Inactive keyboard

I have a Dell Inspiron 1420 Laptop. When I first turn the computer on the keyboard is active, showing both the number lock and capital locks on. It then goes to the bios protected page where I would enter the password to continue. (Yes I have the password.) At this point only the function keys such as Enter or Escape will work, no letter keys will type and both the number lock and capital lock lights go out. I have tried replacing the keyboard and tried a USB keyboard with the same results. How do I get a keyboard to work so that I can type in the password?

 

Sounds like the keyboard drivers have been corrupted, this could be malware or a virus. Do you have the XP disc so you can do a repair install, that should get your drivers back and then I would do a thorough check for virusses and malware.

 

@markmadras,

Drivers aren't required at the BIOS stage

@dalawr30,

It's possible your USB keyboard won't work until you start windows, are you able to enter the password or is the keypad failing before you can do so?

Can you disable the BIOS password for now to check this, you user guide may give instructions for this.

Alternatively and old trick is to disconnect from mains and remove your primary battery, press and hold the on switch for 30 secs and reconnect the battery.

Let us know if any of this helps.

 

Wildfire, I am a little confused, Dalawr30 stated that he cannot enter his password during boot up. Surely the keyboard drivers need to be in working order to allow the keyboard to be used to enter the password even during boot up.

 

I'm reading it as the BIOS password, before the OS even thinks about bootstrapping (most people don't bother using one as it's easily cleared), the post is ambiguous though hence my request for further information.

EDIT: Just to clarify the Basic Input Output System has routines in ROM for communication between Keyboard/VDU/Printer/Disk etc. No drivers from the Operating System are required (indeed not even available) at this stage.

 

Wildfire,
Thanks for that explanation, I have to admit I have never heard of anyone using a bios password, as it is easily cleared by removing the battery it seems a bit pointless. We live and learn.

Dalawr30,
Once you have cleared your password your computer should boot into windows. Let us know how you get on. Having cleared the password you will need to reset the BIOS to default at next boot up.

Once into windows (please tell us your OS) you should be able to get a keyboard on screen, which you can operate with the mouse, while you sort out the problem. In Win7 it's Start>All Programs>Accessories>Ease of Access>On-Screen Keyboard.

 

Let me try to respond to all the posts, and thank you for your efforts. This is a laptop. I get many of them that have the Bios password and they are not removable by removing the CMOS battery. That works for desktops but not for laptops.(That used to be the case but not anymore. (It is done by finding the ephram (?) chip and shorting it, a long procedure). However it is not the password that is the problem, it is being able to enter it. I am familiar with the power down procedure, (battery out, power unplugged and holding the power button down) and had already tried that. I also have tried the keyboard with and without the hard drive installed. (Sorry for omitting that information to begin with.) I also may be misleading in calling it the bios password. The actual message is: "This computer system is protected by a password authentication system. You cannot access the data on this computer without the correct password." This password is set in Bios hence the reason I called it a Bios password.

The keypad is failing at the beginning stage. The computer goes immediately to the Bios password login and will not allow me to proceed until the password is input. That means I cannot get into bios or the operating system or anything else until I enter the password. However the keyboard goes inactive when it reaches the point of entering the password. Number lock and caps lock will no longer function and the lights for them go out. With the bios password, you do not see any typing going on so you have no clue if it is typing or not. I am assuming that since the lights are going out that the keyboard is going inactive except for the escape key and the enter key. Nothing else seems to work.

I know of no way to disable the bios password on laptops other then what I described above.

Hard drive out would rule out viruses, but even if it were you still have to get by the bios password for "anything" else to work ie optical drive or hard drive, etc.

Hope this gives you the further information you need to help me.

 

From your description dalawr30 I can see no option other than to contact Dell or the people who sold you the laptop. Your description of events sounds like you are entering the password incorrectly.

We cannot assist if this is the case.

From the Posting Rules, particularly

 

How do you assume that I am entering the password incorrectly when it seems to be the keyboard that is not working? If the lights are on to begin with indicating that the caps and numbers are working and I can turn the caps lock on and off and then when it gets to the password enter stage, those don't work, how does that turn into entering the password incorrectly?

 

Your message

But perhaps I'm mistaken, does this appear before or after you press enter?

Either way I can't see how any of us can diagnose and perhaps resolve this issue until that password is cleared, first stop still appears to be Dell.

Perhaps others have some advice?

 

This could be a shot in the dark but I just found this info:

With power off remove the card reader and plug in a PS2 keyboard and boot.

There was no explanation given for why this worked but it may just get you up and running.

 

Hmm, could work if the laptop had PS/2 ports

 

You never know, it may work with a USB keyboard.

Failling this I think the bios is going to have to be reset to clear that password as the first hurdle of the problem, then sort out why the laptops own keyboard is not working.

 

Can you clarify "card reader" ? If you are referring to the memory card reader, that would entail taking the laptop apart to remove it off the motherboard, which I can do, but the directions you give seem much simpler then that.

I have tried a USB keyboard, same exact results. It happens before I press enter.

Assuming that I would have to go to Dell, and that the password was incorrect, I still would not be able to do anything with a new or correct password if the keyboard will not let me enter it, so that is the problem that as I see it needs to be fixed before I can proceed with anything else.

Also Dell will not help you with passwords if you are not the registered owner.

 

Yup, this is a tricky one. I'll keep searching but so far the PS2 keyboard trick is the only thing I have found that may let you enter the password. Without that or a bios reset we have hit a wall.

As you have said you know how to reset the bios that could be your best way forward.

 

No PS2 keyboard connection on this laptop and if I use an adapter I am back at the USB connection again which did not work.

 

If the password was cleared there would be no need to enter anything. Once cleared we can verify if your USB keyboard will work once an operating system is running.

Nope, clearing the password is the first step.

Contact whoever sold you the laptop and ask them for assistance.

 

After a few hours searching for a way round this I have to admit defeat.

All I found was a site with all the methods explained for clearing the password and how to reset Eprom chips.

Other than clutching at straws and removing the card reader to try and see if the USB keyboard will work (you have nothing to loose) I can only agree with Wildfire. Until the bios is cleared of the password your stuck.

 

It was sold to me with a broken screen and the number and address the person left are now no longer good. (Yes I ran the serial number with the local police to see if it was on the stolen list, came up clean) So I have no way to contact the previous owner and he was not the original owner that Dell has on record. That is why I am trying different avenues. I have the correct password according to Dell but it does me no good since I cannot get a keyboard to work to enter it.

 

How would Dell know the password