ASUS GL703GS keyboard and led issue after Hibernation or Shutdown

The issue:
all of a sudden on 16 March 2020 I noticed that when I resume from Hibernation, the keyboard leds won't turn on, but keyboard still works and I can restore leds with ROG AURA Core... but at this point with led off after Hibernation, if I reboot the keyboard will totally stop working except Mousepad and Power button (it also keeps led turned off)! This persists even at BIOS and on next reboots!! Keyboard not working except mousepad and power button all the time.
To restore leds and keyboard I have to: Shutdown, unplug PSU, and press multiple times Power button...

I'm afraid it is a Windows 10 1909 issue after recent updates + ASUS software conflict of some kind. I tried to uninstall recent ones (got updates on 7, 11, 14 of March) but didn't help. Have no idea why this happened and hope someone has had similar issues and has a solution because ATM I can't use Sleep and Hibernation reliably anymore

I tried also to disable ROG Armoury II (I use for Carry Strix mouse) and ledcontrolservice3 but didn't help:


These are my (left) Win updates:


To recap:
Hibernation or Shutdown now make keyboard leds turn off "forever" even with next reboots. When leds are off only mousepad and power button do work.
To wake up keyboard (and its led, have no idea why they seem connected now) at this point I have to:
- enter Hibernation or Shutdown with power cable
- unplug cable and press Power button to resume laptop using battery: this will wake up leds and keyboard will work fine.

No idea why...

Gaming Laptop ASUS GL703GS (BIOS 310)
CPU i7-8750H (iGPU unavailable)
GTX 1070 8GB (non-Max-Q, 10DE 1BE1 - 1043 1011, GP104 A1, vbios 86.04.7c.00.24, Samsung VRAM)
Windows 10 Pro 1909
Desktop res: 1080p (1920x1080)
Screen: 144Hz + g-sync AUO B173HAN03.2 [AUO329D]
Audio: Realtek HD Audio (ALC295 chipset)
Hard disks: NVMe Samsung, SSD Crucial
USB Blu-Ray 4K drive: Archgon Star MD-8102P-U3YC-UHDB (Pioneer BDR-UD04)

 

Tried to reinstall all ROG Aura Core software but didn't help...

I've found also old ROG Aura Core Component 1.0.14 on https://ivanrf.com/en/latest-asus-drivers-for-windows-10/ and tried to reinstall everything from scratch (Aura Core from MS Store, Aura Core Component 1.0.14, Aura Service* 3.03.38 hotfix). I've also tested without Aura Core Component as suggested on https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1036500/

*Aura Service == LightingService

Nothing changed for me, still problems...

 

Feedback from other users with GL703GS?

 

Are you already running latest BIOS?

 

Yes as you can read above in my cfg: 310.

 

Hi, I'm facing the same issue, I can't get my keyboard and backlight to work, tried the hybernation, shutting down with and without PSU, also tried downgrading windows updates.
Mousepad and power button (without backlight) only work.

 

Yep, those are the symptoms. Try more than once to temporarily resume keyboard:
a. put in Hibernation while in AC mode
b. unplug power-cord ( = put in DC battery mode)
c. wait a few secs and resume with Power button while in battery mode
repeat a,b,c if doesn't work on first try.

I'm afraid this is an ASUS vs Microsoft issue of some kind and not a HW failure (keyboard would be completely dead). Hope to see it fixed with some ASUS or MS bigger updates soon...

 

So, windows update just came up.. But before that - I've set my batery on FC mode, then hibernated and left pc with power-cord plugged, plugged out after roughly between 15sec first time, then followed a bit longer and lastly - 2min... followed what was instructed, with no success, so, I gave up and left pc hibernated with power-cord plugged in for a couple days. Today, opened my laptop, took out power-cord, pressed power button... and everything lit up. Dunno if it's temporary till next turn off and I don't want to try.
c:

 

As I said, you have to repeat A, B, C if doesn't work first time. Don't give up, it's not a HW fault IMHO.
This is a temp workaround of course. We need a real software/BIOS fix from ASUS & Microsoft!

 

@Drewbido0
did you try a BIOS reflash or maybe a BIOS reset (someone suggested to try with Power button pressed for 30secs)? I can't do these experiments on my GL703GS ATM since I'm using it for work too...

 

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm about to, because my kb switched off again when it went to sleep while I was AFK for whole day... sadly. Repeating steps didn't help, kb refuses to light up

p.s. When I power up my pc, the bios doesn't show up anymore, unless it is normal?

