Your computer displays “Alert! Keyboard not found” before Windows even loads. Start with the keyboard’s connection and power, then use a working keyboard to narrow down the fault. From there, you can check the pairing or firmware settings that apply to your exact hardware.
Reconnect the keyboard directly to your computer
Start with the connection. Unplug the keyboard’s USB cable or wireless USB receiver.
Reconnect it securely to the computer itself, bypassing any hub, dock, or USB extension.
For a battery-powered wireless keyboard, replace its disposable batteries or charge its rechargeable battery.
Switch the keyboard on.
Restart the computer and check for the alert.
If it returns, try another USB port. For Logitech Unifying or Logi Bolt receivers, try a USB 1.x or 2.x port; Logitech identifies startup compatibility problems with some motherboard USB 3.x ports.
Find out whether the keyboard or port is failing
Test the affected keyboard on another computer. The result helps narrow down which device needs attention.
Connect a known-working keyboard to the original computer and restart. If that keyboard works at startup, focus your next checks on the original keyboard, its cable, or its receiver.
Disconnect the affected device before inspecting its connectors and the computer’s USB port for debris, bent pins, damage, or looseness. Remove debris with short bursts of compressed air, keeping the can upright.
Try another compatible cable if your keyboard’s cable is detachable. A damaged USB port needs a repair assessment.
Rule out interference from other connected devices
Other connected peripherals are one cause of startup conflicts on Dell computers.
Shut down your Dell.
Disconnect nonessential peripherals, leaving the keyboard attached.
Start the computer again to check whether the alert has cleared.
Reconnect the removed devices one at a time, retesting startup after each connection to identify the device involved.
If startup problems continue, try a power-drain reset. Turn off the computer.
Disconnect its power cable.
Remove the battery only if your laptop has a removable battery. For an internal battery, follow the exact model’s instructions.
Hold the power button for 15–20 seconds.
Reinstall a removed battery and reconnect power.
Restart the computer and check startup again.
If you use Logitech wireless, check the receiver pairing
This applies to Logitech keyboards that support a matching Unifying or Logi Bolt receiver for operation before the operating system loads. Receiver families are model-specific; adding a dongle does not give a Bluetooth-only keyboard receiver support.
Select the keyboard channel already paired with its connected receiver.
Restart the computer to test detection.
If you need to pair or re-pair a supported Logi Bolt keyboard, connect its receiver during a working Windows or macOS session. Pairing requires access to the operating system.
Open Logi Options+ > Add Device > Logi Bolt receiver.
Hold the keyboard’s connect button for three seconds, until its light flashes rapidly.
Select CONNECT beside the keyboard.
Type the displayed verification numbers on that keyboard.
Press Enter.
Select Continue.
Restart to test detection.
Skip the retired utilities recommended in older tutorials: Unifying Software, Logitech Connection Utility, SetPoint, and the standalone Firmware Update Tool. Logitech directs supported devices to Logi Options+.
Enable CORSAIR keyboard compatibility mode
CORSAIR provides BIOS compatibility shortcuts for specific keyboards. Match the shortcut to your model; these change keyboard behavior, rather than serving as universal keys for entering a computer’s BIOS.
For models in CORSAIR’s Windows-lock-key category, hold Windows-lock and F1 for five seconds, then release.
For models in its category without a Windows-lock key, unplug the keyboard. Hold S and B while reconnecting it, then release. CORSAIR also specifies reconnecting while holding B and S for the K100, updated K95 Platinum, and Galleon 100 SD.
For the K70 TKL, reconnect the keyboard while holding Esc. Follow your individual model’s instructions instead of trying unrelated shortcuts.
Check the firmware settings for your exact computer
Check firmware after the connection and keyboard tests, particularly when a USB port has been disabled or startup initialization has been reduced. Match these settings to your hardware before changing anything.
On supported Dell computers, press F2 repeatedly as soon as the Dell logo appears to enter setup.
If F2 controls another keyboard function, try Fn+F2.
For another entry route, press F12.
Select BIOS Setup or System Setup.
