Keyboard matrix stuffed

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Rikkitic

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#222988 6-Sep-2017 19:36

For no apparent reason, my Acer notebook has suddenly started generating incorrect key codes. The problem seems to be confined to one part of the keyboard, the last three or four keys on the middle two rows. Keys are correct up to y, then the next four or so produce characters like @#$ (not sure of the exact ones). The row below in the same location does numbers, 1,2,3 etc. This seems to have started all of a sudden with no obvious cause. The keys are consistent, in that the same character is produced when the key is pressed.

Can anyone offer me any insights about this, what could have caused it and what might be needed to fix it? Thanks in advance for any help.

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gzt

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#1859938 6-Sep-2017 20:05

US$14.95 required to fix it:

https://www.amazon.com/Eathtek-Laptop-Keyboard-Compatible-KB-I100A-086/dp/B004MM3PAO

Good question though. I don't know the answer. I might tear it down take the keyboard out and drown it in contact cleaner including the ribbon connector contacts. Maybe a short rather than a break so contact cleaner might help.

Without taking it out might try drowning the area where the problem is but who knows.

Either way leave it off for a long time afterwards.

Otoh probably cheap and bendy and broken.

Stu

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#1859940 6-Sep-2017 20:06

Haven't got Num Lock or something locked on, by any chance? Depending on the keyboard layout you have there, of course.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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allan

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#1859943 6-Sep-2017 20:08

It's not a keyboard with a numeric overlay on the normal alphabetic keys and you don't have num lock on do you (having been caught myself in the past)?

gzt

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#1859944 6-Sep-2017 20:10

Stu: Haven't got Num Lock or something locked on, by any chance? Depending on the keyboard layout you have there, of course.

Oh great my last post looks so stupid! I haven't owned a machine with that feature for a while..

Batman

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#1859955 6-Sep-2017 20:49

Rikkitic:

For no apparent reason, my Acer notebook has suddenly started generating incorrect key codes. The problem seems to be confined to one part of the keyboard, the last three or four keys on the middle two rows. Keys are correct up to y, then the next four or so produce characters like @#$ (not sure of the exact ones). The row below in the same location does numbers, 1,2,3 etc. This seems to have started all of a sudden with no obvious cause. The keys are consistent, in that the same character is produced when the key is pressed.

Can anyone offer me any insights about this, what could have caused it and what might be needed to fix it? Thanks in advance for any help.

Check num lock and which language keyboard is active

Rikkitic

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#1860007 6-Sep-2017 23:06

Colour me stupid and thank you all very much! You guys are absolutely right. I don't know how I could have missed that. I just carefully checked and yes somehow the numlock keypad has been activated. I was struggling with another problem when it happened and I panicked and assumed the worst. The light also isn't good and the alternate key markings are hard to see. I checked under the light and the characters I am getting are indeed the numpad ones on the keyboard. Now I just have to figure out how to get it back to its normal function but I will do that tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the help.

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Rikkitic

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#1860162 7-Sep-2017 09:46

OK, I figured this out. I think I'm just getting old, or possibly even a little senile. I seem to have episodes like this from time to time.

If anyone is interested, some things combined to lead me astray. The fact I was drinking didn't help either. I have some mini-keyboards. One doubles up on the F11 and F12 keys and I have to press Fn-F9 to generate F11. My notebook has the full keyboard. I was using it to control the streaming computer and I was already having some issues with Chrome. I can't see the notebook keyboard well in the dark and the F11 key is in the same relative position as F9 on the other mini-keyboard. Unlike my previous laptop, this one switches part of the main keyboard to numpad when Fn-F11 is pressed. F11 is also the key to put Chrome in full screen mode. I was already stressed and confused and when the keyboard started spitting out strange characters, I panicked.

Moral of the story: Not sure, probably don't drink and drive.

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