Keyboard data line failure

Question

I turned on my computer and received the following message at BIOS Startup:

Keyboard Failure
Keyboard data line failure

I tried substituting keyboards without any change. The keyboard lights flash on the keyboard, and then the computer hangs at this message.

Any ideas?

qaseerat · Answer

I am having the same problem.. more than 7 of the OptiPlex computers in my company gave the same message. I have a stack of those mother boards with me and I need to fix them ASAP.

Where are DELL technicians when you need them... Please answer this question..

What should I do .. I am sure the problem is in the keyboard link in the mother board .. but how can I pin point it.. and what is the most common cause.

DELL-Jesse L · Answer

davekurt,

Thank you for joining the DellTalk Forum.

Try switching the keyboard and mouse on the back of the sytem to see if the problem persist. If so, then the port on the motherboard is bad and it will need to be replaced. You then can email support@dell.com and have them replace the motherboard.

DELL-Jesse L · Answer

qaseerat, Thank you for joining the DellTalk Forum. You can try switching the mouse and the keyboards to see if problem persist.If so, email support@dell.com and have the boards replaced.

hoboJOE · Answer

should switching the keyboard & mouse on the back of my computer work for my GXi P166 ? I tried it ~ and received error message (error 8206?? i think) I occassionaly have seen a error message data line failure, but it is intermittent...
HELP??
hobojoe

hoboJOE · Answer

hello,
I read at this website the beeping you are referring to may be 'beep codes' which are explained in detail in the service manual.
I read at other websites that pc's are kinda fussy about power - even a tiny power voltage drop causes problems ~ so if your booting 2 systems may be you are experienceing problems due to variations of non-constant voltage.

* please post the progress you make on resolving this problem so everyone can learn, thx!

qaseerat · Answer

well.. thanks for all those who replied..
you see..
1- the three lights at they keyboard keep flashing... ( a technician said this usually means a short somewhere ).
2- the message says keyboard data line failure.. I am not sure where is this data line and how to trace it .. but a technician ( as usual when they don't know how to fix a problem or how to trace it ) suggested that it is a problem at the data controler in the mother board.
3- the problem is that 7 identical systems at different locatoins in our company had the same problem all of which happend at the same month..

qaseerat · Answer

well.. thanks for all those who replied..
you see..
1- the three lights at they keyboard keep flashing... ( a technician said this usually means a short somewhere ).
2- the message says keyboard data line failure.. I am not sure where is this data line and how to trace it .. but a technician ( as usual when they don't know how to fix a problem or how to trace it ) suggested that it is a problem at the data controler in the mother board.
3- the problem is that 7 identical systems at different locatoins in our company had the same problem all of which happend at the same month..

BearDynamics · Answer

It happened to be nothing to do with the keyboard. In the Dell's World if an error message says "Keyboard Failure" one should look at the monitor. For some reason my Dell PowerEdge 1300 become unhappy with my good old Samsung SyncMaster3 but expressed it in this peculiar way. After I installed a brand new Philips it worked.

The SyncMaster, by the way, works well with a Compaq SB and a no-brand PC quite well.

Tech support of course offered to replace a keyboard and sent me a replacement mainboard

It costed me 48 hours of downtime.

Mikael_F · Answer

I encountered this problem when using a KVM switch.

But this story has a twist, I only used the KVM switch for the monitor, The keyboard was plugged in directly to the computer. It seems as if there is some loss in voltage when having to feed the signal trough the KVM switch, enough to disable the keyboard port.

Solution: Make sure your monitor is directly plugged into the computer.

(Possibly, a KVM switch with its own power source might rectify the problem also.)

dbd_gunsmoke · Answer

hi

i also have this problem. Exactly how much would it cost to send back a dell optiplex GL5133 and have the board (or the keyboard connector on the board) replaced?? And where would it have to be sent to being as i live in england??

thanks,

Gunsmoke

alex_papa · Answer

Hi All,

I have at home 3 Dell machines, one Latitude X200, one Optiplex GX240 and one Optiplex GX 620. I bought a KVM manual data switch, which works fine with the laptop, but not with the other two machines. For both of the desktops the monitor is working but I get an error message on boot "Keyboard failure". When I connect a keyboard directly on one of the Optiplex machines leaving the monitor and mouse connected through the KVM switch the boot works fine but the mouse is not working once Windows 2000 or XP is loaded.

It certainly looks like a problem on the hardware side and I personally believe Dell should find a way to fix this because one of the reasons one chooses to buy a data swicth and cables is to avoid having several keyboards, mice and monitors lying around.

Hope we can soon get more than the very basic recommendations I saw from moderators in the message thread.

Regards,

Alex

speedstep · Answer

I see no reason that dell should be responsible to troubleshoot 3rd party KVM's.

My preference is CYBEX/AVOCENT switch view KVM's because they use Color coded keyboard mouse monitor cables and the cable assemblys are 1 piece with 3 heads not 3 cables.

http://hardwarecentral.dealtime.com/xPO-Cybex_SwitchView_10045

http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/avocent-cybex-switchview.html

http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/cser-6a.html

alex_papa · Answer

Well, of course if the KVM switch is the cause then Dell should not do anything about it. THe issue is I tried my switch and cables on other machines and it is working. I also tried another switch on the Optiplex and it does not. The cables I am using are similar to the ones shown on the picture... I am a bit at a here. Have you been able to make your Optiplex work OK with the KVM switch on your picture?

Thanks for your help + best regards,

Alex

frustrated lapt · Answer

My laptop has now twice came up with the same keyboard connection error, the first time I had to get the laptop rebooted by a pro, this time I unplugged the power cord and the externally connected mouse and wireless connection, then pulled out the battery which cut's off the computer. Restarting then solved the problem.......

shesagordie · Answer

This thread has been locked due to it being 13 years old, if you have a similar issue, please use the 'New Post' feature at the top of this page and start a new thread.  Bev.

Locked Topics – Desktops General

Keyboard data line failure

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