Input Devices is another name for desktop peripherals such as the Keyboard and Mouse that allow you to control and input information to your personal computer.
Keyboards and mice can be Wired or Wireless. The connectors can be USB or Din.
(Fig.1 External Keyboard and Mouse)
I will take you through some common issues and the quickest troubleshooting steps to identify and resolve those issues.
The common issues with input devices are things like:
The troubleshooting below takes you through identifying and then narrowing down the issue, to help resolve the problem.
Check the Device for damage. Are there any signs of a liquid spill? Are there any parts broken off? Do all buttons and keys cleanly press when pushed and rebound and function?
If there is damage, you must look at replacing the device. If the damage is with the system, you are looking at a charge for the personal computer to be repaired.
If there is no damage, then go to the next step.
Swap the device to another system. Does the same thing happen there? If you plug another device to your system do you see the same issue?
If the fault follows the device, then you must replace the device.
If the fault stays with the system with a known good working device plugged up, then carry on with step 3.
If the fault is seen on both systems, go to step 5 or contact your support to take it further.
If the fault is not seen on either machine, then it is a connection issue and typicaly is resolved by a reseat.
If an intermittent issue then go to step 4.
If you do not have a similar known good device, or another system you can test the device on then go to step 1 in the next section.
If it does, then the issue is with your operating system. Go to step 1 in the next section.
If it does not, then the issue is outside of the operating system. Try the device in another port (Most desktops have USB ports on both the front and the rear of the personal computer. Ensure to test both the front and the back Ports.) If that resolves the issue, then contact your support about an issue with a particular port to take the issue further.
If so and the device is fine on another system, then it is a loose port. Contact your support to report the issue.
If so and the device is the same on another system, then replace the device.
If they do, then the issue is most likely a compatibility issue with your device. I would advise you contact the supplier of the original device.
If not then contact your support to take this further.
The first software troubleshooting step is usually to rule the Operating System out of the issue. We must do this if the fault stays with the system, regardless of the port the device is plugged to or if you have been unable to test with known good parts. I will also give some intermediate steps you can try to recover from any issues, but you must decide if it is quicker and easier for you to rule out the operating system or go through the intermediate steps.
(Fig.2 Dell Boot Once Menu)
If the fault is seen when booting from the live CD or from a known good working Hard Drive, then contact your support to take this further.
The fault is not seen on the live CD or works fine with a known good working Hard Drive installed. Proceed with the guide to restore or reinstall your operating system.
If the troubleshooting points to your operating system and you have the time to troubleshoot the Software further, you can try these steps before restoring or reinstalling your operating system.
If you are experiencing input device issues, there are several steps you can try before the last resort of an operating system reinstall. The first step would be to try a system restore. I have listed guides below for each operating system possible. Take the system back to a date before the input issues started. Does this resolve your issue?
Yes, then your issue is resolved.
No, then go to the step 3.
Go to your Control Panel and then open Device Manager. Uninstall the appropriate Driver from your personal computer, then go to the Dell Support Site and download and install the latest driver listed for your device. If it is a USB device, then you want to delete and re-create the USB Hub instead. (Right click on each USB hub and select uninstall. Reboot the system to re-create the Hubs.) Does this resolve the issue?
Yes, then your issue is resolved.
No, then go to step 4.
Yes, then your issue is resolved.
No, then go to step 5.
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