keyboard and touchpad only work in BIOS, seemingly locked in tablet mode

[Apf51]

Hi there,

I have a 2021 spectre 360x, the keyboard and touchpad aren't working (except in BIOS), and the touchscreen seems to be locked in tablet mode. I took it to a pro who scoured it for a day and a half and could find nothing wrong. He did a factory reset to no avail. All the diagnostics (hardware and software) came back normal. He says the only thing left is a clean wipe. I could only find this problem on one forum, but it seemed to have no resolution. Does anyone have any ideas? 

[Apf51]

I forgot to mention, about once every other month, I get full keyboard/touchpad function again until I turn it off or close my computer!

[Apf51]

I just did a clean wipe of my computer, and still the keyboard touchpad don't work (except in BIOS). A new operating system (win 11) was installed. Still, the only keys that work are the power key and fingerprint reader. Other problems include: no keyboard backlight and the plug in (powering up) light works only intermittently. I just bought a new ($500) screen last week, tackling what I thought was the more expensive of the two repairs first.

 Incidentally, does anybody want to buy a new HP spectre screen?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Apf51,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your laptop!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Try these steps:

Check Tablet Mode Settings:

• Go to Settings > System > Tablet.
• Make sure that your device is not locked in tablet mode. Toggle the setting off if it is enabled.
• Check if the option "When I sign in" under the tablet settings is set to "Never use tablet mode."

Update Drivers:

• Open Device Manager.
• Expand the Keyboards and Mice and other pointing devices sections.
• Right-click on your keyboard and touchpad devices and select Update driver.
• Choose to search automatically for updated driver software.

Check BIOS Settings:

• Enter the BIOS when the system starts (usually by pressing F10).
• Look for settings related to the keyboard and touchpad under Advanced or similar sections.
• Ensure that nothing is disabled and that defaults are set correctly.

Perform a Power Reset:

• Turn off your laptop.
• Disconnect any external devices and remove any disks from the drives.
• Unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery if possible.
• Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds.
• Reconnect the battery and AC adapter, then turn on the laptop.

Check for Windows Updates:

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
• Click on Check for updates and install any available updates.

Perform a System Restore:

• If the issue started recently, try performing a system restore to an earlier point when the keyboard and touchpad were working correctly.
• Search for "Create a restore point" in the Windows search bar and select it. Follow the on-screen instructions to perform a restore.

Clean Install Windows:

• As a last resort, if no other solutions have worked, consider performing a clean installation of Windows. This will ensure that any software-related issues are resolved, but it will erase all data on your device.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[Apf51]

Thanks, but as stated above, this doesn't appear to be a hardware issue (works in BIOS) nor a software issue (a clean wipe was performed).
Essentially it's now a brand new computer that doesn't work.
Funny thing is, it was very lightly used. Nothing more strenuous than a movie every few months and nothing more risky than a visit to an unknown advertiser or two.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Apf51,

Thank you for the response.

Here's what you can try next.

Perform a Reset

This is different from a simple power reset:

Power off the laptop.

Unplug the AC adapter.

Hold the power button for 30 seconds (yes, a full 30).

Plug the adapter back in, power on.

Disable Sensor Services

If you can navigate using an external keyboard/mouse:

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.

Locate Sensor Monitoring Service and Sensor Data Service (if present).

Right-click → Stop → Right-click again → Properties → Set to Disabled.

Then restart the system and check if the keyboard and touchpad come back to life.

Check Convertible Mode Sensor (via Device Manager)

Go to Device Manager.

Expand Sensors or Human Interface Devices.

Look for any device named Intel Integrated Sensor Solution, Sensor Hub, or similar.

Right-click → Disable → Restart your PC.

Sometimes a stuck sensor falsely forces tablet mode, which disables keyboard/touchpad by design.

BIOS Update

Even though the system seems “fresh,” a bugged firmware could still be at play.

Use HP’s BIOS Update utility (external keyboard/mouse will help).

If you’re already on the latest BIOS, try reinstalling it, sometimes reflashing helps.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,