alienware-keyboard

[Solved] Alienware Laptop Keyboard Not Working (Here’s 7 Easy Fixes!)

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Dell’s Alienware line of laptops are some of the best gaming laptops on the market, but they are not without their flaws. If anything tends to go wrong with these laptops, the most used part – the keyboard, will be the first to go.

Having your gaming laptop’s keyboard stop working will cause difficulties for you to play your favorite games. It is also impossible for you to log into Windows and get the work done. Fortunately, you can try and fix the problem yourself through simple troubleshooting steps.

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Alienware Laptop Keyboard Not Working Causes

  • Outdated Keyboard Firmware
  • Windows Update
  • Alienware Software
  • Keyboard Lock

Alienware laptops are well-built hardware-wise. However, most laptops are not immune to software or hardware issues, and you can expect a few problems to start surfacing if you have been using them for a few years on hardcore gaming sessions.

How To Fix The Alienware Laptop Keyboard That Is Not Working?

Listed above are some of the most common reasons for a malfunctioning Alienware laptop keyboard. We will then show you how to fix these problems below.

Restart Your Laptop

Some intermittent keyboard problems can be solved by simply restarting your computer. If your Alienware laptop’s keyboard stops working, try a simple restart before trying the other solutions below.

It is worth considering a complete shutdown and startup cycle on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop rather than going for the Restart option. Doing so will ensure that the BIOS gets a reset, which might fix your keyboard problems without going for more intricate methods.

Update Keyboard Drivers

Outdated keyboard drivers can also cause your Alienware laptop’s keyboard to stop functioning. A quick keyboard driver update should fix this problem.

Update Keyboard Drivers Windows 10

Follow these steps to update your keyboard drivers on Windows 10:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run window. Type in devmgmt.msc to bring up the Device Manager window.
  2. Under the Device Manager window, click on the dropdown arrow beside “Keyboards.”
  3. Right-click “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” or “HID Keyboard Device”.
  4. Select “Update Driver” for all instances under the Keyboards menu.

Update Keyboard Drivers Windows 11

Follow these steps to update your keyboard drivers on Windows 11:

  1. Click on the Windows Start Button icon.
  2. Type “Device Manager” in the search bar.
  3. Expand the “Keyboards” list.
  4. Right-click on “HID Keyboard Device”.
  5. Click on “Update Driver”.
  6. In the next window, click on “Search automatically for drivers.”

Uninstall/Reinstall Windows Keyboard Drivers

If updating the current installed keyboard drivers does not fix your unresponsive Alienware laptop keyboard, you can try to uninstall them through the device manager. It will allow Windows to scan and install the appropriate drivers.

Uninstall/Reinstall Windows Keyboard Drivers Windows 10

  1. Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run window. Type in devmgmt.msc to bring up the Device Manager window.
  2. Under the Device Manager window, click on the dropdown arrow beside “Keyboards.”
  3. Right-click “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” or “HID Keyboard Device”.
  4. Select “Uninstall device” for all instances under the Keyboards list.
  5. After uninstalling all keyboard drivers, right-click on “Action” in the Device Manager toolbar.
  6. Select “Scan for hardware changes”.

Uninstall/Reinstall Windows Keyboard Drivers Windows 11

  1. Click on the Windows Start Button icon.
  2. Type “Device Manager” in the search bar.
  3. Expand the “Keyboards” list.
  4. Right-click on all instances of “HID Keyboard Device” or “Standard PS/2 Keyboard”.
  5. Click on “Uninstall device”.
  6. After uninstalling all keyboard drivers, right-click on “Action” in the Device Manager toolbar.
  7. Select “Scan for hardware changes”.

Check Windows Keyboard Settings

Incorrect Windows Keyboard settings can also cause your Alienware laptop’s keyboard to stop working.

One particular setting you should look out for is Filter Keys. Having this feature on will stop repeated presses from registering. You can configure this setting to your liking, but an incorrect setting will introduce problems such as unregistered keypresses. Check if Filter Keys is on and turn it off to see if that solves your keyboard issue.

You can turn off Filter Keys by:

  1. Right-click the Start Menu then select Run.
  2. Type in control.
  3. Navigate to the Ease of Access section.
  4. Select “Change how your keyboard works”
  5. Under the “Make it easier to type section” uncheck the Turn on Filter Keys option.
  6. Click Apply, then click OK.

