Computer problem - one for the IT techies!

[Blackbird]

For the last few weeks, I've had an intermittent problem which seems to be getting worse. For most of my emails and serious typing of docs etc, I use a 10 year old Desktop PC with Windows XP Pro. I can be typing away and without warning, the lower case changes to upper case, as if I'd put caps lock on. I then have to put the caps lock on to continue typing in lower case and vice-versa for upper case. Sometimes, it fixes itself almost immediately and other times, I have to shut the program down (Gmail, Word etc) and re-start it. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. It almost certainly isn't the keyboard itself as I've tried 2 different ones with the same result.

It's not a show-stopper but is bloody irritating. I have an iPad as well and my wife has a good laptop. The desktop computer doesn't owe me anything and is probably way past the date when I should have junked it but it fits the bill fine for emails and word-processing. I'd sooner keep it but if it's going to take money to fix, I'd sooner have done with it and get an up to date one.

Would be grateful for any ideas if anyone else has experienced this problem.

Cheers,

Geoff

[DanielM8]

Go to control panel -> accessibility and make sure sticky keys is disabled. Let me know if this sorts it out.


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[Blackbird]

Go to control panel -> accessibility and make sure sticky keys is disabled. Let me know if this sorts it out.


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Just checked - there are no check marks in any of the Sticky Keys, Filter or Toggle boxes. Thanks for your interest!

[Akzle]

Go to control panel -> accessibility and make sure sticky keys is disabled. Let me know if this sorts it out.


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i'm not sure sticky keys would work like that...., being that it's to press ctrl+alt +... without pressing them all at once, innit?

[Akzle]

sounds like a keyboard issue, except that you say it happens with two keyboards. pull the "shift" keys off and clean them. clean the connectors (ps2/usb/???) and on the back of the pc....

other than that... hmmmmm

[DanielM8]

i'm not sure sticky keys would work like that...., being that it's to press ctrl+alt +... without pressing them all at once, innit?

Sticky keys can do a lot of crazy shit to a system. It wasn't likely but worth trying.


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[DanielM8]

sounds like a keyboard issue, except that you say it happens with two keyboards. pull the "shift" keys off and clean them. clean the connectors (ps2/usb/???) and on the back of the pc....

other than that... hmmmmm

Yeah it does btw I wonder if the first keyboard was unplugged before testing the second


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[Blackbird]

I should add that another thing which occasionally happens is that when I press a key, the letters sometimes double up, almost like a key is sticking. however, as I mentioned, it's happened with 2 keyboards so is unlikely to be a keyboard problem. Both keyboards have a usb connection - haven't tried one with a PS2 as that's what my mouse is

[Blackbird]

yeah it does btw i wonder if the first keyboard was unplugged before testing the second


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yes it was and re_booted> see> i"ve got the problem right now< sod it

[DanielM8]

yes it was and re_booted> see> i"ve got the problem right now< sod it

Can you check that Stick Keys option again now, while the issue is active? It activates itself when you press shift 8 times


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[EJK]

For the last few weeks, I've had an intermittent problem which seems to be getting worse. For most of my emails and serious typing of docs etc, I use a 10 year old Desktop PC with Windows XP Pro. I can be typing away and without warning, the lower case changes to upper case, as if I'd put caps lock on. I then have to put the caps lock on to continue typing in lower case and vice-versa for upper case. Sometimes, it fixes itself almost immediately and other times, I have to shut the program down (Gmail, Word etc) and re-start it. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. It almost certainly isn't the keyboard itself as I've tried 2 different ones with the same result.

It's not a show-stopper but is bloody irritating. I have an iPad as well and my wife had a good laptop. The desktop computer doesn't owe me anything and is probably way past the date when I should have junked it but it fits the bill fine for emails and word-processing. I'd sooner keep it but if it's going to take money to fix, I'd sooner have done with it and get an up to date one.

Would be grateful for any ideas if anyone else has experienced this problem.

Cheers,

Geoff

Mmm hmm I see your problem. That's an <strike>easy</strike> irreversable problem! Sir Geoff, I know exactly what you need. Why don't you have a look at this computer?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/laptops/auction-626291827.htm

By simply buying this computer ALL YOUR PROBLES WILL GO AWAY! That's right! That includes your job problems, wife hassles, chaotic kids, dog pooping on the floor, your cat having sex with your neighbours' cats... EVERYTHING!

But wait, there's more!

If you buy this fantastic product with the computer http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/ipads/ipads/auction-624933987.htm you get the First Class VIP membership to Heaven where you can be seated at the right hand of God himself!



I'm just messin, but still a computer 10 years old is a little too.... old.

[DanielM8]

Mmm hmm I see your problem. That's an <strike>easy</strike> irreversable problem! Sir Geoff, I know exactly what you need. Why don't you have a look at this computer?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/laptops/auction-626291827.htm

By simply buying this computer ALL YOUR PROBLES WILL GO AWAY! That's right! That includes your job problems, wife hassles, chaotic kids, dog pooping on the floor, your cat having sex with your neighbours' cats... EVERYTHING!

But wait, there's more!

If you buy this fantastic product with the computer http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/ipads/ipads/auction-624933987.htm you get the First Class VIP membership to Heaven where you can be seated at the right hand of God himself!



I'm just messin, but still a computer 10 years old is a little too.... old.

Apple? He said he needs a new PC, not a vasectomy.


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[HenryDorsetCase]

Apple? He said he needs a new PC, not a vasectomy.


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Harsh, but fair.

