Weird Windows 7 Problem

[Totoro]

Hit Alt-Tab twice: switch away from your active application, and then back.

See if that does anything.

 

[easysurfer]

I could be typing this reply and the key strokes would simply not register after awhile. No other keys hit, cursor remains in target area - it just stops typing.

How long ago did you first notice the symptoms?

Did you make any hardware, software changes since the symptoms started happening?

Narrow down from there first to see if a hardware or software issue. Use different mouse, keyboard to test. Use a different port connection for mouse, keyboard. Process of elimination.

 

[DatumPoint5]

One "out of the box" consideration is that you have a "keylogger" maliciously installed and it is not functioning as well as the hackers would like it to. When a keylogger is installed on your machine, your keystrokes are intercepted long enough to record them and then they are sent on their merry-way to the target application. If the keylogger is "misbehaving" it records your keystrokes, but, then does not send them onto the target application.

I think a really good/deep virus scan is in order on top of all the other very fine suggestions.

 

[travelover]

One "out of the box" consideration is that you have a "keylogger" maliciously installed and it is not functioning as well as the hackers would like it to. When a keylogger is installed on your machine, your keystrokes are intercepted long enough to record them and then they are sent on their merry-way to the target application. If the keylogger is "misbehaving" it records your keystrokes, but, then does not send them onto the target application.

I think a really good/deep virus scan is in order on top of all the other very fine suggestions.

Interesting possibility. Is the Malwarebytes free version good/deep enough?

 

[DatumPoint5]

Keyloggers are almost always installed as "rootkits". I am not sure if rootkit detection is available in MalwareBytes. However, Malwarebytes has a free "anti-rootkit scanner available from their website at this link...........
https://www.malwarebytes.com/antirootkit/

Also, when you download this software from Malwarebytes, the default rootkit signatures file is from 2014. Take the time to press the "Update" button to get the 2016 version. It only takes a few seconds to download.

 

[travelover]

Keyloggers are almost always installed as "rootkits". I am not sure if rootkit detection is available in MalwareBytes. However, Malwarebytes has a free "anti-rootkit scanner available from their website at this link...........
https://www.malwarebytes.com/antirootkit/

Also, when you download this software from Malwarebytes, the default rootkit signatures file is from 2014. Take the time to press the "Update" button to get the 2016 version. It only takes a few seconds to download.

Thanks. Just ran it. No joy, but a good resource.

 

[sengsational]

I'm kind of familiar with what's usually in the Task Manager, so if something weird starts happening, I'll right click on the Task Bar, open Task Manager, and see what's been taking CPU and/or memory (on the Processes tab). You can start closing things (right click, end process). Even if you close "something important", it will be back after you reboot. You can right click and open file location to get more insight into what each process is doing. But, yeah, first, I'd close any applications I knew I had open (except for the one you're going to test typing with). Then I'd go to Task Manager and I'd close one, do a little typing, close another one, to a little typing, etc. You might stumble into the bad actor.

 

[travelover]

Hit Alt-Tab twice: switch away from your active application, and then back.

See if that does anything.

This seems to work. What would that tell me?

 

[Totoro]

It tells you there is no hardware problem. That's good.

The downside is that you'll have some more detective work to do: You have an application running that 'steals focus'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stealing

You need to find out which one. I'd use process explorer for that (it's from Microsoft), the only issue is that it's hard to explain how exactly to use it. It's basically trial and error trying to find which application it is, and then removing or updating it.

Here is an introduction and download link to process explorer:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

 

[DatumPoint5]

If you are not "up to" learning how to use Process Explorer, another way to see which application is "stealing focus" is to just wait for it to happen, and then look down at your taskbar. One of the icons will be "brighter" than the others. That application may have "taken focus" but the dialog box it is trying to present is not showing. Click on the application icon once or twice and it will probably bring the dialog box forward so you can confirm the issue is with that application.

 

[travelover]

If you are not "up to" learning how to use Process Explorer, another way to see which application is "stealing focus" is to just wait for it to happen, and then look down at your taskbar. One of the icons will be "brighter" than the others. That application may have "taken focus" but the dialog box it is trying to present is not showing. Click on the application icon once or twice and it will probably bring the dialog box forward so you can confirm the issue is with that application.

Would the task manager also show the culprit due to the large amount of memory being used?

 

[Totoro]

Worth a look, a process with high CPU load and or I/O operations can also be a candidate.

Do you have a
[list of] plausible candidate? => google its name or post it here. If its fairly harmless to stop just shut it down and see if that fixes the issue.

[Edit] Before you do, check first. Some processes are essential and stopping them can cause harm.

 

[travelover]

Worth a look, a process with high CPU load and or I/O operations can also be a candidate.

Do you have a
[list of] plausible candidate? => google its name or post it here. If its fairly harmless to stop just shut it down and see if that fixes the issue.

[Edit] Before you do, check first. Some processes are essential and stopping them can cause harm.

The second highest user beyond Firefox is Avira System Speedup. I tried uninstalling it, and now need to see if it was the culprit.

 

[travelover]

The second highest user beyond Firefox is Avira System Speedup. I tried uninstalling it, and now need to see if it was the culprit.

I think I've solved my problem. I recall now adding this free program about the time the issue showed up, but did not notice the issue right away and forgot about the added program.

Thanks for all the patient answers from my friends, here.

 

[easysurfer]

Glad you found the culprit travelover. When something says "Speedup", that's a hint it will slow things down .

 

[Totoro]

Good to hear you got it!

 

[easysurfer]

I think I've solved my problem. I recall now adding this free program about the time the issue showed up, but did not notice the issue right away and forgot about the added program.

Thanks for all the patient answers from my friends, here.

In the heat of the battle, always good to take a step back and consider when the issues starting showing up and if any changes were made.

For my system backups with Macrium Reflect, I set 60 days worth of backups (oldest backup rolls off each day). That way, when I come into a situation where I'm scratching my head not knowing why something isn't working right, at least if I know when things started acting strangely, I have 60 days back to play with .

 

[travelover]

In the heat of the battle, always good to take a step back and consider when the issues starting showing up and if any changes were made.

For my system backups with Macrium Reflect, I set 60 days worth of backups (oldest backup rolls off each day). That way, when I come into a situation where I'm scratching my head not knowing why something isn't working right, at least if I know when things started acting strangely, I have 60 days back to play with .

Good idea.