I have a Studio 15 laptop which recently has started missing keystrokes. I *think* it's more often keys near the center of the keyboard, but I'm not completely sure. Any known issues? A little googling seemed to find some reference to a "flexed motherboard" problem that might be related, but not conclusive.
The complicating factor is that I run Linux (Ubuntu) on this 99% of the time, and there are known issues w/ Ubuntu and laptop keyboards, although it's stuck repeating characters, not dropped characters.
I dual-boot this to the factory-installed Vista so I would check it that way, but I just discovered Vista blue-screens, so... hmm...
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
dwh
Yes I'm getting the same problem on my Studio 1555 under Windows Vista, so I don't think it's OS related. Must be hardware.
Paulis.com Yes I'm getting the same problem on my Studio 1555 under Windows Vista, so I don't think it's OS related. Must be hardware.
Found another related post: http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19106893/19545408.aspx#19545408
I have had similar problems. Seems to be most common when I am using IE. It is VERY infuriating when entering login passwords etc. A Dell engineer recommended I disable various Startup programs in through msconfig. I have disabled Dell Dock and Dell Support Software and the problem seems to have disappeared. I think the problem lies in Dell Dock, but at this point it is too early to say. I really don't need Dell Dock, so for a little incconvenience, this is a small price to pay. Dell should re-examine Dell Dock though.
Thanks for your post, I tried disabling dell dock and that worked for us, running IE8.
Hmm. The problem is this is happening to me under Ubuntu, not under Windows.
im having this exact same problem, ad i disabled the dell dock, which seemed to help alot but im still dropping a few characters here and there, do you know what startup programs he mentioned we should disable?
I am having exactly the same problem with my new Studio 15, and have put it down to two things. Keyboard Action and key strokes dropping. The keyboard does require heavier pressure than my last Acer, but as I found out to my expense tonight with two business Bank accounts being locked on me due to incorrect passwords, it does quiet clearly drop characters and when you use the laptop for passwords, when you cant see what you are tying. With a business laptop, I cant see how Dell are instructing you to disable settings it has installed on the laptop for you, especially when I dont know what the hell these aps are!!!. Their is a fundamental problem with the laptop, and I would hope that a clear response in the issue is released by Dell to clear it up.
Guys,
I am just off the phone with Dell there. There is an update to MS Internet Explorer that is apparently causing this key stroke problem. Dell wash their hands of it, as they have no controlover MS upgrades. The tech sorted it for me in two minutes. no keys dropping at all now... The action is - Open Internet Explorer - Tools - Internet options - Advanced tab - Reset - confirm reset. This sorted the whole thing for me, including the keyboard action. Dont ask me how. you will lose your cookies and saved passwords, but favorites and settings stay in explorer as you have them.
I still think that Dell should release a statement to all their clients advising them of this, as it is too easy to tie it to the PC and not software.
Hope this is helpful IF Ed
That's great... for you Windows users ;-)
I'm runing Ubuntu. Hmm.
I have the same problem too, and it's not exclusive to IE8. It's happening for me in Outlook 2007 too.
Is anyone certain it's due to the Dell Dock? I really like the dock, and I don't want to get rid of it if I don't have too.
I should also mention that I have issues with my mouse in Outlook as well. While dragging, it will perform a 'button release' immediately followed by a 'button press' without me actually doing so.
It's just like the 'dropping keyboard characters' problem, but with instead it's dropping the mouse 'button press' event.
krisn8 I should also mention that I have issues with my mouse in Outlook as well. While dragging, it will perform a 'button release' immediately followed by a 'button press' without me actually doing so. It's just like the 'dropping keyboard characters' problem, but with instead it's dropping the mouse 'button press' event.
Related to this and your previous post:
Are you running the Dell Dock Toobar? If so try exiting it and disabling it from loading during startup. Since I did that I've have no more problems.
Yes, I'm running the Dell Dock toolbar. But I'd like to keep it if possible. Sounds like I'm one of the rare individuals that actually use it.
I've performed the IE8 'reset' sequence that solves the character dropping in IE8. I don't expect that to resolve my mouse problems, but being an engineer, I prefer to tweak only one varaible at a time. I'll give it a day or two to see if the mouse problem is still there.
If it still persists, I'm going to try to deselect the "Bring dock to top when mouse nears edge" option of the Dell Dock Toolbar. Perhaps it's eating mouse events while trying to track the cursor position. Who knows.
For what it's worth, my tech partner who has an identical Studio 15 to mine called Dell support, paid for a tech to come out, who replaced the keyboard and the probem seems to have gone away.
Which is weird, becaue I replaced my keyboard myself and it had no effect... so I may try reseating my current keyboard, swapping back in the old one, and then eventually coughing up for Dell support to come out.
-sigh-