Gateway Laptop Model NE56R -- Keyboard Shortcuts Have Stopped Working, How to Fix?

me1004

I have a Gateway laptop, model NE56R, running the latest version of Windows 10. As of last winter, maybe even last fall, when I was running the immediately preceding version of Windows 10, I have not been able to use the keyboard shortcuts -- for things like to copy a file, paste, block out a line, or other. I still can't since updating to the latest spring 2019 Windows 10.

I need help to get these working again. I have tried everything I can think of and find to do in a Google. I went at it for some time earlier this year, until I hit a wall. I'm getting back to it,and have pretty much hit the wall again. 

Is this some setting I have wrong and can't quite find and identify? I have turned off a number of settings for privacy and security reasons. But none seem like they would affect keyboard shortcuts. I have gone through the settings in Settings, through Control Panels, and any place else I can find setting. No help. I don't know if some function key might on and off the keyboard shortcuts, so I tried pressing each one and testing, none of them made any difference.

I checked the drivers for the keyboard, they were fully updated already, even after independently checking at Acer. I deleted the drivers and let them load anew. No help.

Last week I got an application called DriverEasy to check, to see if it could find a better alternative driver for the keyboard. It indicated I already have the most updated drivers, nothing else to offer.

The only "device" I have plugged into the laptop regularly is a USB mouse (I hate trackpads). I tried unplugging that and testing. No help

I started up in Safe mode, and then tried testing. No help, the keyboard shortcuts still did not work.

I don't have an external Windows keyboard I can test with. Still, ALL the keys on the keyboard work fine. If the keyboard works final and all the keys too, then it seems tome the issue must be in software, as all the keyboards does is indicate I have two certain keys pressed, the software does the rest. The keys work. So it must be software.

Hmm, is there some firmware I might load for the keyboard? Where do I get that, how do I do that? If that is so, then would not Windows Update do that automatically?

I need help. You can't appreciate how much you really want and even need the keyboard shortcuts until you don't have them.

JackE

Driver updates can be found at this link. http://www.gateway.com/gw/en/US/content/drivers-downloads

Strongly resist the temptation to change the BIOS firmware hoping to fix it due to the risk of bricking the machine or causing undesirable side effects worse than what you're putting up with now especially if your machine has BIOS, not UEFI, bootstrap.

A little too late now, but when you first noticed this issue, an automatic Win10 restore point probably would've gotten it working again. And you could've temporarily prevented those updates from screwing it up again until a future update fix was available. You can check ControlPanel's restore point app to see if the restore point is still there but by now it's probably been deleted.

Jack E/NJ 

me1004

Thank you, JackE. I have found my issue. After months and lots of time of checking all over everything, I found what was right in front of my face was the issue. And actually, it was another thread here that got me to check it.

The issue is that the Control key on the left is no longer working. I don't know why I thought it was working fine, I have some idea in my head I have used it for other things, but I can't think now of anything but keyboard shortcuts that I would use it for. When I use the Control key on the right, the keyboard shortcuts work fine, but they still won't when I use the key on the left. So that's it.

I never even remember there is a Control key on the right -- but I saw someone mentioning that in another thread here related to this issue, and I thought I should check it see if that Control key on the right will do the shortcuts.

So problem identified. I have now taken the battery out, popped the top off the left Control key, blown it out with canned air, and then put on some electronics alcohol 99%, then blew it out again. Then turned the machine upside down to day that out for a couple days, although it probably is plenty dry just since last night, but will let it dry even drier than dry. Then I will see if that got the key working again -- but probably not.

JackE

Good going. Hope it works out OK. Jack E/NJ