ERRATIC SHIFT_CTRL_keys and cursor movement? 2

[preventec47]

intermittently my cap keys and ctrl and shift keys
misbehave when trying to type and use these keys
to control cursor movement when managing files in
windows explorer or even trying to type a message>

for instance< I just tried to type a period at
the end of the last sentence and a comma after the
word instances and it inserted the greater and less
than symbols and would not let me get to the period
or comma symbols> also in this message when i tRy
to backspace and use arrow keys they highlight whole
lines when they are only supposed To highlight single
character eTc>

i suspected accessibility options and turned all off
via control panel settings and also tried three different
keyboards to make sure key is not sticking
also switched to ps_two plug in keyboard to bypass
all dRivers am using xp_pro cannot make the
keyboard do a hyphen symbol jUSt now> also i played
with different repeat kEy rate and now i am seeing
that rapidly typed keys sometimes automatically capitalize

can these problems be some kind of switches in xp pro setup?

incidentialLy i tried To go back and insert The wordS
"a ResulT" aFter "be" but it will not let me move
the cursor back withouT deleting the whole line

i have never seen this type Of behavioR in thirty yearS
OF working on pc"s EvEn Since before dos computers and
cpm etc> i can browse Internet ok aND move files
around with windows eXploreR except that the shift
and ctrl keys AfFeCT whether Move or copy And the filEs
sometimeS get all scRewed uP > nEed sUggestioNs

DonT know why somE characters are captilized i am
not doing aNything diffeRent wIth keyboard ? ? ?

 

[rclarke250]

I had a system board that had some bad caps that acted like that. I used a diagnostic program (pc doctor)to help me find out what was going on. I noticed that during the keyboard test, the hex output would change. Changing the keyboard had no effect. then I looked at the board, and seen the blown caps. So either there was noise on the bus or something.

 

[linney]

Have you tried from Safe Mode, or from Normal Mode but with a different user?

You tried different Keyboards, did you try a different Mouse? Where are you plugging these Keyboards into, or are they wireless, or USB, or PS2?

When did this start happening?

I see lots of recommendations here for programs like this in case it is a malware cause.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

How does the On Screen Keyboard behave? Launch OSK.exe via Start/ Run.

 

[preventec47]

i am beginning to believe that the problem is inteRnal
motherboard related as i cannot type any numbers
and some function keys seem inoperable as i cannot
get system to recognize F_eight so i can test in safe
mode

however i rebooted fifteen times trying to get to safemode
and went to wordpad to test my key inputs and it is screwed
up there

i am using wireless mouse and i switched out wireless keyboard to use keyboard with PS_two plug inpuT that uses no drivers

the system seems fine in every way except for keyboard input
as i was able to surf internet with mouse and sign back on
here.>>>>> currently caps Lock is reversed and is on
while i am typing all these letters

this is a five year old HP and i guess it is worn out
and i need to get a new computer>>>>>

i really hate that as it means a day or two taken to
set up new system and copy data from old hard drive etc

worse< i have to buy old used system to get another xp_pro
as i dont have the time to learn new op sys right now and
sacrifice my productivity

man this really bugs me as i know it is never feasable
to do repairs to motherboards on five year old computers


i was very much hoping it was a problem in the xp_pro setup
somehow

other suggestions would be appreciated if anyone has any
thanks

 

[preventec47]

BTW I TRIED TO LAUNCH OSK ( CAPS LOCK NOW TURNED OFF )
from start_run but i cannot get the system to type
a dot in front of the exe

nor can i type any numbers whether it be from number pad
or above letter keys

dang it i have now wasted about six or seven hours
trying to finagle a repair or solution etc

this is the softest hardware failure i have ever had

 

[preventec47]

REGARDING on screen keyboard i did not realize it but
i was able to launch the program with out the dot exe
and i went to wordpad and also email program and tried
to input data and the onscreen keyboard does not work at
all

perhaps i am doing something wrong but i bring the osk
up over my email or word pad screen and try to click
on letters or numbers and i get no input whatsoever

so this is encouraging as this would dictate a software
cause rather than hardware i believe

also when attempting to use the on screen keyboard the
numbers and shift key identities were changing and moving
all around so i am going to try the malware link listed
above> if this is a virus i will be relieved and mad

 

[goombawaho]

I believe it's Microsoft messing with your computer after a Windows update (see other post).