 

If keyboard is "disabled" only Power button and mousepad are working, hence it's normal you can't access BIOS with F2 or ESC... Those keys are not working till your keyboard is asleep.
Try again and again the above procedure to wake up keyboard (disable hibernation, and use just sleep mode to temporarily workaround the issue. Don't shutdown)...

 

I didn't mean I can't access it if I tried, I meant that the icon from BIOS doesn't show up anymore.

P. S. The steps above mention hibernation, now all of a sudden you're telling me to do the opposite of your instructions provided. To actually disable hibernation and instead repeat the steps with sleep option.

 

Bios not coming up might be because you left Windows 10 1909's Fast Startup ON (I always disable it)...

No no, the advice to remove hibernation or shutdown is a workaround to avoid what happened to you: since this bug happens only in those cases I've disabled hibernation ATM and my PC falls in ethernal Sleep mode. Since I use it mainly as a desktop replacement I don't use hibernation and shutdown anymore, to avoid the annoying procedure above to resume keyboard every time after further shutdown or hibernation. In brief: once you resume keyboard, just don't let it go in hibernation or shutdown as much as you can. That's what I meant...
Of course it's just a temp workaround since I NEED this pc for work and thanks to COVID19 everyhing is closed here, including ASUS repair centers...

 

Alrighty then, we've sorted our misunderstanding, thank you for your patience.

I'll try the steps above again, differently this time. xD
And I also did the same, tried to avoid letting laptop go to sleep or shut down - unsuccessfully.

 

FYI: just had the same problem! Tonight I entered BIOS and exited with ESC key (Do you want to leave? Yes/No)... Since then I wasn't able to wake up the keyboard anymore with my procedure (tried at least 20 times)!

Luckily enough this morning with fresh PC and battery at 80% it worked: unplugged power-cord and pressed Power button and the keyboard lighted up and resumed as usual from Shutdown! Phew...
I wonder if heat is also involved at this point: defective keyboard cable? ...Nonsense though a HW issue because it would be totally random and intermittent or permanent issue... Instead there's that procedure to press Power button on battery mode to wake it up (working most of the times) that looks like a BIOS/UEFI <-> ASUS+WIN issue to me...

Let me know how it goes for you in case you try reflash or BIOS "reset"....

P.S.
As a temp workaround the best thing to do is probably NOT removing hibernation, but disable it in power-saving plan so that Sleep will be the only option on idle:
(Hibernation: Never, Never)

 

News anyone?

 

4th RMA ASUS!

 

I finally sent my GL703GS in RMA and they said they "upgraded keyboard firmware with NKey" and this fixed keyboard once and for all. Now I've got my PC back and keyboard is actually working fine again, always, as expected. Resumed also backup I used when I still had the issue and works perfectly fine ( = it wasn't a software/driver issue or so in my system image. Keyboard was permanently dead even booting Ubuntu from pen-drive or from BIOS...).
The bad thing is:
there is no official NKey keyboard firmware update tool for GL703GS on the official drivers' page or anywhere else for a DIY...

 

I asked for official tool + fw to ASUS but this was their lame reply:

«The firmware and tool were not simple .exe file for users to install, they are for factory to flash into laptop, so it can not be released.»

Since this is a random issue that might still happen again, I don't think it's serious to NOT release this tool from the official drivers page for GL703GS for expert users.
That's ASUS (bad) choice, offering poor customers support. They should really provide an official end-user keyboard fw tool (+ firmware itself) for emergency cases like this.

 

Hi. I have the exact same problem. So basically the only way to fix it is to update the keyboard firmware, which is not possible?

 

That's what ASUS told me: they can't distribute (at least not ATM) the factory keyboard firmware re-flash tool + fw... So yes, you basically have to start an RMA and send them your PC for repair

 

hey, so I emailed RMA, told them what's wrong, they sent me this (ASUSKeyboardHotkeysDriver_ASUS_CFL_W10_64_V2030), because I couldn't send my laptop for RMA anytime soon of my circumstances. These might be what we need?

 

LOL
No, the numpad or Hotkeys driver (?) are not the culprits. Don't use it on GL703GS (leave numpad driver as generic Hid Device, and hotkeys have always worked fine for me).
The problem seems with keyboard firmware and stupid LED microcode that randomly gets corrupt killing keyboard.

EDIT: your file looks like this one https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/K...ey-Driver-2-0-3-0-for-Windows-10-64-bit.shtml
and WON'T FIX dead keyboard issues after Hibernation and Shutdown.

Notice that Hotkeys are just those special Fn keys like Fn+F5 to change fan mode... so it's clear ASUS support didn't understand the issue.