Keyboard refuses to work after Windows 10 update

Draobyek · 29 Sep 2020

I know the keyboard works because I've tried it on different computers running Windows 10. It failed immediately after the update. I tried a system restore and it took forever, only to realize later that it restored my PC to before a minor update of a redistributable rather than the major update that broke the keyboard. I didn't feel like doing another system restore if that minor update took that long to revert. Anything else I can try before I buy a new keyboard? I'd rather just buy a new one and see if it works than start messing with system restore again and have to watch what updates to install. The keyboard is pretty old. It's an MS keyboard that might not be officially supported anymore. But again, it works on other fully updated Windows 10 computers and it's worked on this computer for years.

Today, I tried clearing the CMOS on the motherboard. After I did that, I got a screen on boot asking me to press F2 or other keys to get into the BIOS. The keyboard worked. I was able to get into the BIOS and use the arrow keys. I exited the BIOS, got into Windows, downloaded a BIOS update (just something else to try), rebooted, got into the BIOS again using the keyboard, but it failed to find the BIOS update ROM. I believe it failed to read my USB drive because it was exFAT. So I got into Windows again, put the BIOS in another USB drive, but when I tried to get into the BIOS this time, I couldn't. No matter how many times I press the F key it won't go into the BIOS. The OS loads really fast. So I then found out there's a way to load into the BIOS through an option in the Win 10 recovery called UEIF Firmware Settings. Unfortunately, this option is missing for me. The reason is because, for some reason (built the computer myself, didn't know this was a thing to watch for), my BIOS is on legacy mode, not UEFI.

See this picture:
https://www.partitionwizard.com/imag...ndows-10-1.jpg

However, if I choose the command prompt option from the menu in that picture, it will ask me for my Windows login password and the keyboard works perfectly here and on the command prompt (doesn't work on the command prompt if I open it normally from Windows of course). What is going on?

Ghot · 29 Sep 2020

Hello @Draobyek Welcome to TenForums.

I would probably open a command prompt as Admin and type: sfc /scannow
...and let it run. (space between sfc and /scannow)

dalchina · 29 Sep 2020

It could help if you provide the following basic info:

a. Which update you believe stopped your keyboard working
b. Related to that, a screenshot of your Update History (in Settings).
N.B. screenshots are best posted thus:

Keyboard refuses to work after Windows 10 update-screenshot-.png

c. As per the forum prompt when you created your post, your full Windows build number (the prompt is there so we don't have to keep asking for it). E.g. 19041.508
d. What your keyboard is and how it's connected
e. Make/model of your PC or MOBO

Berton · 29 Sep 2020

Keep in mind that the BIOS on the motherboard has Legacy support for USB 2 [usually Enabled by default], the USB 3 ports need drivers loaded when the Operating System loads, just a thing to keep in mind when having hardware issues. Newer boards may have combination ports and/or support.

Megahertz · 29 Sep 2020

Please edit your profile with ALL the hardware specs. It will help us to help you.
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

Is the keyboard a PS2 or USB type?
Does BIOS has a Fast Boot option? Is it enabled?

Draobyek · 29 Sep 2020

Updated my profile. Here's what I put:

Computer type:
PC/Desktop 64 bit
OS:
Windows 10 Pro
CPU:
Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3
Motherboard:
H97M Anniversary
Graphics Card(s):
Radeon 290X
Keyboard:
Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard KC-0405

The current build is (from system info): 10.0.19041 Build 19041 **Edit: 19041.508

Some things I've tried already to save you time:

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /StartComponentCleanup

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

SFC /SCANNOW

I also tried to repair windows though this option:

Keyboard refuses to work after Windows 10 update-reinstall.png

Which I believe reinstalled Windows in place.

I also downloaded an older version of Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center which still explicitly included my keyboard and extracted the drivers for my keyboard from the file and installed them manually. I also copied the driver files from another computer with Win 10, where it does work, and replaced the ones on the computer where it doesn't work. Didn't work. To do this, I had to take ownership of system32 but I did this before the system restore so all is back to normal.

Update history:

For some reason, there's barely any update history on the PC. On my laptop, I can see a long update history. But there's just two items on the PC.

However, I'm pretty sure it's this same update on my laptop (windows 10 Home, not Pro like my desktop) that messed up the keyboard:

Keyboard refuses to work after Windows 10 update-windows-update.png

The only two updates I see in my desktops update history are"

2020-09 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64 (KB4576478)
2020-06 Security Update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64-based Systems (KB4561600)

dalchina · 29 Sep 2020

If you did an in-place upgrade repair install your upgrade history will be typically perhaps 1 CU and maybe something else as you show. I.e. doing that wiped the previous update history, as it should.

19041 is build 2004.

The full Windows build number is (as prompted by the forum when you wrote your first post) given e.g. by
Win key + r, winver or 19041.????

Draobyek · 29 Sep 2020

dalchina said:

If you did an in-place upgrade repair install your upgrade history will be typically perhaps 1 CU and maybe something else as you show. I.e. doing that wiped the previous update history, as it should.

19041 is build 2004.

The full Windows build number is (as prompted by the forum when you wrote your first post) given e.g. by
Win key + r, winver or 19041.????

19041.508

- - - Updated - - -

Nothing?

dalchina · 30 Sep 2020

Please see this discussion on your keyboard: seems to be obsolete.. I suspect you may be aware of this.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...8-84ff90ea6abe

I know the keyboard works because I've tried it on different computers running Windows 10.

- which build of Win 10 were these running?

Nothing?

- well, I for one was asleep last night. It's now early morning.

steve108 · 30 Sep 2020

If you still have c:\windows.old, I wonder if you can fish the old keyboard driver out:
Recovering drivers from windows.old Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums