Can't use keyboard in Windows 7 after being in Mint

[morty007]

I have windows 7 home premium dual booting with Linux Mint 8, on a Dell XPS M1530.

When I shut down linux mint and go back into windows I have the following problem.

Upon the windows 7 desktop appearing, I am able to type or use the keyboard as usual-until I touch the touchpad on my laptop. After I touch the touchpad, (even for just the slightest second!) I am unable to type anything. For example, if I launch the start menu and then try to type to find a file nothing will happen. The only way for me to get by this is to reboot the computer again. So essentially I have to reboot twice in order to get a working keyboard with Windows after being in linux. This problem does not happen if I stay in Windows and reboot windows repeatedly. (I tested it by reinstalling windows and having it as the only OS for about a week.)


I tried the following workarounds: using the Dell support software to disable the touchpad when a mouse is present.

I tried reinstalling the touchpad driver.

Nothing has worked. Alps electric is the touchpad manufacturer.

I asked this question on the ubuntu forums and got back the answer that windows doesn't like the other OS on there and upon reboot gets confused or sees things are in a different state. I was also told that Windows uses a HID device for the keyboard and Linux does not.


Very annoying problem and I doubt there is a fix for it, but please help if you can.

[Husse]

I can't really help you but this is akin to that a lot of people have to reboot into Windows for their networking or similar to work because of the way Windows handles firmware Windows had it's ways with hardware....
But this is actually the first time I've seen it this way round
Look in the BIOS for a setting for keyboards, but it is a laptop so the chances are small that you find something

[morty007]

Thanks Husse. I currently have a thread open here http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Micr ... #a26512851
but it seems impossible to solve.

[Husse]

It is something in the "super IO" that gets reset in some strange way - there's a lot of what I'd call semi firmware in computers these days - most famous perhaps the one you use fwcutter for (Broadcom)