no problems when just the basic programs/drivers are used. If there are no key function problems, an application conflict might be the root cause of this problem. How to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 11 or Windows 10 | Dell UK.