[Blackbird]

Can you check that Stick Keys option again now, while the issue is active? It activates itself when you press shift 8 times


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Daniel - sadly, it was clear. It's now fixed itself for the time being as I shut down the browser and restarted it.


Mmm hmm I see your problem. That's an <strike>easy</strike> irreversable problem! Sir Geoff, I know exactly what you need. Why don't you have a look at this computer?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/laptops/auction-626291827.htm

By simply buying this computer ALL YOUR PROBLES WILL GO AWAY! That's right! That includes your job problems, wife hassles, chaotic kids, dog pooping on the floor, your cat having sex with your neighbours' cats... EVERYTHING!

But wait, there's more!

If you buy this fantastic product with the computer http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/ipads/ipads/auction-624933987.htm you get the First Class VIP membership to Heaven where you can be seated at the right hand of God himself!



EJK - thanks for the help - if you're not in marketing, you've missed your vocation :Punk:. I'm retired with no debt, have been married to the same woman for 41 years and am still crazy about her, our cats largely behave themselves and I ride a Triumph. Life couldn't be better apart from this fucking computer which clearly has a fucking computer elf living in it now.

[Blackbird]

Harsh, but fair.

Well at least my iPad works without hassles :brick:

[bogan]

Calling upon my vast computer expertise, I can diagnose it as:

Yeh, she's fucked mate.

You could try a system wipe and re-instal, but with the hassle of doing that (and uncertainty that it would even help) you may as well just get a new comp anyway.

[Blackbird]

Calling upon my vast computer expertise, I can diagnose it as:

Yeh, she's fucked mate.

You could try a system wipe and re-instal, but with the hassle of doing that (and uncertainty that it would even help) you may as well just get a new comp anyway.

By the end of the week, our views will be identical.:facepalm:

Sent from my iPad with no effing problem whatsoever

[Moi]

Either:

buy a new computer...

or

get an old envelope and stubby pencil and a flock of pigeons....


Sent from the front of a new envelope with a Biro...

[Blackbird]

Either:

buy a new computer...

or

get an old envelope and stubby pencil and a flock of pigeons....


Sent from the front of a new envelope with a Biro...

I'm afraid that it's got to be the the computer option. At this time of the year on the Coro Peninsula, the pigeons are coming into the garden to gorge on Kowhai and cherry blossom. Most of them go into the pot :whistle:

[Latte]

I get similar at work occasionally, and holding down "alt" for a bit seems to set it right again.

[Smifffy]

Assuming that you don't have anything like a keylogger (hardware/software) installed, or installed any software like text to speech, or voice to text or a virus, it's possible that your keyboard driver has become corrupted somehow.

You could try going to control panel/ device manager/keyboards right click and update the driver, let it automatically look for the best one and see what happens. Most likely it will report that you already have the best driver installed.

You could then try right clicking and removing the driver (uninstall). Then reboot - make sure the keyboard is plugged in. Windows SHOULD then detect the keyboard and reinstall a fresh copy of the driver. Might take a bit longer to load windows.

Before you start doing anything along these lines, make sure you've backed up anything you want to keep off this computer.

[Blackbird]

I get similar at work occasionally, and holding down "alt" for a bit seems to set it right again.

Cheers for that - worth a try if Smiffy's plan fails on me!


Assuming that you don't have anything like a keylogger (hardware/software) installed, or installed any software like text to speech, or voice to text or a virus, it's possible that your keyboard driver has become corrupted somehow.

You could try going to control panel/ device manager/keyboards right click and update the driver, let it automatically look for the best one and see what happens. Most likely it will report that you already have the best driver installed.

You could then try right clicking and removing the driver (uninstall). Then reboot - make sure the keyboard is plugged in. Windows SHOULD then detect the keyboard and reinstall a fresh copy of the driver. Might take a bit longer to load windows.

Before you start doing anything along these lines, make sure you've backed up anything you want to keep off this computer.

Thanks Smiffy :clap: Have just followed your recommendations and it's working fine at the moment. Will try it periodically over the next few hours to see what happens.

[swbarnett]

Apple? He said he needs a new PC,
PC is anacronym for Personal Computer. Doesn't matter what the brand or OS is.


Calling upon my vast computer expertise, I can diagnose it as:

Yeh, she's fucked mate.
The proper spelling of that term is F.U.C.T - Failed Under Continuous Testing

[Blackbird]

An update:

Too early to definitely say the problem is cured for sure but it hasn't occurred today yet and normally, I'd be tearing what's left of my hair out by now! The likely solution? Smifffy's advice to reinstall the keyboard driver. Thanks a million mate and it's coffee and cake for you next time you ride round the Coromandel Peninsula!! :not:

Geoff

[Moi]

Who needs a helpdesk? Ask Mr Google?? Nah, ask Mr KiwiBiker.... :done:

I had issues with a program on my work laptop and got an answer and solution from a fellow member of another bike forum...

Geoff gets sorted here... At this rate those helpdesk wallas will be out of a job...

As an aside, it's often the non-biking threads that make the best reading...

[Smifffy]

An update:

Too early to definitely say the problem is cured for sure but it hasn't occurred today yet and normally, I'd be tearing what's left of my hair out by now! The likely solution? Smifffy's advice to reinstall the keyboard driver. Thanks a million mate and it's coffee and cake for you next time you ride round the Coromandel Peninsula!! :not:

Geoff

YAY!!! Fingers crossed it keeps working then. :wings::wings:

[Blackbird]

YAY!!! Fingers crossed it keeps working then. :wings::wings:

Still working just fine this morning - owe ya mate! :rockon:

[Akzle]

YAY!!! Fingers crossed it keeps working then. :wings::wings:

you just want cake.