Laptop Keybpard problem

[Peter Parker]

Laptop Keyboard problem

Late last night the "n' key on my laptop stopped working. It can be depressed but I see no character. I opened an office app and a string of ns---even without typing. Then it became every character from the n to the right all the way to the shift key.

I suspect a keyboard problem but was wondering if anyone knows of a piece of malware that might cause this.

 

[stevelite]

on my XP machine, there is On-Screen Keyboard under Programs/Accsessories/Accessibility/On-Screen Keyboard which allow you to enter keys via screen.

 

[Peter Parker]

Thanks. Not really a long term solution but maybea stopgap.

 

[Peter Parker]

I was told to try changing the country setting and then setting it back----worth a try I guess.

 

[FabianC]

I was told to try changing the country setting and then setting it back----worth a try I guess.

Can you service/return from where ever you bought it from?

 

[hdtvtechno]

Who made the Laptop ?

 

[Peter Parker]

Gateway has agreed to RMA it. They want me to do a full system restore to the original config first though. They think it is spyware and I agree---especially since it has spread to the arrow keys and the enter key.

I have run Ad Aware, Spybot S&D, the Microsoft beta package and everything else I can come up with. Nothing was found. Since i can no longer get to safe mode because of this (I can't move up on the screen when I get the bootup menu) I could definitely see it lurking.

I may geta cheap USB keyboard. But I need to back up data and then run the system restore.

 

[cclement]

That's odd. My friend has a Dell laptop and the s or z key would fill the screen. Other keys wouldn't work. I thought virus/spyware, so I fornatted and re-installed XP- still does it!

Chatting with Dell now....

 

[Peter Parker]

A USB keyboard works fine. I will be backing up this weekend and then doing the system restore and RMAing.

 

[Van]

I have had this problem on two desktop boards, both were old, one was a microsoft the other a logysis. It would start the same way and if one key was pressed another number or letter would come up. I replaced the one with the other and didnt see it again for a year and then it started again and I replaced that board with my current board. The first board and second board became contaminated with the usual crumbs and hair and lint but also moisture wich bridged the gap with the wafer terminals. If you open a desktop keyboard up you will find several sheets of hard plastic with wiring sandwiched into the plastic sheet, this is where the moisture got into and caused the failure on mine, it also happened to my laptop and was one of 5 primary componants that was replaced due to moisture damage.