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Spacebar, Return key and more not working

RiseAbove4

Hopefully I have the right subforum, if not please move

Any help appreciated on the below guys

To start; I’ve had a “please download Windows Updates” blue screen on load up now for ages, maybe 18 months at least. I can’t do this as they’re 8Gb in size and the laptop has only 32 Gb in total.

No matter how much I try to delete I can’t free up the space needed for this update. It’ll be the last time I buy any laptop with this small a C Drive as the size of OS software updates are huge these days

I’m saying this part upfront in case it’s the cause of this keyboard problem

___________________

A few months back the main function keys stopped working on my HP budget laptop. So far I’ve tried:

- uninstalling the keyboards drivers and letting them automatically reinstalling on reboot

- installing Driver Easy and even upgrading to premium to install any drivers I needed to update faster

Neither have worked and I’m not sure what to try now.

No water etc has been spilled on it and it’s all function keys that aren’t working, including;

Spacebar
Return key
Backspace
# key
Home key
Delete key

Basically Spacebar and all Function keys on the right side of the keyboard aren’t working

I’ve been working around it by using the on screen keyboard but in light of recent events I’ll need the laptop a lot more and need it fully working

Thoughts?

Thanks

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Ten Pin

Have you got an external keyboard to check if it's a hardware or software problem?

smuggler.ie

Will skip all sarcasm notes.... you know it ready

Blue screen has error message/code - what is it/are they?
Have you tried USB keyboard?

Consider backing up data and do clean install of latest Win

RiseAbove4

Ten Pin wrote: »

Have you got an external keyboard to check if it's a hardware or software problem?

Not yet but will order one online later if cheap enough

Cheers

RiseAbove4

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Will skip all sarcasm notes.... you know it ready

Blue screen has error message/code - what is it/are they?
Have you tried USB keyboard?

Consider backing up data and do clean install of latest Win

Hi. What’s the sarcasm bit? I’m confused:-)

I meant that the load up screen asking to download the updates is blue. It’s not “blue screen of death” blue

Will try source a cheap USB keyboard, ta

A clean instal will be so messy as it means losing software I don’t have access to anymore. It’ll be a messy days work and so definitely a last resort

Thanks

smuggler.ie

RiseAbove4 wrote: »

Hi. What’s the sarcasm bit? I’m confused:-)

I meant that the load up screen asking to download the updates is blue. It’s not “blue screen of death” blue

Will try source a cheap USB keyboard, ta

A clean instal will be so messy as it means losing software I don’t have access to anymore. It’ll be a messy days work and so definitely a last resort

Thanks

Re sarcasm, i was going to skip, but you asked...:D
....smart phones have more storage than you "laptop".
You not first person failed for lower price device without knowledge/attention it will fire back when you will come to Win updates, not to talk about storage, so...

If you share make/model - might be there is option to upgrade your device storage, potentially even without loosing software...

Amazon/eBay will get you some cheap keyboard for €10-15.

Looking at current situation i wont advise you to knock on your neighbors door and ask if they have one to lend for testing...

RiseAbove4

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Re sarcasm, i was going to skip, but you asked...:D
....smart phones have more storage than you "laptop".
You not first person failed for lower price device without knowledge/attention it will fire back when you will come to Win updates, not to talk about storage, so...

If you share make/model - might be there is option to upgrade your device storage, potentially even without loosing software...

Amazon/eBay will get you some cheap keyboard for €10-15.

Looking at current situation i wont advise you to knock on your neighbors door and ask if they have one to lend for testing...

Hi

Well I did ask lol

Yes I agree it’s a tiny amount of memory these days but it wasn’t when I bought it. Those Windows Updates are getting ridiculously big eh?

It’s this one https://www.amazon.com/HP-Stream-Laptop-PC-14-ax010nr/dp/B01JLCKP34 ... any thoughts?

I didn’t know USB keyboards were that cheap. If all else fails I’ll try online and choose speedy delivery on one

Thanks again

FanadMan

RiseAbove4 wrote: »

Hi

Well I did ask lol

Yes I agree it’s a tiny amount of memory these days but it wasn’t when I bought it. Those Windows Updates are getting ridiculously big eh?

It’s this one https://www.amazon.com/HP-Stream-Laptop-PC-14-ax010nr/dp/B01JLCKP34 ... any thoughts?

