modifier keys stopped working on laptop keyboard after ram install [20.04.4 lts]

apologies for any malformed sentences. not used to not having ctrl/shift/alt. used to using ctrl-a to restart sentences...

basically, i got new ram added to my laptop [medion erazer], and while the ram is functioning as it should be according to system monitor, my ctrl/alt/shift keys [both left and right] no longer work.

i do not think this is a physical keyboard connector issue purely because it is all of the modifier keys and nothing else, and the key between right-ctrl and right-alt works perfectly fine

however, my laptop boots into busybox and i have to navigate to ubuntu via changing a bios option [heckin intel rst], and shift at least also does not work in busybox, so if modifier keys are on a different connector to others it may be the case [i cannot test on windows as i uninstalled it]

some things to note;

• intel processor
• no events pop in xev for any of the six keys
• right now i have no external keyboard so i don't know if it's purely an issue with the internal one. i have one arriving tomorrow so i can add details then
• i did make sure the ram was suitable for the laptop. however i don't quite know how to open this one

i have tried;

• both shift keys not working on Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS reinstalling input x server driver
• On-board keyboard and trackpad not working 20.04 blacklisting intel vbtn
• turning on 'show extended input sources' and 'pointer location' in gnome-tweaks [can't find source for that one]

i am going to try when i have more time;

• running ubuntu 22 from drive to see if it occurs there too

in case it's related, tracker-store keeps crashing with signal 5 when i boot. might be unrelated though

thank you, will keep an eye on the thread

edit; normally boot [ubuntu, with linux 5.13.0-44-generic], tried booting [ubuntu, with linux 5.13.0-41-generic] with no change

major edit; booted ubuntu 22 from drive, same problem. implying that it probably is a weird disconnect that somehow is only affecting these keys/ will get that checked out. this implies it's something on the hardware end, although i haven't tried checking on other distros - waiting for the keyboard to show up first so i can determine if it's the inbuilt keyboard or if no presses are registering. either way, it probably isn't an ubuntu issue at this point

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