Author Topic: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM  (Read 733 times)

Offline sling-shot

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Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« on: November 21, 2012, 03:07:25 AM »
My Samsung laptop of less than 6 months has had 2 falls from table height while it was in the laptop bag. 2nd time I saw some misaligned frames which I could correct by pressing the edges.

Since a few days, keyboard goes unresponsive once GRUB loads until I get to the KDM login. From there on it is active again. This can be cured if I remove and replace the battery. Otherwise even a full shutdown does not cure this condition.

[There is also another issue of the touchpad going off now and then. I manage with an external mouse. This is confirmed to happen when in Windows too. Hence not likely to be software related.]
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Offline Just17

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2012, 09:25:00 AM »
Quote
Since a few days, keyboard goes unresponsive once GRUB loads until I get to the KDM login.

Sounds similar to a BIOS setting for the keyboard being set to OS control and not BIOS control.

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Offline sling-shot

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2012, 09:33:06 AM »
Quote
Since a few days, keyboard goes unresponsive once GRUB loads until I get to the KDM login.
Sounds similar to a BIOS setting for the keyboard being set to OS control and not BIOS control.

I generally go through the BIOS during my initial period with any machine and I do not remember having read anything similar to that.
(It looks like the new breed of UEFI BIOS? There is an option for secure boot.)
I will look again keeping this point in mind.

But if that is the case why does this happen sometimes and not some other times? Can any OS change BIOS settings directly?
Packaging well will cure headaches of many :) But learning to package will cause headaches in many :(

AMD AthlonX2 3600+/ASUS M2NPV-VM/ATi HD4670/Onboard sound/3.5GB DDR2-533 RAM/SEAGATE 160+320GB HDD/DELL S2240L FullHD/Creative SBS370 2.1/PCLinuxOS2013/KDE4
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Offline Just17

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2012, 09:42:44 AM »
Quote
Since a few days, keyboard goes unresponsive once GRUB loads until I get to the KDM login.
Sounds similar to a BIOS setting for the keyboard being set to OS control and not BIOS control.

I generally go through the BIOS during my initial period with any machine and I do not remember having read anything similar to that.
(It looks like the new breed of UEFI BIOS? There is an option for secure boot.)
I will look again keeping this point in mind.

But if that is the case why does this happen sometimes and not some other times? Can any OS change BIOS settings directly?

I would not expect the setting to be changed intermittently no.
The OS would not change the BIOS setting either ......  although what access Windows might have on a UEFI system I have no idea.


MLUs rule the roost!

Linux XPS 3.2.18-pclos2.pae.bfs  32 bit
Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q9450 @ 2.66GHz
4 GB RAM
MCP51 High Def Audio
GeForce GTX 550 Ti
PHILIPS  ‎DVD+-RW DVD8701
‎Logitech ‎BT Mini-Receiver
Afatech DTT

Offline sling-shot

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2012, 08:35:11 AM »
Went through the BIOS with a fine toothed comb. There does not appear to be any option related to keyboard there.
Packaging well will cure headaches of many :) But learning to package will cause headaches in many :(

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Offline Just17

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2012, 09:29:21 AM »
...  wondering ......  does it also happen with a live media? ...... it just might be coincidental ....
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Offline sling-shot

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2012, 09:40:20 AM »
It would be almost impossible to ascertain as this happens randomly with a frequency of may be 5 / 100.
I will need to run exclusively from live media for a week or so to be able to conclusively opine regarding this :)
Packaging well will cure headaches of many :) But learning to package will cause headaches in many :(

AMD AthlonX2 3600+/ASUS M2NPV-VM/ATi HD4670/Onboard sound/3.5GB DDR2-533 RAM/SEAGATE 160+320GB HDD/DELL S2240L FullHD/Creative SBS370 2.1/PCLinuxOS2013/KDE4
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Offline Just17

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2012, 10:37:37 AM »
It would be almost impossible to ascertain as this happens randomly with a frequency of may be 5 / 100.
I will need to run exclusively from live media for a week or so to be able to conclusively opine regarding this :)

 :(
MLUs rule the roost!

Linux XPS 3.2.18-pclos2.pae.bfs  32 bit
Intel Core2 Quad CPU Q9450 @ 2.66GHz
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Offline efc321

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2012, 08:48:31 PM »
Some thing simple with the flex cables for the keyboard/touch pad may have been shaken or pulled lose in the falls.  Not a complete disconnect but enough to cause a difference in the amount of electricity it takes to send the signal through.  An IC, resistor, cap, diode, or something else might have been damaged on your motherboard.    

WARRING do not do this unless you are sure you can do it or laptop stops working.
 If this is not one of those unrepairable ultra books I would try to find an diss-assembly guide online.    If you think you are up to it study the guide until you are able to memorize it.  Then disassemble to the point of taking off the palm rest.  Inspect the flex cables, the connectors on the touch pad, and the motherboard.  If it is easily done at this time and you have thermal compound it would be a great time to clean the heat sink fins.   Have come across a  lot of laptops that the air flow is blocked by what looks like felt covering the fan side of the heat sinks. Just be sure to remove all sources of power before doing anything else.  It is also good to ground yourself. WARRING do not do this unless you are sure you can do it or laptop stops working.

 If you find you need to replace parts Ebay is usually the most cost efficient place to find them.  Although as you laptop is newer you may not be able to find many parts on Ebay.  Search by the laptop model number and the individual parts number.   All of my laptops have been bought broken and then fixed by me.  

« Last Edit: December 06, 2012, 08:50:04 PM by efc321 »

Offline sling-shot

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Re: Unresponsive keyboard from GRUB to KDM
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2012, 09:11:18 PM »
Thanks. It is still under warranty and there is no external visible damage. I will just ask in the service centre first. Only thing holding me back is the time they would take - generally 2 weeks or more - and that I may need to recreate all the partitions, customisations done already.

Though I have built my desktop myself, I am not very confident handling the internals of a laptop.
Packaging well will cure headaches of many :) But learning to package will cause headaches in many :(

AMD AthlonX2 3600+/ASUS M2NPV-VM/ATi HD4670/Onboard sound/3.5GB DDR2-533 RAM/SEAGATE 160+320GB HDD/DELL S2240L FullHD/Creative SBS370 2.1/PCLinuxOS2013/KDE4
Samsung NP305U1-A06IN | Nokia E6