DELL XPS 17 L702x Keyboard Keys Problem - "w, 2 & CAPS lock"

Hello everyone,

I received my Dell XPS 17 L702x laptop some months ago (late June-July). It cost over $200 US to ship to me so shipping it back might not be an option (that might cost $400 to receive it back).

Now to explain the problem.

Some keys on my keyboard are giving me problems.

1. The "w", "2" and "caps lock" keys choose to work when they want.
2. Sometimes when pressing the key once, the computer reads it as multiple times (eg. typed "2" once and resulted in "22").
3. I've had issues with my Logitech wireless mouse but that appears to be fixed.

For #3, when right-clicking with the mouse to copy text, it was deselecting automatically. It looked like if it double-clicked to copy then deselect the text. However when clicking a folder icon on my computer, it did not open the folder right away (that's the weird part).

For #1, the problem occurred before but after a while it stopped. Now it's back (with #2 now). I've heard dell xps 17 l702x owners complaining about problem #1 at another forum, I think.

For #2, I tried decreasing the keyboard's speed Via keyboard properties. It was set to the fastest (or almost) and I decreased it by a lot. That did not help the issue however it did slow the keyboard's speed down when backspacing content.

Note: those are the only keys I have encountered problems with. If it was a hardware problem, I would assume the "w" key would have been affected, not "2" or "caps lock" - unless they're connected somehow.

I have Bitdefender Internet Security installed. I ran a full scan and a scan in their operating system and found no viruses. I've heard their detection rate is pretty good.

I first encountered the issue when playing Call of Duty MW3 over Steam (Internet gameplay). The game was purchased Via retail and activated on Steam. I use the "w" key however I do not use the "2" or "caps lock" keys. Hitting the keys by accident is out of the question as well, trust me. My fingers aren't thick and the keys are good size.

Does anyone know what's wrong and what I can do to solve this problem? I've read at forums - [1] people waited a while and the problem fixed itself (however most likely it will return in the future), [2] it was a bios problem, [3] someone gave away a free keyboard but the guy having problems had to pay the shipping bill.

Edited: one more thing I should mention. When holding down the "shift" key and trying to press the "w", "2" or "caps lock" key, it will not work (even if it feels like working by pressing the key alone).

 

Hi Marc_O,

This could be either because of a hardware failure or because of the Operating system. I suggest running a Custom test, using the Dell 32 bit diagnostics on the keyboard will help to identify and isolate the issue. Please use the below link to read the information about how to run the Dell 32 bit diagnostics.

How to Run the Dell 32-bit Diagnostics Utility | Dell

I hope this helps. Please do write back with the diagnostics results.

Thanks and regards
Swapnajan M C
#iworkfordell

 

I did the test.
What I noticed was, the "F1" key also does not work. I've never used the "F1" key on this laptop since I got it.

So in total, the "w", "2", "caps lock" and "F1" keys do not work.
When using the on-screen keyboard to use the "caps lock" key, the light comes on normally on the physical keyboard when caps lock is active.

All other keys work fine.

From the test, there were two categories. The first two passed and the last two failed. I did not know how to call the 'finish' action, so I failed the test because the keys were not lighting up on the screen when pressing them on the built-in physical keyboard on my Dell XPS 17 laptop.

I wanted to save the logs but I did not know how to. And I couldn't access the "help" menu because it required me to press "F1", which does not work.

 

Hi,

Since the Custom test on the Keyboard indicates the failure of few keys, you may consider replacing the keyboard. Please let us know if this system is still in warranty. If you wish to replace the keyboard on your own you may refer to the service manual for the same. Please find the below link to view/download the service manual.

Documentation

I hope this helps. Please do write back in case you need any further assistance.

Thanks & Regards
Swapnajan MC
#iworkfordell

 

I'm not going to waste money on a Dell XPS keyboard and its shipping bill. The laptop is still under warranty but I can't send it back because I'll have to spend a total of $400 to send and receive it. Plus I heard a lot of negative reviews about Dell and people that had issues with XPS machines and sending it back (it took a long time and the people that won in the end were the ones that requested a new XPS computer).

There was a Windows software update and after restarting my PC the keys works once again. Either way, I purchased a non-Dell USB wired keyboard for use if I encountered any problems with keys not working in the future. I think I should have installed a new copy of Windows 7 to eliminate all junk-ware on the PC after receiving it, like what those other forums suggested (maybe there's even a thread at this forum about it).

I still do not understand why when a game is running (for example - Call of Duty MW3) when playing over the Internet, my screen minimizes at random points in time. I encountered that issue on day one after receiving my laptop with only Steam and MW3 downloaded/installed (MW3 is an original game purchased Via retail).