[Barbara W]

Dell Inspiron i3847 running Windows 10.  Recent update on bios.  After restart the Windows screen appeared without a login box and the keyboard was not available.  Rebooted into the system setup and the keyboard works there.  I tried to reinstall the bios with a file from Dell and it tells me it cannot update because the file is the same or older than the current version.

 

I tried my recovery usb stick and it appeared to be running but after 6 hours I stopped it.  I restarted using the recovery and chose the option to recover using the hard drive and it appeared to be running, but did not finish after a similar length of time. 

 

I would appreciate any help you can give me.  The problem may only be that the keyboard is not being enabled, but I have tried 2 keyboards and neither works once it gets to the Windows screen picture.

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Hello Barbara W,

 

The fact that the keyboard works ok in the BIOS but not in Windows suggests one of two things as being the cause, the USB ports are disabled in the BIOS or there is a driver issue within Windows.

 

What I would suggest: 1. make sure that your keyboard is connected to the rear USB port 1 as shown in the attachment below, this because on many Dell computers the USB port 1 is enabled by default, if this does not help go to the second suggestion. 2: restart the computer to access the BIOS, look for an option such as restore default factory settings or load fail safe default settings, when you find it, select the option then press F10 to save and exit then test.

 

As an asides, can I ask why you needed to update the BIOS, were you already having problems, reason that I ask is because updating the BIOS should only be done to fix a known issue or to allow for an upgrade such as a better processor that requires a newer BIOS, the potential for a BIOS update to go wrong and ruin the motherboard altogether when there will be no actual benefit from doing so is just not worth the risk.

 

NB: Just a bit of a rant on my behalf but I so dislike motherboards that do not have PS/2 type keyboard and mouse ports, if by chance you cannot get the USB ports working on a board such as yours they are totally unusable and have to be tossed in the trash 

 

I tried my recovery usb stick and it appeared to be running but after 6 hours I stopped it.  I restarted using the recovery and chose the option to recover using the hard drive and it appeared to be running, but did not finish after a similar length of time. 

 

 

What version of Windows is on the recovery USB stick, if not mistaken your computer shipped with Windows 7 and has been upgraded to Windows 10, any recovery partition on the HDD will be the original OS such as Windows 7 and not Windows 10.

[phillpower2]

Hello Barbara W,

 

The fact that the keyboard works ok in the BIOS but not in Windows suggests one of two things as being the cause, the USB ports are disabled in the BIOS or there is a driver issue within Windows.

 

What I would suggest: 1. make sure that your keyboard is connected to the rear USB port 1 as shown in the attachment below, this because on many Dell computers the USB port 1 is enabled by default, if this does not help go to the second suggestion. 2: restart the computer to access the BIOS, look for an option such as restore default factory settings or load fail safe default settings, when you find it, select the option then press F10 to save and exit then test.

 

As an asides, can I ask why you needed to update the BIOS, were you already having problems, reason that I ask is because updating the BIOS should only be done to fix a known issue or to allow for an upgrade such as a better processor that requires a newer BIOS, the potential for a BIOS update to go wrong and ruin the motherboard altogether when there will be no actual benefit from doing so is just not worth the risk.

 

NB: Just a bit of a rant on my behalf but I so dislike motherboards that do not have PS/2 type keyboard and mouse ports, if by chance you cannot get the USB ports working on a board such as yours they are totally unusable and have to be tossed in the trash 

 

I tried my recovery usb stick and it appeared to be running but after 6 hours I stopped it.  I restarted using the recovery and chose the option to recover using the hard drive and it appeared to be running, but did not finish after a similar length of time. 

 

 

What version of Windows is on the recovery USB stick, if not mistaken your computer shipped with Windows 7 and has been upgraded to Windows 10, any recovery partition on the HDD will be the original OS such as Windows 7 and not Windows 10.

[Barbara W]

Hello phillpower2,

Thank you for addressing my problem.  I moved the keyboard to the rear USB port 1.  I had already accessed the BIOS (but I did it again) and selected the restore to default settings.  I did save and exit.  It proceeded to the Windows login screen, but still didn't have keyboard access.    With a Windows installation tool I attempted to repair Windows, but it could not. So I tried to do a new installation, and it wouldn't let me.

 

The problem first occurred after I received a Dell update on the bios.  I don't think it actually updated, because the BIOS shows A09 as the version number and that appears to have occurred sometime in 2015, although the date in my computer is 01/25/2018.   After running searches for how others fixed theirs, I tried to update the bios with a file I downloaded from the Dell site that was for this computer.   When I attempted to run the installation file it said it was the same or earlier version and it would not update the file. 

 

My computer came loaded with Windows 8 and had a free upgrade to Windows 8.1 and then Windows 10. 

 

Is there anything else I can try, or should I look for another computer?  I don't want to lose my files, but think I can recover them by removing the hard drive and putting it in another computer as a storage drive. 

