Laptop Keyboard Problem

[nittany605]

Got a problem I've never seen before and can't seem to find an answer to.

I'm running a Toshiba Satellite M35x-s349, XP SP2. The keyboard is giving me issues (I'm typing this on a desktop). The only keys I'm having trouble with are the "3edc" (all in the same vertical row). They randomly spew garbage out at me (ex. I press "c" and get "cvm;" or press "e" and get "j,.[]" ) or sometimes they will open program drop-down menus or help menus. I figured it was a faulty keyboard at first, so I ordered a new one and replaced it, but am having the same problem. So now I'm thinking it's a software issue or maybe a problem with the connector on the mobo. It's a friends laptop and, from what he told me, it was not dropped and did not have anything spilled on it.

I'd appreciate any help you can give me. Lemme know if you need more info.

 

[angry_geek]

Try booting from a live disc to see if you get the same issue. Just run ubuntu live or another such disc, and open a text editor to see what happens.

 

[NYJimbo]

This is something I dont think is addressed often enough. We see people talking about keyboard issues where groups of keys (often rows or angles) are producing weird results. Replacing the keyboard sometimes doesn't fix it so its likely to be something other than the keyboard.

What I was wondering is if you attach a USB keyboard, does the keyboard get processed by the onboard keyboard controller in the laptop or is a higher level of code (preprocessed by the external keyboard) simply sending resultant scan codes to software or O/S to hand them off to the receiving application. I mean, what decodes the laptop keyboard switch matrix if its from an external keyboard, dont those keyboards have their own circuitry ?.

Anyone recently test a situation like this with an external keyboard to see if the errors reproduce exactly the same ?

 

[expresstech]

This is something I dont think is addressed often enough. We see people talking about keyboard issues where groups of keys (often rows or angles) are producing weird results. Replacing the keyboard sometimes doesn't fix it so its likely to be something other than the keyboard.

What I was wondering is if you attach a USB keyboard, does the keyboard get processed by the onboard keyboard controller in the laptop or is a higher level of code (preprocessed by the external keyboard) simply sending resultant scan codes to software or O/S to hand them off to the receiving application. I mean, what decodes the laptop keyboard switch matrix if its from an external keyboard, dont those keyboards have their own circuitry ?.

Anyone recently test a situation like this with an external keyboard to see if the errors reproduce exactly the same ?

I was wondering the same thing with his problem. I have had similar situation, many years ago, with my own laptop where an external keyboard did resolve the issue. I never replaced the laptop keyboard I just disconnected it and used the external one but I am not to sure something wasn't really spilled on it in the first place - kids don't always "own up" to accidents.

It would be interesting to hear how this one tests with a USB keyboard.

 

[deutschnaftula]

I had the same issue 2 days ago with the F key, I got a space when I click't on it,


nittany605 try ALT+CTRL and see if it fixes the problem

 

[nj_computer_repair]

If you have a mouse track pad with extra functions on it like auto scroll and zoom in/ out, turn them all off. I had a similar issue and it was driving me mad - it turns out that my thumbs were touching the pad when I was typing and this triggered all kinds of weird stuff. Now my mouse track pad is just a mouse and there are no issues.

 

[nittany605]

Update: USB keyboard works fine on the laptop, but still have same issues with the onboard.

Ctrl+Alt didn't fix anything.

The mouse pad doesn't have any extra functions (zoom, etc) so that's not the source either.

Guessing I'm looking at a faulty motherboard/controller?

Oh, I've also uninstalled/reinstalled keyboard drivers, hoping the solution was that simple...it wasn't

 

[usacvlr]

On a desktop you can get into the bios and navigate just fine with a usb keyboard so the usb keyboard is obviously being handled by the same keyboard controller that handles a ps2 keyboard.

In this case I would think if the exact same thing is happening that the connector on the board may be damaged.

 

[ComputerClinic]

Try booting to an CD like UBCD4WIN or something. See if it will work in that environment. If it works OK, that means its a software issue. If not, its something hardware related.

 

[bagellad]

I would try a new keyboard, I had a similar problem with a keyboard after i spilled a liter of water on it. (it was a liter sized bottle so i know the size) everyone on counterstrike swore at me for being a foreigner because they thought my English was so bad.. "noee goo teyyuuoo teeyyuopohe basee!!"

 

[C6Gunner]

I had this EXACT same problem a few months back on a Toshiba Satellite.

I simply re-seated the connector and that TADAHHH!!!.. That fixed it.