M17x R4, certain keyboard keys stopped working SOLVED!

Question

So...earlier this year, some keys on my keyboard stopped working: a, e, d, and f. The rest were fine. Removing/reseating the keyboard and its ribbon connectors didn't seem to fix the problem.

It defies all logic to me (because HID drivers are HID drivers, pretty much), but I think it's a Windows build that's breaking it. I bought a replacement keyboard, it worked...and then shortly after that on the same day, "Windows needs to install build 19_03!" Okay, no problem...except now the new keyboard was just as borked as the original one, but with even fewer keys working. I used a hardware diagnostic to confirm that about half of them were broken.

Later that same day, "Feature update 19_10!" Okay, fine Microsoft, you update-crazy nut-nut.

Still no fix. And now even more keys dead - Ctrl, Windows key, and Num Lock appear to be all that's left working.

So I tried a clean install of Win 10 x64 19_03 using an ISO on a thumb drive. Still no change. Even the BIOS doesn't see the keyboard anymore.

I took it all apart, power cycled the laptop (no battery in, hold down power button for 30 seconds while unplugged), reinstalled the keyboard, turned it all back on--still nothing.

Well, *almost* nothing. At this point the Windows key works. There's some irony there but I'm not in the mood to unpack it.

Command Center still sees the keyboard and AlienFX still applies lighting to it just fine. I think something about these terrible recent builds from Microsoft has broken the driver in some way.

I realize I can use a USB keyboard, I'm just annoyed and, honestly, I'm a problem-solver. I want to find a solution for this one! I'm open to suggestions.

MXOWinterMute · Accepted Answer

Well! I figured out how to fix the problem. Before you try this, it's a good idea to stop by the BIOS and write down every last little setting you have, because you may need to re-do them.

1) Unplug the laptop and remove the battery

2) Remove the CMOS battery too

3) Press & hold the power button for 30 seconds to completely clear any residual charge

4) Remove the keyboard

5) Take your time very carefully re-seating both the ribbon for AlienFX lightning zones and the keyboard.

6) Close everything back up but do NOT put the battery back in yet.

7) Turn the power on

You may hear 5 steady BIOS beeps. This appears to be a "someone tampered with this machine" signal that I'd never run across before. It's normal. If this happens, turn it off, then hold down the Fn key (bottom left of the keyboard) while turning it on, and keep holding the Fn key until it boots up.

This is the part I was a bit nervous about - because if ever the Fn key is one of the broken ones, you might not be able to get booted up again (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!).

So once all that happened, I was able to boot up and for the last couple of days every key tests fine and the keyboard is working again. Hooray!

Whether another Win 10 update might cause us to have to do this dance again, I don't know...but to anyone else with this issue, good luck!

Sumikotsu · Answer

@MXOWinterMute​  I'm currently experiencing this same problem. I got my replacement keyboard on the 18th. I tested my keys then. I didn't see any problems. I went to press the 0 keys and nothing happened, so then I started checking on keys again, that's when I found the S, :, arrow up,[,s,k,l,?. I don't remember version windows 10 I was running, but I just reinstalled windows to windows 11, yet those same keys aren't functioning. I bought my brand new keyboard from ebay, messaged the seller explaining some off my keys are failing to work. After I messaged the seller, I tried the steps in the above article and nothing getting the keys to respond. The lights function just fine

Alienware

M17x R4, certain keyboard keys stopped working SOLVED!

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