M17 R1 Uncontrollable Repeated "A" Keystroke

Hi everyone,

I'm new to these forums and this is my first post. I typically don't post in forums because I'm relatively tech-savvy and I know how to use Google (lol). But I am having an issue with my M17 that I simply cannot figure out.

I'm in the process of upgrading my laptop. It is an M17 R1 made in 2008 (PRE-DELL), given to me a few months ago. I recently put in a SSD for Windows, and a few days ago, a friend of mine replaced the stock Intel Core2 Duo processor for an Intel Core2 Quad Q9000. After the CPU got replaced, two strange problems arose. The first is that when I turn on the laptop, it gets stuck at the Alienware logo. It does not get stuck in the sense that I can't boot Windows though, because if I press ESC, Windows will boot normally 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time it will take me to the Windows Boot Manager screen for some reason, and then I select Windows Vista to proceed and everything is fine. This is weird to me because obviously the logo should only appear for a few second before proceeding to Windows. I have checked every startup option possible within Windows.

The second problem is the more annoying and inhibiting one. Since I got the laptop back with the new CPU, from the moment I turn on the laptop, the "a" key will get input repeatedly, as if I am holding it down. The only way this would stop was if I pressed a few random keys on the laptop keyboard. Pressing keys on my USB keyboard does not cause the keystrokes to stop. This problem happens from the moment I hit the power button, because even when I enter BIOS from the logo screen, I can hear the repeated "beeps" indicating that a key is being pressed for too long. After hitting those random keys on the laptop keyboard to get the problem to stop, it would sometimes come back intermittently at random times. I tried the obvious solutions to fix it, going so far as disassembling the laptop, disconnecting the keyboard ribbon cable, and reassembling, only to find that the problem has not gone away. I am now trying to re-install Windows, with the hope that maybe that would help, but I cannot get past any screens that require me to type something in.

Any and all help is appreciated... I feel very defeated at this point. I have the latest BIOS, updates drivers, etc. I tried finding the Vista startup repair tool, but the tool is not included on the Vista Recovery CD supplied with the laptop, and the only ISO image of it I can find costs $20 to download. I have included most specs I can think of below.

Alienware M17 R1 (Pre-Dell)
Windows Vista Home Premium SP2
AMD Mobility Radeon 3870 X2
Intel Core2 Quad Q9000
Eluktro 120 GB SSD (Primary)
Seagate Momentus 7200 HDD (Secondary)
AOC 12367 External LCD Monitor / USB Keyboard
Cooler Master U3 Cooling Pad (via USB)
BIOS B14

 

In case it matters, the BIOS clock seems to keep displaying the wrong time. Managed to plug the keyboard back in to the laptop, and was able to boot from that $20 Vista repair DVD. Didn't work. Reinstalling the OS also didn't work, nor did re-installing the CPU. Gonna try to pull the CMOS and see if that has any effect.

 

You need a new keyboard. That's probably causing all of the problems you are experiencing, including being stuck at the Alienware logo. You can likely find a keyboard for your system on eBay for $20 or less.