Weird keyboard issues

hi guys I haven't used my Alienware 17 for around a month , anyway I turned it on all seemed okay but it was just stuck on the Alienware logo and not booting into windows , so I tapped a key and it booted , then in windows i then noticed quite a few keys are not working such as backspace , o,s l, 5 on the keypad etc , now I'm living in the Philippines at the moment and there was a slight misting on the laptop it was all cased etc so maybe damp has got in but have left it running for 2 hrs now and still the same problem , the booting issue and the certain keys not working but apart from these issues all else is fine .. please help

 

Also i ran a virus checker , removed keyboard drivers and rebooted still the same and always the same keys not working and even on restart not cold boot still have to press a key for it to boot

 

So no one can help me or give me some idea , has this issue ever happened to anyone else's system ? I have owned Alienware and never had an issue where only certain keys are not working , just to confirm nothing was spilt on it

 

Have you tried a complete power drain (Remove AC adapter, disconnect main and coin cell battery and hold down power button for 30 seconds)

 

Thanks for reply , yes I did try I'm pretty good with Alienware Lappys always stripped down my 18 etc upgraded this one to the 980m but in all the years never had an issue like this for no real apparent reason , I took the rear cover off to see if all looked okay no sign of any moisture , had it running for a while hoping it would heat up enough to maybe dispel any moisture if any , but made no difference just seems weird that only certain keys are affected , was thinking the reason it doesn't boot is because it's looking for the keyboard maybe and when I press any key it then detects it and boots , any other ideas ?

 

The problem with the keyboards is once they get any liquid damage - that's it. They will not get better even if you leave them to completely dry out. New keyboard is the only way to resolve the issue. All the boards can be washed in ultrasonic bath, but not the keyboards due to the way they work. If you suspect moisture got into the keyboard, simply get a new one. Things you could try before spending any money though:
1. Test the keyboard outside Windows - boot into DOS or linux live USB/DVD etc and see if the keys are working fine there. If they are - it's a software issue, which can then be investigated further
2. Connect an external keyboard and see if all the keys are working fine (for the software issues)

I hope you will get it sorted, good luck

 

Thanks so much for time , have stripped it down removed palm rest and reseated all cables etc , but still no go always the same issue and same keys , the other issue is when the keyboard cable is connected I have to tap a key for it to continue , but if I disconnects the keyboard cable it boots up fine , is that a good or bad thing does it point to the keyboard being the issue or a mob problem .. cheers

 

That's a good thing - it points to the keyboard issue for sure.