[sunwatt]

Im new here. I got a refurbished Mini 9 a couple months ago. Not sure if I have a real hardware problem or software/drivers.

My OS is Linux Mint 7 Gloria.

At home I always have used a USB hub, with an external keyboard, and mouse.

Took it to town afew times, and the laptop's keyboard and mouse do not work.

Come back home, and hookup, here and without plugging in the USB hub, the keyboard still will not work, I cant log in.

But as soon as I plug in the usb hub, the external keyboard comes to life, and the mouse is fine too.

How to I troubleshoot this to find out if I need to try and exchange this for another refurb Mini 9, or keep the one I've got?

Thanks

Jim
Mini 9 2gb ram 32gb ssd
Linux Mint 7.0

[reflex]

Can you use the onboard keyboard to enter the BIOS?

[sunwatt]

Just tested that (USB hub unplugged, no external mouse/keyboard) hit 0 key many times and booted up to BIOS two times.

Is this good news?

Seems like it is

(LOL, except it is then an Mint 7.0 OS issue)

Thanks

Jim

[reflex]

If you got into the BIOS, the hardware isn't dead. It still could be a hardware problem, but, at this point, I'd put my money on it being a software problem.

So, try booting up a Live CD/USB and seeing if the touchpad and keyboard work 100%. If they work without problems, then you can be certain it's a software problem.

[sunwatt]

Wow, talk about around the block.

I booted with no external keyboard, with a live Mint CD,and a USB stick, also Mint on it.

I had keystroke issues every way I went, BUMMER.

So, I'm thinking," this laptop is messed up ".

Last gasp effort, I pulled out a Ubuntu 9.04 DVD my Linux guru mailed me months ago.

Its what I installed on my Mini 10V BTW.

So, I boot live on the 9.04 DVD, and everything works. Perfect.

I typed an open office document. Saved it.

Opened it, typed some more, and saved that to my 32gb little sidecar memory card.

Its starting to really look like all the CD's and my USB stick have errors, which got INSTALLED on this Mini 9, naturally.

More testing will be needed.

Might start by installing 9.04 on this Mini 9 and use the onboard KeyBoard a little to check it. To be sure.

But, On the 32GB SSD with onboard keyboard, my bootable Mint CDR, and my bootable USB Mint stick, ALL of them have keyboard issues, big time.

But not on the Ubuntu 9.04 DVD there was no keyboard issues AT ALL.

LOL

I checked the Md5 thing, but still I think I got a error somewhere.

I'm using my Mini 9 right now, but with external keyboard.

Woorks 100% as always.

This is allot of strangeness for a guy only 4 months into Linux.

But you helped me ALLOT.

Thanks

Jim