I didn’t know USB keyboards were that cheap. If all else fails I’ll try online and choose speedy delivery on one

Thanks again

If you are adventurous, you could get a cheapo keyboard in PC World for €8
https://www.currys.ie/ieen/computing-accessories/computer-accessories/mice-and-keyboards/keyboards/advent-k112-keyboard-black-13828361-pdt.html

smuggler.ie

RiseAbove4 wrote: »

It’s this one https://www.amazon.com/HP-Stream-Laptop-PC-14-ax010nr/dp/B01JLCKP34 ... any thoughts?

Nah, as suspected, eMMC - soldered on chip, does not appear to have SATA interface, no easy way to upgrade ....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwIWf8u4biY

What sort of software you afraid to loose, if don't mind me asking?

com1

When you are getting the keyboard perhaps pickup a usb memory stick, you could download your updates to that or move other files to it from your hd to clear space

I would suspect the laptop keyboard is a hardware issue - did you spill anything on it crumbs even? Might be stuff stuck under the keys

tanit

If you manage to sort out the keyboard issue and you still want to keep the laptop I would recommend you change operating system and move to Linux. Windows is becoming a big operating system and having so little space is not going to make it possible to run properly.

Best Linux distros for 2020 for beginners and advanced users

If you are still looking for something small than anything in the list above go for something in this list, my recommendation would be Puppy Linux it has had great reviews for years, if not at least a decade.

The 8 Smallest Linux Distros That Are Lightweight and Need Almost No Space

For any in those lists you would have all the basics for a very functional computer, you would really need to be doing more than usual study, home use as even work stuff can be done on them without issues (so long as you don´t use specific windows applications that cannot be installed in Linux or have no equivalent).

If you are still in need of using windows check if you can check the hard drive or increase RAM (changing RAM if possible can be done by anyone that can use a screwdriver if the specs allow it)

ED E

tanit wrote: »

If you manage to sort out the keyboard issue and you still want to keep the laptop I would recommend you change operating system and move to Linux.

Windows or linux, that box will always be sh1t. The Apollo guidance computer would best it.

RiseAbove4

I’ve plugged in a USB keyboard I forgot I had and it’s working fine. Spacebar etc all working on the external keyboard. So it’s solely a physical hardware issue now I think?

In this case would even a clean re-install fix it? It’ll be messy as I’ll have to find software I no longer have access to again. Maybe via torrent

Side question: the Driver Easy software I installed to try fix this automatically made a Restore Point every time it loaded without deleting the previous one, about 700 Mb each time. About 2Gb in total

Where can I delete these to free up space and leave just one of them?

When I search “restore point” nothing is showing. Same when I go into the Driver Easy folder

I’ll delete all except one of them, leaving a Restore Point just in case

Thanks

smuggler.ie

Control Panel>> search system protection

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-remove-restore-points/9e4537b0-8f1a-454d-9fca-235f592a9d5d

And get rid of that bloatware ( Driver Easy) anyway...

RiseAbove4

smuggler.ie wrote: »

Control Panel>> search system protection

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-remove-restore-points/9e4537b0-8f1a-454d-9fca-235f592a9d5d

And get rid of that bloatware ( Driver Easy) anyway...

Thanks. All Restore Points deleted

There’s 800 Mb free and still 27Gb used. I’ve looked and can’t figure out where it’s all been used

Is there any software you’d recommend to help cleanup a hard drive?

Avast Cleanup maybe?

smuggler.ie

RiseAbove4 wrote: »

Thanks. All Restore Points deleted

There’s 800 Mb free and still 27Gb used. I’ve looked and can’t figure out where it’s all been used

Is there any software you’d recommend to help cleanup a hard drive?

Avast Cleanup maybe?

Folder Sizes or similar

smuggler.ie

I dont think you will get enough free space for updates to go.
What version of Win10 you have - suspect 1809 if not earlier, hence you computer pulling in v1903 or v1909 and its big

As mentioned before, consider clean install of v1909 - you might last for another 9-12 months
optional, but not recommended - clean up as much you can and don't shutdown/restart you device ever, other-way you update process will go in the loop failing/rolling back

Skerries

it looks like it's a physical problem with the keyboard
so it could just be the cable is loose but most likely is knackered
reinstalling Windows won't help that
you could buy a new keyboard on ebay but I would look to getting a new laptop and declare that one a dead duck

smuggler.ie

Skerries wrote: »

it looks like it's a physical problem with the keyboard
so it could just be the cable is loose but most likely is knackered
reinstalling Windows won't help that
you could buy a new keyboard on ebay but I would look to getting a new laptop and declare that one a dead duck

I think OP already realize that, outstanding is free space issue....