Laptoppositelock

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 03/04/2019 at 14:09 • Filed to: None

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My work laptop is a Dell, about 3 years old. Up for replacement at 4. Lately I started noticing it would just insert a few characters of text while I was typing. Or not typing, for that matter. I’d get this (not with the quotes): “;E?” and then two .

The worst part (other than having random characters inserted into text) was the because it would submit dialogue boxes, hit ‘cancel’ on progress of things like copying of files, etc.

So what do I do? Call tech support, of course! Oh wait, that’s me. I ran all the same processes I would for someone if they contacted us with this issue, ran a variety of scans (all came up empty), looked at processes running (didn’t see anything unusual), disabled recently-installed plugins for Firefox even though the problem is far more recent than anything I’ve installed. I updated any drivers that seemed remotely relevant from Dell and updated BIOS as well. No change.

I might go a few days without seeing it, or a few hours, but then I’d see it 3 times in 5 seconds, and again 5 minutes later. It happened in a variety of programs, in or out of a dock, on battery or plugged in, with no apparent pattern whatsoever.

I don’t keep anything essential on the local hard drive anyway, but I quickly backed up a few things and made a list of what software I have installed. Then I just handed it to a student tech to have it re-imaged. I was out of ideas and was slightly concerned by random characters being typed without my input. So it’ll be a fresh new computer by 3:00, and I get to re-install everything I use regularly ... oh boy! If this doesn’t solve it, then it’s hardware and the thing is out of warranty... so I’ll be trying to convince the department(s) I work for to get me something new before I’m really due.

Wish me luck!

Nibby > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:14

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sounds more like a weird hardware issue... try reseating the keyboard connector

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:20

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Does it have the same problem when using an external keyboard? If you’ve got one handy that would possibly be a quick way to determine if it’s software or hardware.

Chariotoflove > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:20

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I think I’ve found your problem. Cat-driven dictation systems are known to be significantly less reliable than software-based ones like Dragon.

I agree with Nibby though.  It sounds like hardware.

AestheticsInMotion > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:21

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I’ve had the issue with kinja and a few other forums where letters would get randomly inserted when typing on phone, or random backspaces would show up as I'm typing , or I’d hit “ spacebar ” and for whatever reason that would merge two words about a paragraph back.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:23

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You know it may not be a software problem at all and the keyboard could be bad?

facw > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:24

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Yeah, this sounds like a hardware issue. Re-imaging it is a terrible way to do things. At the very least, they should be either swapping your drive into another identical laptop, or putting a new drive in yours and reinstalling there to verify it is a software issue. Wiping out all your data should be a last resort, not the first. And probably they should just be calling Dell and making them come by to swap in a new keyboard. If they weren’t willing to get an onsite service warranty for the planned useful life of the laptop, then they need to be ready with spares or be willing to order and install a new keyboard no questions asked.

I’m extremely distrustful of IT departments who are happy to stick users in a bad situation if it makes life easier for them.

TheRealBicycleBuck > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:24

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I concur with Nibby. It’s a hardware problem. If reseating the keyboard connector doesn’t work, try an external keyboard for a while. If that doesn’t fix it, replacement keyboards are pretty cheap .

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:25

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I have nothing to contribute other than: For a while I was having a problem on Facebook where everything was typing backwards, like someone was holding the left arrow as I was typing. Have no idea what caused it. Just went away eventually.

gettingoldercarguy > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 14:32

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Hardware, get an external keyboard.

Arrivederci > facw 03/04/2019 at 14:51

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I think we give up and reimage things far too quickly here as well.

functionoverfashion > facw 03/04/2019 at 14:58

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In defense of the IT department here, it’s my choice to re-image as a diagnostic because I don’t mind.

You’re right that putting the HD in an identical body would be a good step, but there weren’t any spares at the time so I just said go ahead. I don’t mind a clean image.

I suppose if this doesn’t solve it, we could hunt down a spare of the same model and do some more tinkering.

The only reason we’re out of warranty is just because we don’t have the money to support 3-year replacement cycles. The warranty we get for 3 years is complete coverage including accidents, and most of the repairs can be done in-house.

functionoverfashion > Chariotoflove 03/04/2019 at 14:59

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I do agree... we shall see. The cat has been good up to now, though! ha

functionoverfashion > AestheticsInMotion 03/04/2019 at 14:59

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I’ve had that happen in the past, across several devices - only on Kinja though. So I blamed Kinja.

functionoverfashion > TheRealBicycleBuck 03/04/2019 at 15:00

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I usually use it with a dock at work. I changed keyboards (the one I was using was pretty new, but you know...) and still no change. It also does it out of the dock, using the internal keyboard.

functionoverfashion > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 03/04/2019 at 15:00

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I usually use it with an external keyboard via a dock. Changed kb, no difference. Use it out of the dock, no difference.

functionoverfashion > Nibby 03/04/2019 at 15:03

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I agree, it does. That’s a good idea. The thing is, other than re-installing some software, re-imaging isn’t a huge inconvenience for me. I switch between my Dell and an MacBook all the time, so my stuff is all remote/cloud. Except about a dozen programs I can install while I work.

Anyway. That’s why I jumped to a re-image, to eliminate the possibility of a software cause (or reduce it greatly, I guess, since I’m installing most of the same old stuff again.

functionoverfashion > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/04/2019 at 15:04

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Yes... but this will eliminate that possibility for the most part. A re-image isn’t that inconvenient for me actually. If it remains a problem, there might be an identical unit I could swap mine for, but there wasn’t one in the shop today. I have a Macbook I use about 50% of the time so I’m on that now.

At least I’ve tried an external keyboard (two of them) as that’s what I use most of the time. It’s the same on and off the dock.

functionoverfashion > gettingoldercarguy 03/04/2019 at 15:05

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... I use one most of the time, but it’s the same on and off the dock, and stuck with me through a change in external keyboard.

TheRealBicycleBuck > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 15:07

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Well, that isn’t good. Is the internal keyboard disabled when the external is plugged in? If not, it still may be related to the internal keyboard.

gettingoldercarguy > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 15:43

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Is the factory keyboard disabled?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 15:46

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O rder a replacement laptop keyboard from Dell and swap out the old with the new.

functionoverfashion > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 03/04/2019 at 16:41

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may have to look at that, but it’s out of warranty now, so... we might have another body in the shop somewhere that I could steal from. Didn’t see one today but I have to ask some guys who weren’t in today. 

functionoverfashion > gettingoldercarguy 03/04/2019 at 16:43

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Interesting, nope. That’s a good idea to try

Nibby > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 17:32

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That stuff really doesn’t happen through software...

NojustNo > functionoverfashion 03/04/2019 at 21:04

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I’ve never I’ve never seen the option to disable an internal laptop keyboard.