Update Windows

If you have not updated your Alienware laptop’s copy of Windows in a long while, you might want to look into updating Windows through Windows Update, as this might fix any keyboard problems you are experiencing.

To keep hardware such as your keyboard working optimally, Windows Update will update as many drivers as possible within your version of Windows.

Update Windows on Windows 10

  1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.
  2. Select “Settings”.
  3. Select “Update & Security”.
  4. Click “Check for updates” or “View optional updates”.
  5. If you click on the latter, click on the Driver updates arrow to reveal a list of driver updates.

Update Windows on Windows 11

  1. Click on the Windows Start button.
  2. Click on the “Settings” icon.
  3. In the left menu pane, scroll down to “Windows Update”.
  4. Click on “Resume Updates” to download all available updates for your Windows 11 PC.
  5. Alternatively, you can click on “Advanced Options” and then click “Optional Updates” to get a list of available updates for your Windows PC.
  6. Look for any keyboard-related updates.

Uninstall Bloatware

Proprietary software such as Alienware Command Center can come in handy when personalizing your Alienware laptop’s looks. However, this software can also be considered bloatware and introduce bugs that can cause peripherals, such as your keyboard, to stop working.

Gaming laptops from Alienware typically come with in-house programs or apps that control various laptop features such as keyboard key mapping, mouse key binds, and RGB lighting for both the mouse and keyboard. Try to uninstall these apps to see if that fixes your keyboard problems.

Uninstall Alienware Software on Windows 10

  1. Right-click on the Windows Start button.
  2. Click on “Apps and Features”.
  3. Uninstall the following apps:
    1. Alienware Update
    2. Dell SupportAssist
    3. Dell On Screen Display
    4. Alienware Command Center
    5. Any “Alienware” specific apps
  4. Reboot your computer.

Uninstall Alienware Software on Windows 11

  1. Click on the Windows Start Button
  2. Click on the Settings icon.
  3. Select “Apps”.
  4. Select “Apps & Features”.
  5. Look for the following apps and uninstall them:
    1. Alienware Update
    2. Dell SupportAssist
    3. Dell On Screen Display.
    4. Alienware Command Center
    5. Any “Alienware” specific apps.

Use the Dell Keyboard Firmware Update Utility to Update the Keyboard Firmware

Dell issued a firmware update for Alienware X15 and X17 laptops that fixes the following issues:

  • Fixed the issue where the keyboard stops working during normal use.
  • Fixed the issue where the keyboard stops working after the system resumes from idle.

If your Alienware laptop is experiencing any of the problems listed above, download the Dell Keyboard Firmware Update Utility to update your Alienware keyboard’s firmware to the latest version and fix issues with your Alienware laptop’s keyboard. 

  1. Go to the Dell Keyboard Firmware Update Utility download page.
  2. Enter your Alienware laptop’s service tag to check device compatibility (optional)
  3. Download the Keyboard Firmware Update Utility.
  4. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
  5. Run the downloaded program (Alienware_X15_X17_PerKey_V20.exe)

People Also Asked:

How do I unlock my Alienware keyboard?

To unlock your Alienware keyboard, hold the “Fn” key and tap on any of the F-row keys with a keyboard icon. Alternatively, you can try to press the Fn key and then tap on the Esc button to unlock your Alienware keyboard.

Most Dell laptops (Alienware included) do not feature a dedicated keyboard lock/unlock key like other laptops from other manufacturers. Nevertheless, you can try the method above to unlock your Alienware keyboard.

Do Alienware laptop keys come off?

Yes, you can remove the keyboard keys from Alienware laptops made in 2013 or later. You can also replace their keycaps with replacement key covers.

However, the keycaps found in Alienware laptops before 2021 are not similar to those found in mechanical keyboards. Instead, Alienware laptop keyboard keys feature a chicklet-style key with a plastic key cover.

Alienware laptop keys are not hot-swappable, per se, but you can replace them if you accidentally break one of your keyboard keys on your Alienware laptop.

Read More: [Solved] Lenovo Thinkpad Keyboard Not Working (Here’s The Quick Fix)

Resources:

Keyboard Intermittently Does Not Work on the Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen, R6, x15, and x17 Laptops. (n.d.). Dell. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ph/000191368/keyboard-intermittently-does-not-work-on-the-alienware-m15-r5-ryzen-and-r6-laptops