 

[preventec47]

i ran the full scans with the malware detection software
and it found nothing> although i was hopeful it was
a virus or something because the on screen keyboard does
not work properly and seems to show the shift keys being
automatically and intermittently i am now once again
puzzled and feel it must be a hardware malfunction as there
must be some hardware component that controlls both plug in
keyboards and onscreen keyboards once again i have
reached the conclusion that the problem cannot be repaired
cost effectively and must acquire new computer what a shame
as much of it works real well as i sit here and type this
but without shift or control key or numbers functions etc

 

[JockMullin]

Bit of a long shot, but before scrapping the system I would try swapping the memory around. It could be a problem in low memory. If so, moving the problem to high memory should at least change the symptoms.

However it really sounds like a mobo problem.

Before doing anything, make sure you have a viable backup of your data.

Jock

 

[mscallisto]

There is another way (maybe) to get to safe mode:

Start > Run > msconfig

in the Boot.ini tab check Safeboot and choose Minimal

Click OK > click Restart

This should bring you to Safemode

Also have you tried updating your keyboard drivers?

Good Luck

Sam

 

[rclarke250]

another easy way to rule out software, is create a boot-able dos diskette and at the a:> test out the keyboard. you would at least be able to test shift and a number key, along with caps lock, and number pad.

 

[preventec47]

thanks i will try to enter safe mode via start run
meanwhile facts:
onscreen keyboard malfunctions same way as hardware keyboard?

_ system fails to recognize f_eight at bootup although
it does recognize f_nine and f_ten ? ? ?

i am using newly purchased keyboard to rule out keyboard
problems and am using ps_two plug system which was
my understanding functions without any drivers at all
into xp_pro

have run virus checker and found no virus>>> however safemode
should provide greater confidence that no external software
conflicts are causing problem i will use wordpad if
i can get into safe mode and maybe even attempt on screen
keyboard>

i need the kind of pc diagnostics programs that we used
to have !% i mean fifteen years ago ( cannot type numbers)
that would boot up as its own op system thereby sparing
us the trouble of trying to reinstall xp_pro just to see
if it was op sys problem i will ask that in another post
to see if today there are any bootable diagnostics programs>
heck even a bootable linux cd rom would work just as well
i think for testing but i dont have one of those either

 

[preventec47]

MAY I JUST SAY RCLARK TWO FIFTY "s suggestion is shear
genius ! ! ! why did i never think about dos even when
i was thinking about bootable linux etc> funny how
we forget>

in any case< i did have a bootable dos diskette and sure
enough i cannot type any numbers at the command prompt
or lower case punctuation either !

i guess that totally rules out software as the problem
and saved me hours and hours of time and effort installing
new xp_pro software like HP wanted me to do

I will miss this system as it has been good to me for
more than five years>>>>> i am going out to one
of the used computer stores and buy another old xp_pro
system hopefully i will be able to install my drive
into the other system as a second drive and copy all
the data over

still the strangest experience here was the identical
malfunction of the onscreen keyboard> that really
fooled me ____________ way down deep< it must be driven by the
same piece of hardware

 

[mscallisto]

Hmmm

I've never heard of a keyboard not needing a driver, can you look at he following:

RightClick My Computer and click properties > hardware tab > Device manager then look for the "keyboards" entry and click the + sign to expand.

Double click on your PS/2 keyboard entry and pick the "driver" tab to see the driver version.

You can try the "Update Driver" option but I suspect the version on your PC may be hosed (thus your problem).

I would download a new driver from the web and try that.

good luck

Sam

 

[linney]

If you end up with Windows 7, get the Professional (or higher) edition, then if your XP programs fail to work, you can install and use the free Virtual Machine XP Mode which will install and run XP (XP is supplied free and licensed), or, if you want, just the individual XP applications inside Windows 7.

