Keyboard not working

Keyboard not working: a reader asks…

Hi Chris, I need some hints. My Dell all-in-one (XPS 2420) computer has been working just fine for years. All of the sudden my keyboard stopped working. I’m not sure what to do.

If you have the original keyboard that came with your Dell, then it is a wireless keyboard. So the first thing I’d do is check that the little power switch hasn’t been accidentally turned off. That’s the chrome slider switch in the upper-right corner on the face of the keyboard. You should see green when it’s turned on, red when it’s off (the color is part of the slider button itself). If that isn’t the problem, then I’d replace the batteries. Flip the keyboard over, slide the battery cover off, and pop out both batteries. Replace them with two new AA batteries and be sure the batteries are inserted correctly (look in the battery compartment for the + and – symbols and match the direction with the same symbols on the batteries).

If neither of those options work, next you can try re-establishing the wireless connection between the keyboard and computer. After you’ve restarted the computer, look for a small oblong button on the underside of the keyboard – it’s on the right side. Now find the button on the computer that matches – it’s on the backside of the monitor on the left, just behind the power button (which is on the side). Press both buttons, wait about 5 seconds and see if the screen responds to the keyboard (usually just press the Windows key or slide your finger over the mini-touchpad).

Still no luck? Well then, perhaps the keyboard has malfunctioned and it’s time to get a replacement. Certainly you can order an exact replacement from Dell (http://support.dell.com), or buy a used one (such as this one from amazon.com), but really you can just get any wired or wireless keyboard from any office supply or computer store. Your Dell has plenty of USB ports (2 on the left side above the power button and 4 on the backside). Those will take any wired keyboard (that has a USB plug), and any wireless keyboard (that has a small USB transceiver to plug into a port).

If your keyboard is truly dead, then you might want to consider replacing the original mouse as well. You can buy a nice set like the Logitech Mk520 for about $35 (such as from amazon.com). Then you don’t have to worry if your mouse is going to die on you, and the combo will only have one USB transceiver to support both mouse and keyboard. If you bought separate devices, you’d tie up 2 USB ports instead of one.

Lastly, you should consider your computing situation. Your Dell XPS One is probably 5 years old or more. Besides the keyboard and mouse, there are a few moving parts that are subject to wear and tear in a computer and the most critical one is your hard drive. You can breathe new life into your older computer by replacing the original hard drive with a speedy new SSD. I have a handy set of instructions in this article, Speedup My Laptop. And the actual hardware replacement job isn’t overly hard, as long as you can handle a screwdriver. There’s even a nice Youtube video on how to replace the hard drive on your Dell: