Attachable keyboard not detected

Just got the Dell Latitude 5285 with is a 2in1 detachable. Everything works fine except for some minor issues, but I recognized that on every start up the keyboard is not detected from the start. I have to deduct it first, reattach - then it works.

Any idea how to fix that? Thanks!


Zorin 16 Pro

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I wonder if it's a BIOS issue?

Zorin 16 is based off of Ubuntu 20.04 so I found this whilst searching, albeit a different model it explains how you have to download the update and run in Linux.

https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron/Keyboard-issue-after-switching-from-windows-10-to-Ubuntu-20/td-p/8038706

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Sounds like you have run into the very same issue that I have with my MSI machine, and my Corsair K95 keyboard. Welcome to the club, for which I have no solution for.

There are places online that tell you to run some commands, or edit this, or edit that. None of which I could do, figure out, or make any change to. So, if someone helps you to figure it out, then I will be very interested in that solution, as it may fix my issue as well.


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"The keyboard needed a bios update. This coupled with switching the polling switch to "BIOS" seems to have resolved my issue. Hope this helps anyone else having issues with the K95 RGB model."

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(If you need BIOS update)
Some BIOS can be flashed only in Windows.
I hope yours is not one of those.

My solution for such machine - Acer Aspire BIOS (Insyde H2O) was to install Windows temporarily and flash the BIOS within a 3 days of grace period without activating Windows.

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Now that is work-around! That got a chuckle out of me.

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I followed this advice. Worst mistake I ever made. Yes I was able to add my CKB PPA, for which I didnt realize I did not have on for updating my CKB app. So I updated it fine.

However, I thought to update my keyboard firmware I had to download the firmware ICUE garbage. It was a .MSI file me we heard of it.

I launched it, it started up the damn wine BS I hate. My system lagged and became unresponsive. I for e shutdown.

I then started my computer up, all to find a bunch of files and folders on my desktop that were not there before. I deleted them not realizing that somehow they were not shortcuts.

For some unthinkable reason, they were the actual home folders. How can original home folders and files be on the desktop and not be shortcuts?

I destroyed my OS. My system is destroyed my files are gone, everything is 100% messed up!!! There is no Timeshift, there is no getting files back
Most I can do is initiate a POP OS recovery, which will return my system back to original OS install.

Which I have to do obviously to use my computer in the first place. When I finish doing that, after all these recent losses in my life, I don't feel like getting things back the way they were with my games and everything.

I just can't take this. Life hates me, truly hates me. I'm sending this post from my phone, that's how I'm posting right now. Wished I never started this stupid journey to try and fix a keyboard issue.

Should have left it alone and I'd still have a working OS. But no. I'm so stupid.

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I am sorry to hear :frowning: ... i hope you get your system back up and running again.

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I managed to download latest version of Zorin OS. Burned it to USB drive. Booted off of USB drive. Loaded DISKS to erase SSD drive, kept GPT format.

I installed Zorin OS. I encountered the issue as reported by others where Zorin installer would only display to notebook screen and refused my external displays.

After booting into my new Zorin installation, I also discovered another reported issue. Even though Nvidia drivers were downloaded by installer, none selected.

So when you try to start up Nvidia X Server Settings, you get that little white box cause system had Noveoa driver selected.

I've just finished installing Nvidia 495 driver. Now I need to reboot. God I hope Zorin OS 16 runs good on my machine. I don't want to have to go back to POP.

Additionally, when I'm ready to play games, I'm hoping Zorin will prove to be a winner in that regard too. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I'll wait to do gaming again on Zorin OS LITE.

It's no secret I'm waiting for LITE. I'm sure release is right around the corner. And these days I haven't been in a gaming mood. So I'll just wait to do gaming on LITE.

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OK, last update for this thread. I am now on Zorin OS 16. There were several annoyances that had to be resolved right away, or otherwise I was gonna pull my hair out. Its amazing how far I had to go, just to disable the annoying lid switch.

Literally, all the standard methods that you would suspect would work, do not work. I had to edit a UPOWER configuration, to set ignore lid switch to true.

I can't believe the amount of APPS that do not come already loaded with PRO. Seriously guys, I am going to be honest, were getting a whole lot less APPS in PRO, then we did in previous versions of ULTIMATE.

So that means I have to install a lot of power user APPS, as well as extensions, to get things done that I want to do. Ohhhhhh, how I can't wait for LITE.

Please LITE arrive soon so that you may LITE up my Christmas, and make something good out of this awful year. I will be making my own update thread, as this is what I would consider, a huge change.


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Did you run this .msi installer under Wine by any chance?
The firmware related MS installer must be run on the bare-metal Windows.

Virtual machine (such VMWare or VirtualBox) as well as Wine virtualise hardware and any firmware update is impossible in such environment.

Hence, my workaround I posted above (change wording BIOS with firmware):

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I found the answer for my specific case: It seemed that Dell didn't offer the full drivers for the attachable keyboard. That's why my laptop always started in tablet mode and once the keyboard got reattached the driver restarted and recognised the laptop as a laptop with a physical keyboard.

My only workaround so far is to stop that driver (which doesn't cause any other problems). Specifically it was the driver which automatically activated the digital keyboard in tablet mode. Now I only need to launch the digital keyboard manually once in a while.

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@JoeHardi

I am having the exact same issue. Could you help explain the steps to resolve it? I am was not clear on how to disable the driver?

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