Keyboard issues Created 12 years ago2012-06-21 08:44:11 UTC by Alabastor_Twob

I turned on my computer today and I found out that I can't type in my password. The keyboard just doesn't want to work properly. I thought maybe I had accidentally changed the keyboard layout last time I used it, but after typing in my password using both Dvorak and Colemak I noticed that the keys were acting strange. Some of the keys were typing in two characters at once, or some of them would sometimes type one character, and sometimes 2. I didn't want to do a fresh reinstall because I had a few things that I didn't want to lose.
I looked up how to reset the password using command line, but once I got onto it an was able to see what characters were being typed I saw that when I pressed a key for example, G, it would type #g. Every key was in the right place for a Qwerty keyboard, just some of them would type a '#' or a '~' before the proper character. The arrow keys would type several characters, so I couldn't move the cursor to get rid of the #'s, so I couldn't use the command line.
I then decided to reinstall Ubunti, but when it came to set the keyboard layout the same thing would happen no matter what layout I set it to.

So basically, does anyone know what's happening? I would guess it's a hardware issue, because it kept happening even after reinstalling the OS, but to be honest I don't know.
I got really angry because I've been trying to get my computer working for 6 months, and then after I had fixed everything this happened, and I don't have the slightest clue how to fix ot, or what could have even caused it.
Not only that but my iPod won't let me create an account on the Ubuntu forums, so I can't ask about it there.
So does anyone have any ideas what's causing it?

The internal connection lines must be damaged or short circuited. So when you press one key, the keyboard gets a different signal and assumes you pressed something else.

Get a new one dude.

Did you try to use another keyboard ?
I had a similar problem where the keyboard didnt work at all and only worked after a few restarts. Probably a northbridge problem if you still have one.

I had to go to a restaurant, and when I came back the problem had fixed itself. Maybe it is a short circuit or something then.

I have noticed one or two ants on my desk or crawling out of the heating vents every now and then, I suppose it might be possible that one has bitten through a wire.

I haven't yet tried another keyboard. I don't have access to any USB keyboards,, and I don't have any tools on hand to try swapping it out with the keyboard on my brother's laptop.

I suppose I will have to do it when I get back to Ireland.

Thanks.

Ants ? Batter get rid of them. Once ants destroyed my GPU by crawling on the other side of the processor where the sticker is and shorted it out.

I suppose it might be possible that one has bitten through a wire

I find that improbable.

Once ants destroyed my GPU by crawling on the other side of the processor where the sticker is and shorted it out

I find that amusing. I just imagined an ant experiencing an electric shock.

My computer is an insect killing machine. During summer, I occasionally find hordes of dead mosquitoes inside. The fans kill 'em.

Ant, call your army back. Your efforts are futile.

TJB you didn't spill anything on it, did you? The double-typing keys and such sounds like what happened to my blackwidow after i spilled coffee on it. The day after I bought it.

I just took the keycaps off, dried the board, and it was as good as new. Good thing I dont put sugar in my coffee.

Blackwidow not resistant to coffee ? Better be careful then

The only thing my fans kill are my fingers, got hit hard like 10 times while messing around with the shit inside.
Also lol, i find it hard to believe ants frying anything.

Haha you soft fingered girls.. Try touching a car supercharger fan!

Bruce we all know you bend jet turbines with your look only, no need to brag about it

There are a lot of capacitors there and a sticker so they crawled under the sticker. I was playing w3 at that moment and suddenly all the textures were gone

Haha, better ants than snakes i always said xD
Ants stealing your megahertz and gigabits lol

This is the first time i heard ants fooked up anything. Thats a genuine bug!

Good thing it still had a warranty or i would have been stuck with GeForce 4

GF4?I feel happy i swapped my GF4 quickly when i had it for 5200. It was so weak it was not funny.

I played Quake4 on it w/o lag. I still have that Gf4 somewhere

I would definitely try that same keyboard on a different computer, and a different keyboard on your computer.

As for insects, I never understood how some people's computers get crammed with various bugs. Some people even get whole colonies of cockroaches. I never had anything more than normal dust. A shitload of it, but just that.

My neighbours had ants, and since i live in a flat everyone had them. I set traps for them and you wouldnt believe how many died. And i never seen an ant ever since.

Ants piss this acid everywhere they walk so they could cause short...

nup, still cant take Bruce seriously with his KISS avatar...

I think his avatar is pretty bad ass

It probably is rather improbable that the ants caused it but they're the only thing that is different from where I normally use it. Either way, I have since sprayed around the edges of the desk with insect killer, so that should stop them getting onto it.
I haven't spilled anything on it. I have got droplets of milk on the keys once or twice from eating cereal, but I've never seen it go in between the keys at all.

ants will find even the smallest trace of food, so try to keep everything in your dwelling as clean as you can. But if you already have them they can be tough to get rid of.

I found a remedy online for mixing laundry detergent and something sweet, like maple syrup or even corn syrup. (i think i tried 1/4 unsented powdered soap and 3/4 whatever sweet base you can find)

Also, you can mix regular/dry powdered or granulated sugar with the detergent, which they will carry back to the nest and kill the young.

I have read that artificial sweeters by themselves are deadly to ants and will kill the whole nest, but i've never tried it..

good luck with these persistent little buggers, you may need it!

I think his avatar is pretty bad ass

The avatar is a cropped image of the Dynasty album cover photo.
The first song of that album is I Was Made For Lovin You, a popular love song that is played even today on good radios. This leads me to think that Bruce's ridiculously masculine behavior is because he's in love.

Detective Striker at work.

Fucking cockroaches find something to do