Shift key nolonger works

Issues & Assistance Unsupported hardware | Dual boot
1

I don't know why this is happening but the shift key no longer works, if I use it to type a capital letter, nothing is printed, and same goes for special characters. I've resorted to using caps lock to type my capital letters but it's very inconvenient.

garuda-inxi

System:
  Kernel: 5.19.13-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=5411b7ff-d53c-4780-9b50-82a7b4183826 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0 loglevel=3
    ibt=off
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.25.5 tk: Qt v: 5.15.6 info: latte-dock
    wm: kwin_x11 vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Acer product: Nitro AN515-57 v: V1.17
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: TGL model: Scala_TLS v: V1.17 serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: Insyde v: 1.17 date: 06/02/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 12.8 Wh (23.2%) condition: 55.1/57.5 Wh (95.8%)
    volts: 14.6 min: 15.4 model: LGC AP18E8M type: Li-ion serial: <filter>
    status: discharging cycles: 77
CPU:
  Info: model: 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Tiger Lake gen: core 11 level: v4 built: 2020 process: Intel 10nm
    family: 6 model-id: 0x8D (141) stepping: 1 microcode: 0x40
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 8 tpc: 2 threads: 16 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 640 KiB desc: d-8x48 KiB; i-8x32 KiB L2: 10 MiB desc: 8x1.2 MiB
    L3: 24 MiB desc: 1x24 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2048 high: 2300 min/max: 800/4600 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave cores: 1: 901 2: 2300 3: 2300
    4: 2300 5: 2300 6: 2300 7: 1100 8: 873 9: 2300 10: 2300 11: 2300 12: 2300
    13: 2300 14: 2300 15: 2300 16: 2300 bogomips: 73728
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB
    filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel TigerLake-H GT1 [UHD Graphics] vendor: Acer Incorporated
    ALI driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-12.1 process: Intel 10nm
    built: 2020-21 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1,DP-2 bus-ID: 0000:00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:9a60 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA GA107M [GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile] vendor: Acer
    Incorporated ALI driver: nvidia v: 515.76 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm
    non-free: 515.xx+ status: current (as of 2022-08) arch: Ampere
    code: GAxxx process: TSMC n7 (7nm) built: 2020-22 bus-ID: 0000:01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:25a2 class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: Quanta HD User Facing type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 3-9:3
    chip-ID: 0408:a061 class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.4 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.3
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: intel,nvidia
    unloaded: modesetting,nouveau,vesa alternate: fbdev,nv gpu: i915
    display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22")
    s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 mapped: eDP1 model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1521 built: 2020
    res: 1920x1080 hz: 144 dpi: 143 gamma: 1.2 size: 340x190mm (13.39x7.48")
    diag: 394mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (TGL GT1) v: 4.6 Mesa 22.1.7
    direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-H HD Audio vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl
    bus-ID: 0000:00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:43c8 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel bus-ID: 0000:01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:2291 class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.19.13-zen1-1-zen running: yes
  Sound Server-2: sndio v: N/A running: no
  Sound Server-3: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
  Sound Server-4: PipeWire v: 0.3.59 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake PCH CNVi WiFi vendor: Rivet Networks
    driver: iwlwifi v: kernel bus-ID: 0000:00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:43f0
    class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: r8169 v: kernel
    port: 3000 bus-ID: 0000:2c:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:2600 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp44s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 3-14:4 chip-ID: 8087:0026 class-ID: e001
  Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 3 state: up address: <filter>
RAID:
  Hardware-1: Intel Volume Management Device NVMe RAID Controller driver: vmd
    v: 0.6 port: N/A bus-ID: 0000:00:0e.0 chip-ID: 8086:9a0b rev:
    class-ID: 0104
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 2.29 TiB used: 289.3 GiB (12.4%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: SK Hynix model: HFM512GD3JX016N
    size: 476.94 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B
    speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 41020C20
    temp: 36.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 870 QVO 2TB
    size: 1.82 TiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 2B6Q scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 297.4 GiB size: 297.4 GiB (100.00%) used: 289.25 GiB
    (97.3%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 maj-min: 259:4
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 100 MiB size: 96 MiB (96.00%) used: 50.6 MiB
    (52.7%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 297.4 GiB size: 297.4 GiB (100.00%) used: 289.25
    GiB (97.3%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 maj-min: 259:4
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 297.4 GiB size: 297.4 GiB (100.00%) used: 289.25
    GiB (97.3%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 maj-min: 259:4
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 297.4 GiB size: 297.4 GiB (100.00%) used: 289.25
    GiB (97.3%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p4 maj-min: 259:4
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.41 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  Message: No sensor data found. Is lm-sensors configured?
Info:
  Processes: 356 Uptime: 37m wakeups: 2 Memory: 15.41 GiB used: 2.59 GiB
  (16.8%) Init: systemd v: 251 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 clang: 14.0.6 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 2223
  libs: 542 tools: octopi,paru,yay Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16
  running-in: terminator inxi: 3.3.21
Garuda (2.6.8-1):
  System install date:     2022-02-16
  Last full system update: 2022-10-08 ↻
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       NetworkManager
  Windows dual boot:       Probably (Run as root to verify)
  Snapshots:               Snapper
  Failed units:            nmb.service

