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Notices, Help With Problems and Your Forum Ideas... => Computer Help => Topic started by: Newportnobby on August 17, 2020, 08:59:34 PM

Title: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Newportnobby on August 17, 2020, 08:59:34 PM
Or what have I buggered up?
I no slouch when it comes to typing but lately I've been pounding away on the jolly old keyboard, glance up at the screen and find I'm typing half way into what I'd already typed ???
It's almost as if there's a certain limit to the characters I can type and then it goes back halfway and starts again.
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: N_GaugeModeller on August 17, 2020, 09:50:37 PM
Are you sure your not accidentally hitting the home key or something similar ?

NGM
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: port perran on August 17, 2020, 09:57:56 PM
What device are you using Mick ?
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: jpendle on August 18, 2020, 12:41:32 AM
What program(s) are you having the problems with?

Is it this forum, or a Word doc, or an email client, or something else?

John P
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Newportnobby on August 18, 2020, 05:16:39 AM
I use a Toshiba laptop. The problem occurs in any form of typing e.g. forum posts, e mails, Word etc
I think Paul has it right and that when I hit the backspace key to correct a typo I'm clipping the Insert key which is just above it. I'll try to avoid that and see how I get on.
Thanks all.
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: NScaleNotes on August 18, 2020, 10:22:43 AM
Just in case it doesn't fix it. I've had a similar problem on an Acer laptop that took me forever to diagnose, I thought I was going mad when the cursor would move around unexpectedly.

It turned out the OS had taken it upon itself to assign the wrong keyboard layout to the keyboard (if I remember correctly, it was after some system updates) and because some of keys on a laptop have a double use, certain key presses were actually moving the cursor around.
I use Linux but I imagine something similar could happen on Windows too.

If you want a quick way to test without delving into the system settings, attach a normal usb keyboard and use that instead of the built-in keyboard and see if you still have the same problem. Once you've established that it is related to the keyboard mapping then maybe one of the Windows users here can help you work out how to change the keyboard settings.

Simon
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Newportnobby on September 02, 2020, 12:57:55 PM
Still something very wrong. Example - I just this minute typed the word 'wrong' and immediately the cursor went back to between the 'w' and the 'r'. Just breathing while using the mousepad on my laptop highlights everything as if I was going to cut/paste it all.
I don't have a separate keyboard I can test so maybe the laptop needs someone to look at it. I'll ask a chap at North West Computers to see if he has any ideas.
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: N_GaugeModeller on September 02, 2020, 01:05:35 PM
It might be worth looking at the trackpad setting, perhaps touch settings have somehow been set too light.  don't suppose you have a mouse you could plug in and check how things are with the trackpad turned off.

NGM
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Jim Easterbrook on September 02, 2020, 01:12:33 PM
Touching the trackpad as you type would be my diagnosis. Is there a setting to automatically disable the trackpad whilst typing? I think I've seen such a setting on Linux machines but I know nothing of other OSes.
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: The Q on September 02, 2020, 01:24:00 PM
I've had the same problem but on an android based machine. the only cure I've found is save the data, and reboot the computer..
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Newportnobby on September 02, 2020, 01:51:17 PM
I have nothing I can plug in to test anything, but am thinking maybe the 'left click' key is sticking intermittently. That would explain away the 'highlighting' issue when using the mousepad. It's also the key that gets the most use :hmmm:
I'll investigate the mousepad function as well.
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Bealman on September 02, 2020, 03:57:26 PM
A new mouse costs nowt these days.

Cleaning the trap afterwards is a PITA though  ;D
Title: Re: What am I doing wrong?
Post by: Newportnobby on September 02, 2020, 04:18:16 PM
I've also noticed the RHS slide bar sometimes heads for the bottom of the screen instead of just edging down as I want it to, another sign the left click key is sticking :hmmm: