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Need some computer help.....

B

bfisher88

Livin' The Dream
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
2,286
Location
Park City,UT
So randomly my laptop keyboard started messing up yesterday. The keys wont work correctly even to type this. The R and Y keys shoot out random numbers and letters. Like this: 0r, 09r, 09r, 0r, 09r,8r , 0r......9ry, 0y, 0y, 0y,8y, etc etc. It's a Toshiba A505 laptop. The 5 key also does it. 095, 05, 5, 05, 5........ Toshiba told me to send it in and didn't offer any help. I need this computer for work and am screwed without it.

The R also sometimes acts like i hit F1 and pulls up the help menu in the browser. Worked for a while this morning then started acting up again. I think I don't have much choice but I thought I would try 0you guys for my last ditch effort. All send a sweet 5er to anyone who saves me from having to send this crap in.

Edit: Oh yeah I already uninstalled and installed the keyboard drivers with no luck.
 
Try physically pulling the keyboard out and replacing it. would have to wait for a new one on order.
 
Does the same thing with numlock on or off. And I would hate to get a new keyboard and then still have it not fix it.....

FML
 
Just some off the keys? Pull those key caps off and see what it looks like under it. Maybe somebody's screwing with you or you spilled coffee and barbecue sauce down there. Also, check the ribbon cable and make sure it's seated properly.

Is it consistent in any way? Or if you hit the letter r, does it insert a randomly sized string of random characters?
 
Can you disconnect the keyboard from the motherboard, then try replugging it in?
 
If it's consistent and when you hit a letter, you always get one letter and that letter is always the same replacement, check your regional settings. Somebody possibly changed you to dvorak
 
Power off the computer and pull the plug from the wall. Wait half an hour, to be sure. Plug it back in, boot up, and give it a try.

Why? Most PC's maintain some level of internal activity even when they are "off". The can do "Wake On Lan" wakeup from a network connection, suspend, sleep, etc.

Keyboards and mice crap out now and then; pretty common, actually. What you may not realize is that a new keyboard is hella cheap. Here's the exact keyboard I use at home and work. Great feel, very reliable, looks great......$14.95.

I keep a couple keyboards and mice in the garage as spares....."family" IT support, I guess....:p

Good Luck - B.B.S.
 
bfreebern said:
Can you disconnect the keyboard from the motherboard, then try replugging it in?
Click to expand...
I was just reading this: http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Toshiba-Satellite-A505/removing-optical-drive-1.htm

On the phone with tech again getting it to a Level 2 tech but will try that next. Then I will give the leaving off a while a shot. I sure hope it didnt crash since it is only 3 months old! Thanks for all the help guys!! I'll let you know.
 
Just read on the Toshiba site forums from someone that opening anything besides the battery or RAM will void the warranty? wtf?
 
Well, it's back to working correctly now. Not holding out to much hope since it worked last night and this morning as well then started acting up again.

Maybe I'll take a break from the pron for tonight to see if it get's better.
 
The question is does it act up outside of Windows? Normally I would suggest trying your keyboard in the BIOS, but without being able to "type" in the BIOS screen, we cant see if its truly messed up...

Is it possible you can burn a DOS Startup CD?

If this was a desktop Id suggest simply unplugging your harddrive so you get to the "no operating system found" and go straight to DOS... but on a laptop, not so easy...

If your able to burn a DOS Startup CD you can bypass Windows starting, and just try typing at a command prompt... if it comes out screwy still, then you know its something physical (ie, something stuck in the keypads (under the keys) r something like that, and NOT a driver, or language setting, or anything software related.

If memory serves check out http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ to find a DOS Startup image

If you cant find it, or have problems with this, PM me... the 5er wont be nessecary.

Tim
 
Just buy a cheapy keyboard at best buy...usb plug in type and use that until you get it figured out. It sounds to me like either the membrane that the keys ride on have had something spilled on them...or it could just be worn out. Another culprit could be where it plugs into the rest of the laptop...sometimes connectors work their way out, and then when you hit certain keys random stuff occurs.

You might also try blowing in between all the keys with a can of compressed air. It really sounds to me like a sticky key type situation, or a connector issue. Anything other than that, its probably a trip to toshiba or an external usb style keyboard as I suggested earlier. Good luck!!
 
Hey, does this thing have those capacitive touch buttons on it? Like ones where you can turn up the volume by just touching a spot on the laptop, but without actually pushing a "button"?

If it does, and if thats integrated somehow with the keyboard, its likely part of the problem. Those things are cool little gadgets, but the quirks have not been worked out all the way on them yet. A fix for something related to that would be to remove the battery and wait like 5 minutes or so, and reinsert the battery and try again. I have a dell laptop that has them and it does it all the damn time, volume gets stuck on high with the stupid volume thing taking up half the screen or the cd is constantly trying to eject when there isn't one there. Removing the battery fixes it for awhile, but it always returns, usually a day or so later.
 
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