 

Thank you for trying to help.  I anxiously wait for your advice.

[phillpower2]

With a Windows installation tool I attempted to repair Windows, but it could not. So I tried to do a new installation, and it wouldn't let me.

 

 

I don't want to lose my files, but think I can recover them by removing the hard drive and putting it in another computer as a storage drive. 

 

 

Had you been successful when trying either of the above you risked losing all personal data on the hard drive, to avoid the risk of mishaps please do not try anything not suggested here without checking first.

 

Can I ask what the Windows repair tool was that you tried and what you used when you tried to do the new installation.

 

Is there anything else I can try, or should I look for another computer?

 

 

Too early to be thinking along the lines of a new computer, as mentioned previously the keyboard working in the BIOS suggests that this is a driver issue

 

Will wait on the answers to the two questions above for now but can I additionally ask if you have access to another computer that has an Internet connection, a DVD burner and blank DVD or alternatively a couple of spare of USB thumb drives one of which must have a storage capacity of 8GB or above.

 

The problem first occurred after I received a Dell update on the bios.  I don't think it actually updated, because the BIOS shows A09 as the version number and that appears to have occurred sometime in 2015,

 

 

Thankfully a motherboards BIOS is something that cannot be updated without human intervention.

[Barbara W]

I used the Windows Media Creation tool with a Windows 10 ISO loaded onto a bootable thumb drive.

 

I do have access to a fully functional HP desktop that has an Internet connection and a DVD burner.  I have blank DVDs and two USB thumb drives - one 8 GB and one 32GB.

 

Thank you.

[phillpower2]

You have what is needed for attempting to recover your data but can I ask you to do a quick check for us first, you may even know the answer already but can you restart the computer while tapping the F12 key and check to see if it says UEFI BIOS or not.

[Barbara W]

I do have the boot set to UEFI.  I took a picture of the boot screen in case something has the wrong setting.

I couldn't get the picture to attach, so here are hte other settings:

 

Numlock Key                 [ON]

Secure Boot Control     [Enabled]       

Load Legacy OPROM  [Disabled]

Keyboard Errors           [Report]

USB Boot Support       [Enabled}

Boot Menu Security     [Disabled]

Boot Mode                   [UEFI]

 

1st Boot Device          [UEFI:Windows Boot M...]

2nd Boot Device        [USB Storage Device]

3rd Boot Device         [Internal ODD Devices]

4th Boot Device         [USB Floppy Device]

5th Boot Device         [Onboard NIC Device]

Edited by Barbara W, 05 March 2018 - 01:26 PM.

[phillpower2]

For computers that have UEFI as opposed to legacy BIOS, to be able to boot from your USB device you may need to disable secure boot and change UEFI to CSM Boot, do this then try rebooting with your Windows 10 bootable thumb drive inserted and see what happens.

 

We are hoping to be able to get you to the Advanced Troubleshooting Options where you can try doing a Repair Installation, this would allow you to reinstall Windows without losing all of your personal data but depending on how much data there is to back up you may wish to do this first, let us know and we can post a "how to"  guide for you.

[Barbara W]

I disabled the secure boot control.  When I select boot mode the only 2 options are UEFI and Legacy.

[phillpower2]

Select Legacy please.

 

Going offline soon as I have an early start and it is getting late here in the UK, apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause and will check back tomorrow asap.

[Barbara W]

I changed it to legacy.  I booted using the Windows 10 flash drive and got to the Troubleshoot screen and went to Advanced Options.  I am going to wait until I hear from you at this points.  Thank you!

Edited by Barbara W, 05 March 2018 - 04:45 PM.

[phillpower2]

Apologies for the late reply, been rather busy elsewhere I`m afraid 

 

At the Advanced options you should first try the system restore option to see if there is a system restore point available that is before the issue first happened, please note that this option will only be available if system restore points had previously been enabled on the computer, if the system restore option is not available you should try the Startup Repair option.

 

Post back with an update when ready, any questions let us know.

[Barbara W]

There is no need to apologize.  I understand you have a life.  I had already done the system restore (I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that) before I posted my problem here.  It did the restore, but did not help the problem.  I went in just now and tried the startup repair.  It tells me it cannot repair my PC.

[phillpower2]

Thanks 

 

Next option to try is Reset this PC in Troubleshooting, this option lets you choose to keep or remove your files, and then reinstalls Windows.

[Barbara W]

When I am in the "Choose an option" screen I click on Troubleshoot (Reset your PC or see advanced options).  The next screen (Advanced Options) has System Restore, System Image Recovery, Startup Repair, Command Prompt (for troubleshooting), and Go back to the previous version.

 

On the advanced options screen I can't find anything that says "Reset your PC".

 

I clicked on System Image recovery and It told me "Windows cannot find a system image on this computer."  It tells me to insert backup disk.

 

You mentioned I might could recover my files before I do something that wipes them out.  Am I at that point?  I'm sorry to be so dense, but I'm confused at this point.