If Windows 11 starts and your PC exposes firmware access, use a mouse or touchscreen to open Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
On the recovery screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart. This opens firmware setup; keyboard detection still needs a separate check.
On ASUS PRIME, ProArt, and TUF GAMING AMD 800-series boards with individual port controls, use the board diagram to identify the keyboard’s port.
Open Advanced Mode > Advanced > USB Configuration > USB Single Port Control.
Enable the keyboard’s port.
Save with F10.
Restart to test detection.
For a separate initialization test on those ASUS boards, set Advanced Mode > Boot > Boot Configuration > Fast Boot to Disabled.
Save with F10.
Test startup again. This checks the effect of fuller device initialization; it does not establish that initialization caused the keyboard fault.
On a Dell OptiPlex 7090 Tower, select BIOS > Pre-boot Behavior > Fastboot > Thorough.
Save your changes.
Restart to test detection. Other Dell models have different firmware options, and firmware Fast Boot is separate from Windows Fast Startup.
For a work computer with locked firmware setup, ask your administrator to make the required keyboard or USB changes. A Windows administrator account does not automatically provide the BIOS password.
Restore settings or update firmware after the basic checks
Incorrect USB firmware settings are another cause of keyboard-detection problems on Dell computers.
Before restoring defaults, preserve the firmware settings you need. Follow your exact model’s encryption, power, and recovery instructions.
Enter Dell setup with F2.
Choose your model’s Load Defaults or Restore Default Settings option.
Save and exit.
Test startup again.
If the problem persists and Windows starts, identify your computer by its Service Tag or exact model on Dell Drivers & Downloads.
Download the matching BIOS update.
Run the installer according to its power, encryption, and password prerequisites.
Follow the restart prompts, then check for the alert again. Treat the update as a later troubleshooting test, not a promised repair.
For a supported CORSAIR keyboard, use iCUE 5.14 or newer to check keyboard firmware. Connect the keyboard directly; for a wireless device, connect both the keyboard and its receiver.
In iCUE, select the device tile’s settings wheel.
Select Check for Updates.
Follow the update prompts, keeping the devices connected throughout.
Run diagnostics before arranging a repair
If the alert continues on a Dell, gather diagnostic results before contacting support.
- 1.Connect a working keyboard if needed to operate the startup menu.
- 2.Turn on the computer and repeatedly press F12.
- 3.Select Diagnostics and follow the tests. Diagnostic coverage varies by model.
- 4.Record any error code, validation code, and the computer’s Service Tag.
- 5.Contact Dell Technical Support with those results and your keyboard cross-test findings if the fault persists. A damaged port or persistent hardware fault needs a repair assessment; internal keyboard repair procedures depend on the exact computer model.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a keyboard through a Thunderbolt dock before Windows starts?
On a Dell Latitude 5521 with a compatible Thunderbolt dock, open BIOS > Integrated Devices > USB/Thunderbolt Configuration. Enable Enable Thunderbolt Technology Support and Enable Thunderbolt Boot Support, then save and restart. USB mass-storage boot support alone is a different setting.
Will reinstalling the Windows keyboard driver fix this alert?
Windows keyboard drivers do not directly repair a firmware-generated keyboard-not-found alert. Driver reinstallation and checks for interfering keyboard or macro software apply to separate failures after Windows loads.
Can I turn off the keyboard-not-found warning?
On the Dell OptiPlex 7090 Tower, open BIOS > Keyboard > Keyboard Errors and turn off Enable Keyboard Error Detection, then save and restart. This suppresses reporting without repairing the keyboard. On applicable ASUS AMD 800-series boards, open Advanced Mode > Boot > Boot Configuration > Wait For ‘F1’ If Error, select Disabled, and save with F10. That changes whether startup waits after an error, affects other errors too, and does not ensure the message disappears.
Does Legacy USB Support mean an obsolete fix?
No. ASUS still documents Legacy USB Support on applicable AMD 800-series boards. It is not a universal UEFI keyboard fix, and setting it to Disabled still permits EFI applications. Follow your board’s instructions for when to enable it.
