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February 6th, 2025 01:45
x14 R2, keyboard issue
Hello everyone.
I recently purchased an Alienware x14 R2 and, as a Linux user, I immediately replaced Windows with Ubuntu (20.04 because of it's compatibility with Ros ) due to its better compatibility with GPU drivers and related tools. Initially, everything worked perfectly. I set up my environment, configured the GPU using the Lambda Cloud setup script, and installed and configured the i3 window manager. The system was functioning smoothly.
However, I began experiencing issues with my keyboard. First, the left Ctrl key started malfunctioning—it would intermittently stop working. Since there is a right Ctrl key, I continued working despite the inconvenience. Shortly after, the Enter key and the backslash (\) key also stopped working.
Initially, I suspected the issue might be related to my environment setup or software configuration. To rule this out, I tested the keyboard in the BIOS/UEFI settings, but the same keys were unresponsive there as well. Interestingly, when I connected an external keyboard, it worked without any issues.
At this point, I’m unsure whether the problem is hardware-related or if it’s somehow tied to the system configuration. I would greatly appreciate any guidance or troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue.
(note that it's a new computer)
ejn63
12 Elder
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February 6th, 2025 02:16
If the system is under warranty, hopefully you kept an image of the Windows with which it shipped, because you'll need to reinstall that before you contact Dell support -- they will not support the system with Linux running (no LInux support is offered for this model).
If it's a brand-new system (less than 30 days from shipment) and you purchased it direct from Dell, you can also return the system for a refund or for exchange.
Chino de Oro
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February 6th, 2025 02:30
Restore to Windows may help with testing the keyboard for issue. However, for faster testing if the issue is hardware related, connecting an external USB keyboard. If the same issue is happened on the external board, it is not hardware. Check and reset your Linux settings might fix the problem.
sudoping01
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February 7th, 2025 01:09
@ejn63
I have tried to send it back in US (to Amazone) but it took time more and my Aunt bring it back.
I have reinstall windows I'm still facing the same issue, which means the problem is hardware but just does not make sens that a new computer have hardware issue, knowing that it's an expensive computer.
sudoping01
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February 7th, 2025 01:18
@Chino de Oro
I have restore windows, I'm getting the same issue. With an external keyboard it works fine.
dstruiks
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February 12th, 2025 07:12
I have the same issue, just started last weekend. My Enter, Backslash, and Home keys all stopped registering any input. I've tried multiple solutions and nothing has worked so far. I mapped F2 to Enter as a workaround in the meantime.
s4lem0nsen
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October 7th, 2025 18:25
Just got a new old stock sent from Amazon that arrived today. Imagine my surprise when I unboxed it and powered it up just to find out the enter key and mute key is not responding. So now its either pay extra money to get world wide support or send it back.