Laptop keyboard not functioning, not your normal problem

[Comerwebs]

Hey Guys, I'm working with a IBM ThinkPad t42. It came loaded with XP, the keyboard works fine in bios or ubuntu live cd or any other program I place in there that is ran from DOS. When windows loads up the keyboard stops working except it will drop down the file menu if I press F, H it will pop up help. etc. The F1-f12 seems to work as does control alt delete. I uninstalled the drivers, reinstalled the drivers, I formatted and reinstalled windows xp, 3 times. I just finished installing 7 ultimate on it and thought if nothing else I could use the accessibility mode to do the on screen keyboard. Guess what it comes up, but doesn't work. I have also taken the hard drive out, and reseated it, I have taken the battery out and just ran it off of dc power. I am at a complete loss here, The bios settings look good.

Darrel

 

[Kitten Kong]

I have to ask, why if you reinstalled xp 3 times, and that didnt work, you installed win 7 ultimate too?. To me that is just plain crazy. Anyhow, have you tried safemode? If so, did it work ok there?

Also have you tried a external keyboard to see if that works?

 

[shamrin]

Are you getting all the devices loaded properly (in either/both XP and 7)? I've loaded a bunch of Thinkpads and they seem to be quite happy with the standard (MS) keyboard driver but I'm wondering if you're running into some kind of mismatched driver somewhere? I like Darrel's recco to plug in a USB keyboard.

 

[14049752]

Probably just a stuck key. Try this: http://www.passmark.com/products/keytest.htm
If it is, just replace the keyboard and it'll be fine. Pretty typical problem. The only reason it doesn't show in bios or Ubuntu is because the hotkeys aren't the same.

 

[Comerwebs]

I tried windows 7 because of the accessibility screen on the set up screen, my windows xp installs fell short because I was unable to type a name. Yes, I did try an external USB generic dell keyboard, its the same thing. It would not let me into safe mode on xp. Now i copied and pasted my way into 7, heres the weird thing, the keyboard starts working when I load IE. It works in IE but now actual windows. wtf!

 

[Comerwebs]

ok, it works in windows at random, I am taking it apart to check the connections. However it works perfectly in every other OS. Dont know what else to do. I tried the keyboard tester all is well. It reads it on windows. I dont get it

 

[sys-eng]

Some systems ignore holding a key down for multiple entries and others do not. A system that ignores such, will register a single "m" if the "m' key is stuck but a system that does not ignore this will register a continuous flow of the letter "m" and not allow other characters to register.

I am curious if another OS that is working for you registers multiple entries when you hold a key down.

I have come across some real strange behavior in PC's caused by bad keyboards but most have been on desktop systems which are easily diagnosed by switching parts.

 

[crabig]

Ummmm...... just a quick thought. Hook up the external keyboard, and disconnect the built-in.... see if that works. If so, the built in keyboard is probably bad.

 

[cyabro]

Sounds to me like one of the ALT keys is stuck down.
I would also disconnect the built in keyboard and try a USB keyboard.

 

[PRobbo]

This sounds like an unrelated question, but bear with me.

Is the laptop battery holding a charge, or is it dead?

I had a similar problem with an Acer laptop, and I too tried Ubuntu, and reinstalling Windows (which I probably didn't need to do, in view of the solution). Did you try safe mode, and did it work? If it did, you need to go into device manager in safe mode, and disable the battery ACPI drivers. That may do the trick.

Apparently, a dead battery can cause these drivers to generate too many system interrupts, which virtually "shuts out" the keyboard. This explains why it works in BIOS, and Ubuntu, neither of which have Microsofts "quirky" ACPI drivers!