when shift is pressed, no other inputs are acknowledged/recognized, along with the pressing of the shift key itself.

2

Hi! Im not so well versed in this but maybe we can troubleshoot together

Did this happen before you did the system update?

You have one failed service in the inxi (i googled it and it looks like its samba, could be unrelated though!)

Can you also try to check if any other key doesnt work? Maybe your keyboard is starting to fail

Have you tried googling, some dude suggested opening a virtual machine, and trying to use it inside of that

Okay, the question if the problem occurs in console was good - no it doesn’t!
I played a bit and started X11 with only xterm (no windowmanager) and there
were no problem. I had also no problem with openbox and xterm. So I moved
away my xfce-config and started with a clean one. No problem. I add
everything of my config again (one thing after another) - and there are no
problems any more!?!? Don’t know what happened, but I could work again,
thank you!

Thomas

Edit: another thing i suggest checking is in system settings > accessibility > modifier keys if you have sticky keys or locked keys
:smiley:

5 Likes
3

yes, it was happening before the system upgrade, I've booted into windows and the shift keys also no longer work there too...

Do you know how this could've happened, it doesn't make sense that these two keys at opposite ends of the keyboard would stop working.

An external keyboard can still use the shift keys with my computer so I am very confused

4

Then you can pretty surely say that your keyboard is dying

There's a lot of things that could have happened, old keyboard, maybe humidity in the air, something could have slipped under the keys, keyboard board problems etc

5 Likes
5

Sometimes you get crud under the key that makes it not activate the key button under it correctly, but you can usually feel that because the action of the key seems to be blocked part of the way down. It's usually worth cleaning the keyboard by taking it apart, but that's harder to do on a laptop, but it doesn't hurt to somewhat vigorously shake it at various angles to see if you can get any crud out of the keyboard, when it's turned off, of course.

Usually laptop keyboards are pretty easy to replace unless it's one of those super slim ones where the keyboard is riveted or glued in place, like on apple and ms surface for example. Then it's not fixable.

6

i know... but it was both shift keys simultaneously so i don't see how that could really be the case...

7

There's controllers etc, electronics can fail in weird ways, but you already proved it isn't the operating system since Linux and Windows both do it. Also, booting a live cd of any other distro would also show it. Hardware failures are always a drag, but electronics only have one way once they are created, which is eventual death. Some (like the electronics on Voyager space ships) are more durable than others, but normal consumer level electronics would not be in that set. As long as your keyboard screws in, which is easy to verify by looking up the laptop manual, it's easy to replace.

2 Likes
8

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