[SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

aksilarch · 2021-09-15 20:08:05

hi o/, i am using an old machine that has legacy bios and currently dual-booting archlinux w/ windows 7 (mbr/bios). the laptop's keyboard seems to be dead before entering os, i can't access the bios with it's respective key as it simply doesn't work, i cannot scroll or use any other key in the grub aswell. i have to press "p" to go up or "n" to go down in order to select an operating system, the "enter" key works.

once inside the operating system, the laptop keyboard seems to be working just fine.

note: i can use an external keyboard normally, there seems to be a problem only when using the laptop's keyboard.

i'd really appreciate the help, this problem is very frustrating.

Last edited by aksilarch (2021-11-19 00:26:15)

seth · 2021-09-15 21:37:03

Does the BIOS have a setting for either USB legacy device support or xhci hand-off ?

aksilarch · 2021-09-15 21:56:34

seth wrote:

Does the BIOS have a setting for either USB legacy device support or xhci hand-off ?

i already checked, it doesn't have that option unfortunately, could it be a hardware problem as in keyboard/mb? keep in mind that the keyboard works fine inside the operating system (except maybe the left ctrl key, it doesn't work)

seth · 2021-09-16 06:48:44

could it be a hardware problem as in keyboard/mb? keep in mind that the keyboard works fine

…

You could try to disable fast boot in the BIOS - what model is this specifically?

aksilarch · 2021-09-16 09:17:00

…
You could try to disable fast boot in the BIOS - what model is this specifically?

that setting is not present on the bios aswell and it's a hp g62 notebook.

seth · 2021-09-16 11:50:51

There'd be this voodoo solution: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook- … ue#M471972
(I assume it's gonna perform some sort of HW reset of the BIOS, so changes to the BIOS settings might get lost)

aksilarch · 2021-09-16 12:27:23

seth wrote:

There'd be this voodoo solution: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook- … ue#M471972
(I assume it's gonna perform some sort of HW reset of the BIOS, so changes to the BIOS settings might get lost)

i have already done that. there is also another way to reset bios for hp, "win key + b + power button" and release, the screen flashes and shows a bios reset prompt, didn't change anything unfortunately, same issue.

the day the keyboard started messing around like this was when i spilled coffee on the keyboard but the keyboard works just fine inside the operating system (except the left ctrl key as far as i know).

seth · 2021-09-16 12:42:31

the day the keyboard started messing around like this was when i spilled coffee on the keyboard

…

The BIOS test for the keyboard will likely fail where the OS drivers simply assume its presence. For that kind of incidence in direct relation to the situation: yeah, there's some sort of HW damage.

aksilarch · 2021-09-16 13:48:48

seth wrote:

the day the keyboard started messing around like this was when i spilled coffee on the keyboard
…
The BIOS test for the keyboard will likely fail where the OS drivers simply assume its presence. For that kind of incidence in direct relation to the situation: yeah, there's some sort of HW damage.

figured as much. at some point i thought it had to do something with the dual booting (made multiple clean installs and used a different grub), same thing. since an external keyboard worked, i can only assume it's the laptop's keyboard that's somehow damaged (hopefully not the mb), i'll update this post once i know for sure (maybe i'll try to find a spare part). thanks for all your replies though.

aksilarch · 2021-11-19 00:25:31

Marking this thread as solved.

Replaced the laptop's keyboard with a spare part.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-09-15 20:08:05

[SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#2 2021-09-15 21:37:03

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#3 2021-09-15 21:56:34

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#4 2021-09-16 06:48:44

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#5 2021-09-16 09:17:00

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#6 2021-09-16 11:50:51

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#7 2021-09-16 12:27:23

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#8 2021-09-16 12:42:31

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#9 2021-09-16 13:48:48

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

#10 2021-11-19 00:25:31

Re: [SOLVED] unable to use the keyboard before accessing os (bios+grub)

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