This laptop may actually be haunted and/or cursed

[Farden]

I work in IT and I'm a bit stumped - as title suggests, I have an EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 that was handed back to IT by a user who was complaining that the keyboard wasnt working correctly. I booted it up and yup, the return key, and some letter keys werent working (USB keyboards work fine). I took it apart and checked the connections, they look solid enough but I did see some shmoo on the back of the battery that suggests possible water damage? To be clear, I found zero evidence of this on the mobo, or any daughter board. Figured it must be the keyboard thats faulty so I ordered a new one, after it arrived I installed it only to find the problem persisted. I reinstalled Windows just to be sure and again, problem persists. The next logical step is a new main board but having got an eye watering quote from our supplier (I could have bought a new, more modern laptop kind of money....) the laptop was placed in my desk drawer and promptly forgotten about.

Fast forward a few months and we're clearing out the server room and scrapping some old crap and the boss mentioned this laptop and that given the cost to repair, we might as well scrap it despite there being absolutely nothing wrong with it (despite the keyboard ofc). Figuring I could make a quick buck with an ebay replacement mobo, I redirected it from the WEEE bin to the boot of my car. I managed to find a cheap second hand mobo which arrived today, I've taken the whole thing apart, installed the new motherboard and yeah, keyboard still doesn't work!

Replacing the motherboard and previously, they keyboard means that everything that connects the laptop to the keyboard has been replaced, as has the OS.

Anyone got any idea wtaf is going on here? Am I missing something blindingly obvious?

[Biohazard777]

8 minutes ago, Farden said:

Am I missing something blindingly obvious?

Maybe...

9 minutes ago, Farden said:

I managed to find a cheap second hand mobo which arrived today,

Hmm, why was it cheap? Maybe it has the same bad connector for KB as your old one hah.
That is the problem with buying used replacement parts, you just can't know if it has the same issues as the part you are replacing.

Seriously though I'd take a closer look at that KB connector.

[Farden]

4 hours ago, Biohazard777 said:

Maybe...

Hmm, why was it cheap? Maybe it has the same bad connector for KB as your old one hah.
That is the problem with buying used replacement parts, you just can't know if it has the same issues as the part you are replacing.

Seriously though I'd take a closer look at that KB connector.

I guess it would be fairer to call it reasonably priced. Chances of both motherboards having KB ribbon connectors with the same pins damaged causing the same keys to fail seems.... improbable 

[Farden]

Oh I should add I've updated the BIOS

[Biohazard777]

12 hours ago, Farden said:

Chances of both motherboards having KB ribbon connectors with the same pins damaged causing the same keys to fail seems.... improbable 

I know, but other than a seriously pretty weird driver issue the only other conclusion is a manufacturing problem that affects the entire line (or at least a lot of batches that were produced).
Have you tried using the non-responding keys in BIOS? Also something you could easily test is to run a live Linux image and check if the problem is there as well. (if it works there, then it is a Win driver problem).

[Farden]

6 hours ago, Biohazard777 said:

I know, but other than a seriously pretty weird driver issue the only other conclusion is a manufacturing problem that affects the entire line (or at least a lot of batches that were produced).
Have you tried using the non-responding keys in BIOS? Also something you could easily test is to run a live Linux image and check if the problem is there as well. (if it works there, then it is a Win driver problem).

Can't find any mention online of any known defects with this laptop that relate to the keyboard.

Windows has been wiped, the m.2 formatted, windows reinstalled, drivers installed from HP Support Assist and some it missed from the HP website

When I can actually get it to load into BIOS menus, the enter key still doesnt work.

Loaded Ubuntu using a live image and all the same keys are still not working

 

At this point the only reasonably solution I can come up with is that this laptop is actually haunted.

 

Side note, not fired up ubuntu in a few years, the UI is looking really nice these days.