Windows Virtual PC
Download Windows XP Mode

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Windows XP Mode (Windows 7 only, but not any of the Home versions) "You are not eligible to download Windows XP Mode. You must have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate to run Windows XP Mode".

 

[stduc]

If you are planning to ditch the system you have nothing to lose by attempting to repair the mobo.
Extract mobo.
Inspect capacitors and replace any that are leaking or bulging. Refit and try it out.
If the capacitors look OK then remove RAM, CPU Heatsink and CPU. Pre-heat an oven to 200C, 392F and pop the mobo in for 3 minutes. Remove, allow to cool, Refit CPU with a new heatpad and rebuild PC - Test.

Why can this work? It melts the solder just enough to fix any dry joints without (hopefully) melting anything important!

WARNING - This is a LAST DITCH repair attempt on mobo's prior to ditching them. i.e. The decision to ditch has already been taken!


[navy]When I married "Miss Right" I didn't realise her first name was 'always'. LOL[/navy]

 

[preventec47]

TO MSCALLISTO abOut drivers
yes i weNt to the devicE inFo areas that you specified
and indeed you aRE right _____ there is a driver for
the one_oh_Two key standarD us keyboard. i clIcked
on the uPdate pull doWn option and gavE PermISsion
to accesS the microsoft dRivEr wEbsItE To seARch for
updated Drivers and the uPdate routiNEs came bacK
and told me that it coulD NoT loCate A drIvER that was
more recent thAN the one i Was USIng_------_ i could
not see a way to force it To ovErrIght my existinG driver
with a new copy of the same driver from The microsoft
website_---_____now how would i dO that? i have
taken a screen copy of the page that shows the
file names for my Keyboard dRivers And i considered
reNAMing them manuaLly and relocatiNg tHem and theryby allOwing the system to downloAD the driver that it miGht
have found althouGh it did not say a driver was located
_______ just that the update routine could not find a newer one_______ it may not have founD any drivers at all

now My question is ____ since i booted off Of a DOS diskette and i could not enter numbers or control the shift function punctuation>>>> doesnt that basically tell me that the
problem is driver independent ?

let me make an interesting comment here ______ when booted under xp_pro just as i am typing now____ i cannot enter
any numbers from either the numeric keypad (with or without the num_locK key activated) however____ when booted from dos diskette i was abLE to activatE the num lock key
and enter numberS from the numeric keyPad at THe control prompt________i Thought that was very strange to be able to do a little more With the dos environment keyboard than with the xp_Pro enVironment keyboard



erEFor

 

[stduc]

I would say it's the mobo - no special driver is required for DOS for shift, caps or numlock. Drivers are required to get the £$#¬ etc keys to be correct!

If you can, try booting another machine to DOS via bootable floppy with that keyboard. See what the situation is. If that PC is happy then it has to be the mobo.
BTW if is a PS2 keyboard and you have been plugging/unplugging it with the PC powered up that can mess up the mobo! Unlikely, but possible.

[navy]When I married "Miss Right" I didn't realise her first name was 'always'. LOL[/navy]

 

[linney]

attn ! Cosmic Impossibility- wasted $450 on new system
thread779-1605048

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1605048&page=1

 

[preventec47]

THE FINAL UPDATE with problem finally found.

WIRELESS mouse was somehow interfering with keyboard
operation even though the microsoft wireless mouse
appeared to be functioning perfectly. ie all arrow
movement and click functions were working like they
were supposed to.

I only found this out after swapping monitors, building
a completely new computer and building an independent
110 Volt AC power source.

When I switched my "old mouse" (about one year old) over
to the new computer I had the same identical keyboard
input erratic and intermittent function.
When the totally brand new computer malfunctioned
back at home after significant testing at the store
I swore my house was haunted with ghosts.

Expensive lesson for me but well learned. NEVER any
wireless input devices for me ever again !