Laptop keyboard acting very strange...

[kpgills]

Hi Al,

Any help on the following is greatfully received.

I`ve just pulled a laptop apart, removed the keyboard etc, to fit a new CD ROM drive.

It`s all back together but when it boots into Windows it`s almost as if the alt key is stuck down and the keyboard will only work for shortcut keys (i.e in MS Word pushing F will open the file menu, and thinks like o just make the keyboard beep).

If I double click on a shortcut the mouse displays the properties menu instead of launching the programme!!

If I go into DOS Prompt and type the keyboard works fine - any ideas?

It`s a Sony Vaio PCG-F709 laptop.

Thanks,

Keith

[Stryker]

Very strange!
This is assuming you have Win XP...
Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility and open the On-Screen Keyboard. See if clicking the keys on the keyboard in the on-screen version works properly. If so, you can be pretty sure it's a mechanical problem with the keyboard and not some strange software glitch.

[kpgills]

Thanks for the reply. I`ve tried the on screen keyboard and it does nothing!!

Reinstall?

[Stryker]

Originally Posted by kpgills If I double click on a shortcut the mouse displays the properties menu instead of launching the programme!!

For this one, go into Control Panel (Start > Control Panel) and check your Mouse settings. It's possible that your mouse is operating in left handed mode (although you have probably looked at this... just checking). Your button configurations may be out of whack (yes that's a technical term)

Originally Posted by kpgills If I go into DOS Prompt and type the keyboard works fine - any ideas?

I'm wondering if you have a missing system font or something. Try opening Notepad (In Programs > Accessories... if you can!) and see if you can enter plain text there.

It seems pretty evident that it's a Windows thing. If you DOS prompt works, we know it's not mechanical. Good luck!

[kpgills]

Thanks again for the reply. I`ve tried the above and still no luck!!

Even if I plug in an external keyboard it does the same thing. Any other ideas as I`m really stuck now!!!

[Mesaeus]

Well, since it started happening after you removed and reinstalled the keyboard, it's pretty much a no brainer that there's the problem. Plugging in an external keyboard won't fix it if the alt key is somehow stuck or shorting on the laptop keyboard, since most laptops I know use both at the same time (the laptop keyboard is not disabled when you use an external one). So I'm assuming you already checked if the alt keys are not physically stuck (both of them) ? Then disassemble the keyboard and see if you can take one of the alt's off, reassemble and see if it works now, and try the other one if not. Most standard keyboards have keys you can remove from the key switches to clean them, I dunno about laptops though.

[kpgills]

Thanks to everyone above for their help, much apprechiated.

I ended up unplugging the keyboard from the laptop and plugging in an external keyboard, it now all works fine!! I`ll have to get a new keyboard for it from ebay!

Thanks again,

Keith

[theeunthuziast]

Originally Posted by kpgills Hi Al, Any help on the following is greatfully received. I`ve just pulled a laptop apart, removed the keyboard etc, to fit a new CD ROM drive. It`s all back together but when it boots into Windows it`s almost as if the alt key is stuck down and the keyboard will only work for shortcut keys (i.e in MS Word pushing F will open the file menu, and thinks like o just make the keyboard beep). If I double click on a shortcut the mouse displays the properties menu instead of launching the programme!! If I go into DOS Prompt and type the keyboard works fine - any ideas? It`s a Sony Vaio PCG-F709 laptop. Thanks, Keith

I have a sony-vaio PCG-frv26 laptop
I am having the same exact problem and have a few questions.

1) How did you get the case off for your laptop to disable the internal keyboard? I thought I found all the screws, but the case just wont snap off in certain areas....do I need more than a screwdriver to get this casing off?

2) Did you find anything else to fix the current problem....i cant reinstall windows becuase when I go to the fresh install from the boot...it still wont let me hit "f8" to continue the install process....so I am stuck with the current recovery version that comes built into all sony laptops.

3) Whats a good keyboard to get to replace the onboard keyboard? Is disabling the onboard keyboard a matter of detaching a wire?

4) Once you replaced the keyboard did your mouse stop acting strange?

5) I thought this was a virus...but it seems not...if you managed to get yours back up an running...please post anytthing else you found about this problem....I have spent hours working on this issue, and just want my darn laptop back...I never did take anything apart in the first place, it just started acting like this out of the blue.....very weird.

Thanks in advance

[brycerice]

I'm having the same problem on my Dell Latitude D810, and I am positive that it is not the alt key physically sticking. It randomly happens when I am typing text, and my laptop is only two months old (never had any spills on it). Many people suggest to go to accessibility options to disactivate Stickykeys but it doesn't work.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.

- Bryce
brycerice85@hotmail.com

[glc]

If it's only 2 months old, I'd be on the phone to Dell. That's what warranties and free tech support are for.