Tech: Crazy computer

Subject: Tech: Crazy computer
From: jacqui.c
Date: 15 May 06 - 01:21 PM

Kendall on Jacqui's computer.

Yesterday I was typing away and suddenly the letters that I was typing were not the ones coming up on the screen. I shut it down then came back and it was ok. Today, the same thing happened. What the hell is going on? A short curcuit in the keyboard?

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: GUEST,EBarnacle
Date: 15 May 06 - 01:46 PM

First try a system restore to an earlier date. If that works, then you probably had a bit of corrupted code. Good luck!

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: kendall
Date: 15 May 06 - 03:48 PM

And in English that would be?

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 15 May 06 - 04:21 PM

Perhaps you have more than one keyboard locale set up and you are switching between the 2 with your typing.

For Windows 2000,

Start/settings/control panel
open keyboard
click the Input Locales

Remove as appropriate.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: Amos
Date: 15 May 06 - 04:27 PM

Get a Mac, Kendall!! While you still can!! :D



A

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: Susan of DT
Date: 15 May 06 - 04:27 PM

Restore points:
Somewhere in your control panel or help area (on an HP/compac it is called Help and Support and is a desktop icon) In there look for system restore points and hope there is a fairly recent one. The system supposed sets them on some schedule and you can set them (I do before adding hardware/software). It will reset your programs to how they were on that date. therefore all programs installed after that date will need to be reinstalled (data/files remain untouched) and you should therefore lose the problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: MaineDog
Date: 15 May 06 - 04:33 PM

Make sure your keyboard cable is securely plugged in!
MD

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: artbrooks
Date: 15 May 06 - 04:36 PM

And it could be a hardware problem...open up the keyboard and check for crud.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 May 06 - 05:12 PM

it's prob. one of two things

1. You need to do something about restoring your system, such as all these other people are talking about. Hit Start, Help, and search for "Restore." For example, my computer has Windows XP and it offers the following:

System Restore overview
Help and Support Center overview
Understanding System Restore
Using the System Restore Wizard

2. Your keyboard is worn out and has Alzheimer's and you need a new one. When you try the new one, open it very neatly so you can return it if the problem persists.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 06 - 05:15 PM

Kendall,

Do a little housecleaning--run the disk defrag and disk cleanup
(START -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> you'll find both right there)

Run your various spyware and malware scans, update your antivirus. Just to be sure there's no extra baggage in there.

Go get a new keyboard. They're cheap. You can find a basic one for as little as a dollar at a good sale, but I'd spend in the $10 to $20 range for a nice dependable one. Bring it home, and when the computer is turned off, swap out the keyboards.

Turn the computer on and use as usual. If the problem returns, pack up the new keyboard and take it back to the store (unless you enjoy the new keyboard). Try system restore (I don't know your operating system, but if you're using XP there are several places to reach it. First of which is when you turn on your computer and you'll see on the screen what button to push (right then when you see the message) to start system restore. Or go into Control Panel -> System and you'll find it as a tab in there. Pick a date before when the problem started and restore back to that point.

Good luck.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 May 06 - 09:21 PM

Assuming you're using WinXP, and to some extent with Win2K, when you restarted the computer it probably did its own system restore during the reboot if any errors were present. If the keyboard is working okay after the reboot, I'd advise that you NOT FORCE ANOTHER SYSTEM RESTORE, simply because it's an unnecessary mucking with the system.

During the boot and Windows startup, the system does a verification on many of the system files that are subject to occasional corruption, and does a repair as part of the startup. Doing it again, and interfering with the normal startup is unlikely to help.

A keyboard defect could cause what you saw, and you may want to consider replacing the keyboard if it happens again.

Before you replace it, you could also turn the keyboard upside down and give it a moderate shaking to get some of the pretzel crumbs loosened from the beer stains so they can fall out (or in my case loosen the furballs from the cat that likes to sleep on the keyboard). I would NOT recommend "opening up the keyboard," as closing them back up sometimes is not a trivial operation.

You can check to make sure that the keyboard connector is firmly seated and makes good contact. Carefully unplugging and replugging the connector a few times may clear a bit of crud on the terminals. Small connectors, left plugged in the same position for long periods occasionally get "dirty pins" everywhere except where the contact is made. Any tiny "wiggle" can move the contact onto a dirty part of a pin. Unplugging and replugging "wipes" the pins and often will clean them enough to work just fine.

You can wiggle the keyboard cable to see if there might be an intermittent connection in the wiring inside the cable.

