Help...Dell Inspiron 15 3000 troubles. Windows 10. 2017

[rgbecker]

Maybe someone knows about this.

Computer boots. Shows picture with space to enter password. Go to type password. Nothing happens!

Did remove battery, drain remaining power and restart thing...nothing different.

First guess is Keyboard, as touch pad does move courser around, but no key works.

Went to BIOS to load default settings. Keyboard courser control arrow keys work as does ENTER key...so maybe not keyboard.

Placed memory stick with recovery in USB port...lights up...restarted but nothing comes up...just goes to picture with password space...etc.

Am thinking remove hard drive and see if it plays using my USB adapter in my other computer.

Is there a way around the password screen?

Any ideas as to what to try next would be much appreciated.

[FreepFryer]

1. Try booting w another keyboard inserted. Maybe a driver for the internal keyboard is somehow hosed?

[rgbecker]

3. Thanks, tried it with USB keyboard attached. Nothing.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. Yes ... 'another keyboard' is a logical starting point

Borrow one or buy from someplace you can return it.

Does this machine have an old-school PS/2 keyboard input? If so, can you lay your hands on such a keyboard?

If you really want to try full-blown recovery, you have to make sure that the CMOS boot order is USB before the HDD otherwise many boards will go to HDD. Assuming you checked that ... are you sure the USB stick with the 'recovery'... is actually bootable? How did you create this 'recovery' USB?

I would NOT put the HD in an entirely different computer and try to boot from it. You can hook it up in another (working) machine to recover files in a worst case scenario (as a non-boot drive), but I wouldn't move it and try to boot from it.

[rgbecker]

4. Thanks. See above about USB keyboard attempt. Nothing.

Recovery "Disc" made years ago when first got computer as advised by instructions.
Will see if BIOs can be made to look at it first before harddrive.

Was thinking of trying HD with my USB adapter in other computer to get my most needed files off safely.

Thanks for your help.

[rgbecker]

5. Is there a way in/on Windows 10 that a keyboard can be locked up?

Did I inadvertently trigger a keyboard lockup that I could undo using some technique? Maybe something that is for people with disabilities? Saw something about Bitlocker....is this a symptom of that feature????

[usonian]

6. Found this.

There's a forum at Dell with problems just like yours.

https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron/Dell-inspiron-15-3000-series-keyboard-malfunction/td-p/5859446

It might be a good starting point. Has a link to ePSA diagnostics from Dell.