x15 R1, keyboard issues

I am having exactly the same problem on x2 Alienware X15's.

Dell did release new keyboard firmware here:
Keyboard Firmware Update Utility | Driver Details | Dell Australia

However the firmware only appears to fix the keyboard not responding for 5/10mins. The missed key presses still occur when the keyboard is not used for ~10 seconds, and then you go to type again.

I have had the keyboard replaced on 1 of my 2 X15's and the issue still persists.

Service Request open with Dell.

They want videos proving the issue. Its very hard to type on a keyboard and record a video at the same time.

I have shown this forum post. Lets see how far we get.

Dell support now want to replace the motherboard and heatsink.

So all up:

1. Daughter Board and Palm rest replaced (effectively a keyboard replacement). This didnt fix the issue
2. Booked in for a motherboard and heatsink replacement now. Will report back if this resolved anything.

At the moment, I am missing only random "R"s. I will keep an eye on that.

Best regards,
Roger

I can tell you right now, it's not going to solve it. They can keep replacing keyboards, motherboards, entire laptops all they want (and they seem to really like doing that), but it's a firmware/software issue.

Issue is NOT present on Ubuntu. Probably some kind of Dell software/driver that's running on Windows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNwkRH2kiuM

Side-note: Touchpad does not work on Ubuntu. Had to use external mouse.

Another note: The issue goes away if I plug in this cheap DELL wireless mouse/keyboard USB dongle. Even if I'm not touching the wireless keyboard or mouse, and they're entirely turned off, the laptop keyboard suddenly no longer has the issue.

Unplug them, and the issue instantly comes back.

Edit: Plugging in a generic, wired USB mouse has the same effect. Problem instantly goes away. Unplug -> problem returns.

So, for anyone who can't live with this issue (like me), literally plug a generic 2.4ghz wireless keyboard/mouse dongle in, and leave it. This of course, takes the one single USB-A they decided to give you.

Can confirm that connecting anything via USB (Logitech Unifying Receiver) seems to fix the keyboard missing key presses after being left alone for ~10 seconds.

Not ideal, as its a laptop! therefore, you won't always have a USB mouse with you to use.

Still waiting for dell to come and replace the motherboard, after replacing the keyboard. Will report back if it fixes anything

Same issue on my x17 except its dead, non responsive. Its a BIOS issue.

I've been working with support on diagnosing this issue. Things I've learned:

Re-installing Windows from a USB drive, so completely deleting the existing OS installation and re-installing solves the issue. BUT, that's without installing drivers. Drivers are being installed right now, will report back if that re-introduces the issue.

Another thing:
If you go into Device Manager and on every device under "Universal Serial Bus controllers", go to properties -> Power Management and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" (for any device where this is possible).
This will FIX the skipping keys issue, but it still has a serious delay for the first few keys. But it's better than nothing for now.

@MrSharka I am going to tell you right now, it's not going to fix anything. Unless they also installed a clean OS without drivers/software, the issue will come back.

Update: Issue returned immediately after installing drivers through Support Assist.

Is it the same issue then? We're talking about it skipping a few keys after 5 - 10 seconds of inactivity. Not the entire keyboard not responding.

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@ReneSackers wrote:

Is it the same issue then? We're talking about it skipping a few keys after 5 - 10 seconds of inactivity. Not the entire keyboard not responding.

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The issue of the keyboard not responding is a known problem if the keyboard is running the original firmware. It can not function at all for long periods of time (minutes, 10's of minutes in some cases).

If you upgrade the firmware on the Dell support site, that issue is resolved it seems. But the issue of missed key presses after ~10 seconds of inactivity is not resolved.

One way around this inactive issue is to have a USB keyboard/mouse connected to the laptop directly or via a USB wireless receiver and it seems to fix the issue. However as its a laptop, its understandable that this is not an actual fix. The keyboard it comes with needs to work perfectly out of the box.

Update on Dell support.

I purchased x2 X15's
Both have now had keyboards replaced. The replacement keyboards had the original firmware and needed to be upgraded. The issue is not resolved.

Both Service Requests were escallated and Dell want to replace motherboards and heatsinks on both laptops now. The catch is the repair is scheduled for June 2022 in 7 months time!

Escalated the service requests again to have them review this, as I can't wait 7 months for a repair to be done.

I am outside the 30 day period. But waiting 7 months for a repair doesn't seem fair. What are my options to ask for a refund outside of 30 days? Considering they want me to wait 7 months for a repair on both laptops? Hardly seems fair.

I've told you several times though. Replacing keyboards and motherboards is not going to solve any of your issues. Check my previous posts, turn off the power management options as previously stated, this completely fixes any keys skipping, but it still has some kind of a delay after the inactive period but it's WAY better than before.

Don't waste your time on hardware replacements. It's a software issue and it's going to be the same every single time. I don't understand why you scheduled yet another hardware replacement, and I also don't understand why DELL keeps doing them. It makes no sense.

It's like having a car with a broken radio so you keep replacing the entire engine.