Dell Inspiron 11-3138 Troubleshooting

The keyboard keys are typing characters intermittently or not at all.

Dust and debris may be built up on top of or underneath the keys of the keyboard. Turn the computer off, then clean the keyboard thoroughly. Restart the computer and test the keyboard functions again.

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of the computer may not be fully updated. Visit the Drivers & Downloads resource to update the BIOS.

The Keyboard may be faulty. If so, use [this guide] to replace the component.

The cursor movement is not smooth or does not move at all.

Dirt or other debris can interfere with calibration or prevent the movement of the buttons on the touchpad mouse. Turn the computer off, then clean the touchpad and buttons thoroughly. Restart the computer and, once the computer is finished booting up, test the mouse functions again.

The touchpad recalibrates each time the computer restarts. Turn off the computer and restart it again, and test the mouse functions once the computer has booted up completely.

If the touchpad cannot be calibrated and is unresponsive or responds erratically, it may need to be [replaced].

The USB Mouse responds intermittently or not at all.

The USB Mouse may need to be plugged into the computer, or otherwise reseated in the plug.

Debris may be causing the mouse buttons to stick or not move at all. In this case, unplug the mouse and clean it thoroughly before plugging it in again.

The touch screen fails to respond, responds intermittently, or reacts incorrectly.

Software issues can cause a touch screen to become unresponsive or incrementally responsive. Before seeking professional help, shut down or restart your computer. Allow it to boot up completely before testing the touch screen.

If the mouse is moving behind or ahead of your finger the functionality is not working. Turn off the computer and, with a slightly damp rag, wipe the screen to pick up any dirt or smudges.

If the mouse is slow or you experience trouble accessing items on the border of the screen, the screen may need to be re-calibrated. Start by restarting the computer and for re-calibration directions visit Dell’s Knowledge Base.

The screen dims to an almost black lighting and images are tough to see.

The loss of power will affect the dimness of your computer’s monitor. Check that it is hooked up correctly and plugged into an outlet.

The LCD on the laptop affects the brightness of the screen. If this is malfunctioning visit Resolving Laptop LCD Issues.

The computer does not respond to stimuli from the mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen

Drivers may have failed, disrupting communication between hardware devices. Download and install any new driver updates. Check your computer's registry for any faults.

The operating system may not recognize some applications trying to run. Update any third-party software on your computer. Test the RAM, and verify that there's at least 10% disk space remaining.

Your computer may be under attack by a virus. Update your anti-virus software. Run your anti-virus software. Purchase a reliable anti-virus program if none are installed.

A blue screen with white text appears stating an error as occurred

An overheated computer may freeze itself to prevent damage. Clean the computer's fans. Place the laptop on a hard, cool, and flat surface. Use a cooling pad or laptop cooler in the future.

Application crashes can cause a stop errors. Hold down power button until computer shuts down. Once running again, install both driver and system updates. Uninstall any unnecessary software to free up space.

When hardware runs beyond the device's specification limits, stop errors can occur. Force restart the computer by holding down the power button. Free up as much memory on the computer as possible.