The FIRST ACTION when something unexplainable happens, should be a reboot. If that fixes the problem, even if it's only temporary, don't worry about system repairs until you've eliminated the other obvious stuff (esp. in this case, the hardware).

(And as Stilly suggests: Run your various spyware and malware scans, update your antivirus. Just to be sure there's no extra baggage in there.)¹

In your case, a reboot cleared the problem. You don't normally need to muck with the system when this is the case.

You may want to take a look at language settings, and make sure that you haven't set some program to speak in different tongues.

You can also look at Start|Settings|Control Panel, and double click on Keyboard, look at the Hardware tab and make sure that the system has identified your keyboard as something at least remotely similar to what your keyboard says on its hood ornament.

If there are any loose kids (or other undesirables) around who might have been messing with settings, this is a good time to put them under a bright light and grill them unmercifully. It's unlikely to produce anything that will help with the computer but it's a good teacher/student situation for the kids (or other undesirables).

Try a different keyboard, if you happen to have one handy, and/or try this keyboard on a different machine - if there's one handy. Or, if indicated, get a new keyboard.

¹ On the remote chance that you may have a malware effect, a gratuitous System Restore probably will restore the malware, since it's likely to have been present when recent backups were made. It will also cause your system to make a new backup, and push the oldest previous one out of storage. Do it a couple of times, and all the available backup copies will contain all the errors. Use it when needed, but avoid using it manually unless you have confirmed that it's needed - which usually means you've examined the other reasonable causes for your problem.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 May 06 - 12:10 AM

"push the oldest previous one out of storage"

i.e. the one WITHOUT the problems...

:-)

been there, done that...

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 May 06 - 12:39 AM

Foolestroupe -

I'm gettin' real impressed with the way you just jump right on the points I'm tryin' to be subtle about.

You got it again. Good show!

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 May 06 - 12:49 AM

"Who says I'm stupid?"

Eagarn - from F Troop - ususally about half an hour later...

:P

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: Bassic
Date: 16 May 06 - 04:04 AM

If your keyboard is wireless then check the batteries. They last for months and months and its not something that needs doing often so its easy to forget that eventually they do wear out and need changing. They can give give rise to intermittent errors as they reach the end of their life. I have spent many an hour clicking around with a perfectly functional mouse trying to find the source of an intermittent keyboard problem only to discover the keyboard batteries were dying slowly.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: EBarnacle
Date: 16 May 06 - 07:55 PM

A system restore to an earlier date is not a system abuse. I had some sort of corruption last week and system restore to a week earlier gave me a chance to visit Microsoft's site and download a free fix. whatever the problem, it has not returned and I have beefed up my antivirus software...a win all around.
On the other hand, my sister had been having problems with her keyboard and printer. Once we removed a few pounds of cat hair, everything worked just fine...until she was hacked on her Linux computer.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: GUEST,infowars
Date: 16 May 06 - 08:01 PM

www.infowars.com

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: kendall
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:38 AM

I tank you all for the info. Apparently, rebooting works. No trouble lately.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: bobad
Date: 17 May 06 - 10:13 AM

If you are running XP, clicking on START/CONTROL PANEL/KEYBOARD brings up a window with three tabs, clicking on HARDWARE brings up a TROUBLESHOOT button, you can give that a try next time yor keyboard goes wonky.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: kendall
Date: 17 May 06 - 12:12 PM

Thanks, I do that.

Subject: RE: Tech: Crazy computer
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 May 06 - 03:18 PM

EBarnacle -

System Restore is a great tool, when you need it. The point I intended to make is that each use of System restore is likely to reduce the stored group of prior sytem records that you have available, and gratuitous use, before thinking a bit about what the real problem is, can actually make system restore unable to help you.

A reboot actually accomplishes a fairly comprehensive system verification, and can restore many corrupted files. The .dll files that contain a lot of the scripts that tell devices on the machine about settings and options get rewritten while the computer is running, and are subject to some occasional corruption. Often the reboot alone will bring them back. (Game programs that set new monitor settings or define special uses for keys on the keyboard are a common "corruptor," if they don't return the non-game settings correctly when you quit playing.)

Once obvious hardware glitches are eliminated, or when you've made a recent system change that might have introduced a new problem, System Restore provides a good way to get everything back.

And if you've got enough cat hair around to foul the keyboard, as I do, don't forget occasionally to vacuum out the airholes on the computer. When the furballs block the fans, components can start to make smoke (usually invisibly) and all kinds of exotic things can happen - sometimes expensive things.

John