Laptop woes

[bigjim]

Anybody any idea what can be wrong with my laptop. It's a dell latitude. Suddenly the keyboard has gone crazy. Some keys don't work and some keys do stupid things. Delete does not work, but insert acts as delete. Space bar does not work but numlock has become space bar. I have uninstalled keyboard and reinstalled driver but still the same. Also tried a different hard drive but the problem persists. So I assume it is a hardware problem, so now am a bit lost. Any experts out there?
Jim.

 

[Octet]

By the sounds of it, someone has spilt something on it.

My brother is an expert at doing that, two cups of tea on two laptops in one week..... both had similar issues to what you describe.

Are there any other problems? If it is a liquid spill, then some may of seeped into the chasis and damaged the mobo.

 

[Andrew_P]

Anybody any idea what can be wrong with my laptop. It's a dell latitude. Suddenly the keyboard has gone crazy. Some keys don't work and some keys do stupid things. Delete does not work, but insert acts as delete. Space bar does not work but numlock has become space bar. I have uninstalled keyboard and reinstalled driver but still the same. Also tried a different hard drive but the problem persists. So I assume it is a hardware problem, so now am a bit lost. Any experts out there?
Jim.

Have tried changing the settings, some regions are different? Is shift press @ does it send " ?

What version of windows do you have?

 

[bigjim]

Hi
Nothing spilt. Shift @ don't work. Its on Vista but other hard drive I tried was on XP and problem the same. I think I'll have to try external keyboard but looks like this laptop may be at the end of life.

 

[asterix]

Had a very similar problem on my HP laptop a few weeks ago. I use a wireless keyboard (and mouse) and it affected both keyboards. Only the vowels worked but as accented versions!? Initially I could start in safe mode and use the keyboards but then even this option stopped working. The problem was erratic (e.g. sometimes I could restart normally) but it quickly got worse and worse.

Have heard various theories:
o/s not up to date
laptop battery problem (not in my case)
etc.

I too tried reinstalling drivers without success. I too thought my laptop had become toast, but as a last option backed up all the data I could then totally reinstalled Windows 7 from scratch. Drastic but it did the trick and I have been using the machine without a single problem since. In fact it has become a lot quicker, especially when booting up.

Still don't know what caused it but suspect:

1. a virus or
2. o/s problem

 

[defy-one]

Sounds like the keyboard ...but before you throw it away ...
1.try and boot up in safe mode(f8)
2. Pull your data off and install a fresh copy of windows xp or 7 (vista is rubbish anyway)

 

[asterix]

Sounds like the keyboard ...but before you throw it away ...

Yes I thought it was the keyboard but it wasn't. It's the obvious culprit, I admit.

Had a very similar problem on my HP laptop a few weeks ago...

...as a last option backed up all the data I could then totally reinstalled Windows 7 from scratch. Drastic but it did the trick and I have been using the machine without a single problem since. In fact it has become a lot quicker, especially when booting up.

 

[Oldspice]

Sounds like the keyboard ...but before you throw it away ...
1.try and boot up in safe mode(f8)
2. Pull your data off and install a fresh copy of windows xp or 7 (vista is rubbish anyway)

Leave Vista alone . Vista is fantastic .

 

[paul04]

Hi
Nothing spilt. Shift @ don't work. Its on Vista but other hard drive I tried was on XP and problem the same. I think I'll have to try external keyboard but looks like this laptop may be at the end of life.

Yes try a external keyboard and see if that works, if it does, then give your laptop keyboard a good clean, you can buy compressed air canister to blast air under the keyboard to remove any dirt/crumbs/grit that accumulate under the keyboard over months of use. or a vacuum cleaner with a soft bristle attachment.

 

[Norm]

If it does prove to be the keyboard (test by adding an external one) then you can get replacement keyboards for Dell laptops for under £15.

 

[bigjim]

Thanks all, will try options. I suspect the keyboard or maybe a part of the motherboard that controls the keyboard which if it is that will probably be the death knell. I don't think it is a software issue as the same problem is present if I change the hard drive. Will try to dismantle over the weekend, but not today, the suns shining which means bike time.