Unsolved
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
6
13926
June 28th, 2022 13:00
m15 R4, keyboard not responding
All of a sudden I started up my laptop today and the keyboard was totally unresponsive. The lights are still on and I can still disable/enable the touchpad and internet using the Fn key but other than that the entire keyboard is unresponsive. Also in Alienware command center it no longer recognizes my laptop keyboard. I only got this laptop a few months ago and the keyboard is already seemingly useless. I have tried numerous things and none have worked. I reinstalled the keyboard drivers and even tried running in safe mode which still proved useless. The only thing that worked temporarily was this:
For me this is the workaround, works every time.
Shutdown Laptop
Turn On Laptop
Keyboard will not work
Press power button to enter sleep mode
Resume Laptop from sleep mode
Login/Unlock laptop (I use the On Screen Keyboard by clicking on Accessibility in bottom Right) to enter my Password
Open Device Manager
Go to Universal Serial Bus Controllers
Uninstall the Unknown USB Device
Then Right Click Scan for hardware changes
Keyboard works again till next shutdown/restart.
BIOS Alienware 1.10.1, 3/28/2022
Windows 11 with all updates installed
All Dell SupportAssist Updates Installed
I have tried downgrading to previous 1.9.0 and 1.8.0 version of the bios and still same issue. Have tried reinstalling/update all dell/alienware related drivers.
As stated it is only a temporary fix that needs to be done every restart. I'm open to any suggestions as at this point I can only think of factory resetting my device.



DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
1
June 29th, 2022 08:00
Based on the provided private Service Tag, you have the m15 R4, not the m15 R5. We changed the thread title.
Have you installed the 6/14/2022 released BIOS 1.11.0 and retested?
Dath21
2 Posts
0
August 7th, 2022 02:00
Are you still experiencing this issue? Mine is still doing it. If you have found a fix let me know!
Nerlands
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
August 7th, 2022 03:00
Yep I'm still using the temporary fix but I don't mind too much since I only have to do it once a day and it takes just a minute
cellhunter
3 Posts
0
August 19th, 2022 14:00
Upgrading to BIOS 1.11 or 1.13 does not fix the problem.
cellhunter
3 Posts
0
August 19th, 2022 14:00
I have tried factory resetting (not keeping data), but it does not fix the problem. My windows and drivers are all up-to-date.
cellhunter
3 Posts
0
August 19th, 2022 14:00
I have exactly the same problem on my M15 R4. The workaround works, but it only temporally allowed the keyboard to work.
Dell, please provide a solution or update.
Alien_Zac
1 Rookie
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3 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2022 19:00
A lot of people have this problem. There is a fix for the M5 and M6 with the cherry driver, but what is the fix for the M4?
Nerlands
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
September 5th, 2022 04:00
What's a cherry driver?
crimsom
7 Technologist
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6.1K Posts
0
September 5th, 2022 07:00
Hi @Alien_Zac this is a free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum. If in Dell warranty, paid support is provided by Dell Support, visit your online Dell account and create Service Request, so that Dell officially knows there is a problem to fix.
Hi @Nerlands cherry driver is for systems that were ordered with the cherry keyboard.
GBuser
3 Posts
0
September 23rd, 2022 04:00
did anyone find a solution? @Nerlands @Alien_Zac @crimsom
@Dath21?
GBuser
3 Posts
0
September 23rd, 2022 04:00
Hey, I'm also experiencing the same issue. This workaround solves the issue but it's temporary.
I've updated the BIOS, factory reset the system (full wipe), downgraded to windows 10, upgraded to windows 11, updated all the drivers and lastly I removed the battery and did a power drain.
The problem isn't solved yet. Please help
crimsom
7 Technologist
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6.1K Posts
0
September 23rd, 2022 05:00
Hi @GBuser welcome to this free user to user Alienware laptop discussion forum.
Please visit invoice to confirm there is a Dell warranty. Please visit your online Dell account and create Service Request so that Dell Technical Support knows that there is a problem to fix. Thank you.
Nerlands
1 Rookie
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6 Posts
0
September 23rd, 2022 12:00
I'm still using the temporary solution so nope.
Alien_Zac
1 Rookie
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3 Posts
3
September 23rd, 2022 12:00
Hey man! Only solution is the temporary one;
Use your on-screen keyboard to login and get to your device manager. Scroll all the way down to the USB devices, then uninstall the unknown USB device. Then put your laptop to sleep, wake it up, and you should be able to use your keyboard until the next time you put your PC to sleep/shut down. It’s ridiculous that you have to do this to make it work, but that’s what they’ve sat on.
aljking1911
1 Rookie
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1 Message
1
October 25th, 2022 15:00
This is really frustrating. Thank you for posting your work around. Too bad there has not been a permanent fix found yet. Well at least the work around you posted worked for mine too. Maybe we should try to find out what else our devices have in common since there are only a few of us having this issue. Is anyone else running Norton 360? I have had mine since January 2022 and this problem just started about 2 weeks ago.