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09-10-2016, 08:23 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Weird Windows 7 Problem
No, I never upgraded to Windows 10, but I've got a new and strange problem. When I type on the keyboard, after about 50 characters, the characters simply quit appearing on the screen. If I left click, then it starts working OK again for another 50 characters. Similarly, if I use the mouse scroll wheel, I can only scroll for a few frames, then have to left click to continue.
My Google searches on this problem have been unsuccessful, but maybe I'm not hitting the sweet spot for search terms. Any techies out there with an insight into this?
Thanks.
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09-10-2016, 08:27 AM
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#2
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,514
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Does this happen across different applications, such as excel, word, and different browsers?
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09-10-2016, 08:27 AM
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#3
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 756
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USB keyboard? Try a different one. Sounds like a USB port issue (assume your mouse is USB also).
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09-10-2016, 09:03 AM
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#4
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Utrecht
Posts: 2,650
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Stuff like that happens to me too sometimes. Usually switching applications helps, sometimes reboot.
It's one of these *huh?* things. Have an in-built keyboard.
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09-10-2016, 09:21 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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I would do a reboot and if that doesn't fix it, I would recommend a scan for malicious software. Have you tried the Fn+Num Lock trick?
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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09-10-2016, 09:29 AM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FIREmenow
USB keyboard? Try a different one. Sounds like a USB port issue (assume your mouse is USB also).
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+1 - my wife had a similar problem with her desktop computer, solved by adding a USB PCI card to the motherboard. A temporary fix was to do a hard restart - turn off the computer, kill the power and hold the power button for 20sec or so.
P.S. DW was in the middle of a work project, so I did not bother to parse out whether this was a software/hardware issue - PCI card fixed it either way.
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09-10-2016, 03:02 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
Does this happen across different applications, such as excel, word, and different browsers?
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Doesn't seem to do it in word processor. I tried using Chrome to access this site and post a fake message by pounding the keyboard and it didn't seem to happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FIREmenow
USB keyboard? Try a different one. Sounds like a USB port issue (assume your mouse is USB also).
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Yes it is a USB keyboard. A different keyboard or a different USB port?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Totoro
Stuff like that happens to me too sometimes. Usually switching applications helps, sometimes reboot.
It's one of these *huh?* things. Have an in-built keyboard.
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I turn it off every night - no difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
I would do a reboot and if that doesn't fix it, I would recommend a scan for malicious software. Have you tried the Fn+Num Lock trick?
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I've scanned with several programs including Malware Bytes. Not familiar with Fn+Numlock
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjorn2bwild
+1 - my wife had a similar problem with her desktop computer, solved by adding a USB PCI card to the motherboard. A temporary fix was to do a hard restart - turn off the computer, kill the power and hold the power button for 20sec or so.
P.S. DW was in the middle of a work project, so I did not bother to parse out whether this was a software/hardware issue - PCI card fixed it either way.
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May need to go there. Is this an easy installation?
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09-10-2016, 03:22 PM
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#8
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,290
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Try simply unplugging the keyboard and plug it back in? (Or the wireless transmitter if wireless.)
I had a similar issue in Windows 10 today. After installing MS Essentials (I wanted Photo Gallery to get photos off DW's iPhone) the wireless mouse wouldn't work. A reboot didn't help. So I went back to the wired mouse and that worked. Plugged in the transmitter for the wireless mouse again and all is good.
One of the mysteries of operating systems.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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09-10-2016, 03:25 PM
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#9
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,514
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I'd first eliminate the USB port as the issue. Plug the mouse into a different port (if you have one) and see it it works any better. Then do the same with the keyboard.
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09-10-2016, 04:46 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Utrecht
Posts: 2,650
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Thought about it some more.
Clicking the mouse does two things: it generates an interrupt and focuses on the current application.
One of those two is doing the trick and points to a hopeful solution. Does alt-tab work to get the typing or scrolling working again? Do it twice: switch to another application and then back.
If that works, something is stealing your 'focus', which means a background program usually is fooling around.
If not, you likely have a faulty driver. Reinstall the USB drivers or force an update.
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09-10-2016, 05:13 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
May need to go there. Is this an easy installation?
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If you get this far after trying all the other helpful suggestions, about on par with adding memory - open the side case, remove a slot blank, insert the PCI card.
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09-10-2016, 05:26 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
I'd first eliminate the USB port as the issue. Plug the mouse into a different port (if you have one) and see it it works any better. Then do the same with the keyboard.
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This is easy enough, I've moved the keyboard to another port. Now to see if it helps.
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09-11-2016, 09:29 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
This is easy enough, I've moved the keyboard to another port. Now to see if it helps.
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Ooops, no joy. It still craps out after about 50 characters / key strokes.
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09-11-2016, 10:19 AM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,670
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
Ooops, no joy. It still craps out after about 50 characters / key strokes.
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Now try SAFE MODE. That will eliminate a lot of software processes from the mystery.
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09-11-2016, 02:50 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by target2019
Now try SAFE MODE. That will eliminate a lot of software processes from the mystery.
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Thanks I'll try that next.
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09-11-2016, 03:06 PM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
Thanks I'll try that next.
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OK, this is posted in SAFE mode with networking and I can type as much as I want without interruption.
Edit to add, it seems to be OK even not in safe mode. I must not be using the right test conditions.
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09-11-2016, 03:11 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,127
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Any chance this could be related to a bad hard drive? I have a niece called me with a situation where her husband's laptop would seem to pause for about a second or two for no reason at all after typing, then resume. Had her run some commands and do some disk tools integrity checking (I had read about someone who had a similar situation). The commands had would fix the problem briefly, then the problem came back. They weren't comfortable with changing the HD on their own, so I think nothing happened and they just decided to use another laptop.
Just a theory on my part about the HD.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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09-11-2016, 03:25 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
Any chance this could be related to a bad hard drive? I have a niece called me with a situation where her husband's laptop would seem to pause for about a second or two for no reason at all after typing, then resume. Had her run some commands and do some disk tools integrity checking (I had read about someone who had a similar situation). The commands had would fix the problem briefly, then the problem came back. They weren't comfortable with changing the HD on their own, so I think nothing happened and they just decided to use another laptop.
Just a theory on my part about the HD.
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But left clicking, resumes it immediately. Would that square with your theory?
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09-11-2016, 03:36 PM
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#19
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,468
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Could the mouse be causing this? Do you, like me, happen to have an old (working) mouse in a junk box somewhere that you could try?
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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09-11-2016, 03:53 PM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Kerrville,Tx
Posts: 3,361
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
Any chance this could be related to a bad hard drive? I have a niece called me with a situation where her husband's laptop would seem to pause for about a second or two for no reason at all after typing, then resume. Had her run some commands and do some disk tools integrity checking (I had read about someone who had a similar situation). The commands had would fix the problem briefly, then the problem came back. They weren't comfortable with changing the HD on their own, so I think nothing happened and they just decided to use another laptop.
Just a theory on my part about the HD.
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Check the event log and see if the disc is getting errors.
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