Ghost typing

[RMH7069]

Windows XP running on an older Dell PC.

Oddly, about the time Windows 7 was released (and corresponding with some
Automatic Windows XP Updates) my computer started a frustrating behavior.

When trying to type characters in the USER password screen, IE address bar,
notepad, Word or any other character input field...I am able to type one or
two letters then the machine self types WWWWWWWWWWWW endlessly. The W is
disabled on the keyboard. The keyboard is a Microsoft Wireless Natural
Multimedia Keyboard & Mouse. I also have a WACOM Intuous 3 graphics tablet
that has worked flawlessly for several years.

I researched this phenomena online and have tried every suggested cure
including:

--Checking Keyboard for stuck key by removing key and cleaning underneath
--Replacing Batteries in the wireless keyboard & mouse
--Updating the Microsoft Keyboard Drivers
--Removing the Wireless Drivers, & cold booting with a PS Keyboard plugged
in and configured. (Same behavior and disabled W key)
--Disabled Speech Recognition in Windows XP
--Updated Drivers for WACOM Tablet
--Removed Drivers and Tablet from system
--Ran multiple types/brands of virus, malware, spyware, hijacking scans
--Performed System Restore to point before Updates and initiation of problem
(problem exists)
--Repeated virus, spyware scans

This behavior appears in SAFE MODE as well.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Windows XP running on an older Dell PC.

Oddly, about the time Windows 7 was released (and corresponding with some
Automatic Windows XP Updates) my computer started a frustrating behavior.

When trying to type characters in the USER password screen, IE address
bar,
notepad, Word or any other character input field...I am able to type one
or
two letters then the machine self types WWWWWWWWWWWW endlessly. The W is
disabled on the keyboard. The keyboard is a Microsoft Wireless Natural
Multimedia Keyboard & Mouse. I also have a WACOM Intuous 3 graphics
tablet
that has worked flawlessly for several years.

I researched this phenomena online and have tried every suggested cure
including:

--Checking Keyboard for stuck key by removing key and cleaning underneath
--Replacing Batteries in the wireless keyboard & mouse
--Updating the Microsoft Keyboard Drivers
--Removing the Wireless Drivers, & cold booting with a PS Keyboard plugged
in and configured. (Same behavior and disabled W key)
--Disabled Speech Recognition in Windows XP
--Updated Drivers for WACOM Tablet
--Removed Drivers and Tablet from system
--Ran multiple types/brands of virus, malware, spyware, hijacking scans
--Performed System Restore to point before Updates and initiation of
problem
(problem exists)
--Repeated virus, spyware scans

This behavior appears in SAFE MODE as well.

Any other suggestions?

When such a phenomenon (!) occurs then the first trouble-shooting step is to
borrow and try someone else's keyboard. This is a very quick test that tells
you immediately if you have a hardware or a software problem. If it's a
software problem then booting the machine into Safe Mode and/or into the
Recovery Console would give you additional information.

 

[Jose]

Windows XP running on an older Dell PC.

Oddly, about the time Windows 7 was released (and corresponding with some
Automatic Windows XP Updates) my computer started a frustrating behavior.

When trying to type characters in the USER password screen, IE address bar,
notepad, Word or any other character input field...I am able to type one or
two letters then the machine self types WWWWWWWWWWWW endlessly. The W is
disabled on the keyboard. The keyboard is a Microsoft Wireless Natural
Multimedia Keyboard & Mouse.  I also have a WACOM Intuous 3 graphics tablet
that has worked flawlessly for several years.

I researched this phenomena online and have tried every suggested cure
including:

--Checking Keyboard for stuck key by removing key and cleaning underneath
--Replacing Batteries in the wireless keyboard & mouse
--Updating the Microsoft Keyboard Drivers
--Removing the Wireless Drivers, & cold booting with a PS Keyboard plugged
in and configured.  (Same behavior and disabled W key)
--Disabled Speech Recognition in Windows XP
--Updated Drivers for WACOM Tablet
--Removed Drivers and Tablet from system
--Ran multiple types/brands of virus, malware, spyware, hijacking scans
--Performed System Restore to point before Updates and initiation of problem
(problem exists)
--Repeated virus, spyware scans

This behavior appears in SAFE MODE as well.

Any other suggestions?

Before your list of troubleshooting efforts you say that the W is
disabled - how did the W get disabled?

Were the suggested cures you tried specific for repeating W or general
purpose cures?

Windows 7 has been "out" for over a month now - have you been having
this problem for that long?

 

[RMH7069]

Before your list of troubleshooting efforts you say that the W is
disabled - how did the W get disabled?

Were the suggested cures you tried specific for repeating W or general
purpose cures?

Windows 7 has been "out" for over a month now - have you been having
this problem for that long?
.

Thanks for the replies, as aforementioned I have tried an alternate wired
(known working) keyboard with the same results. When I say the "W" is
disabled, I mean that once this started, striking the W key produces no
character on the screen. W's only appear if the computer displays them on its
own without human input. This obviously sounded like a keyboard problem or
stuck key as suggested by the previous poster and various posts across the
net. However, it repeats on a wired keyboard and once plugged in, configured
with proper drivers and settings the W key no longer works on that keyboard.
I guess I could try a 3rd Keyboard.

The list of suggested cures were gathered off the Internet from people who
have apparently experienced this phenomena over the past few years. It is
not letter specific. Others have experienced multiple ghost typing of
EEEEEEEE or other characters.

Yes, the problem appeared about a month ago. I have tried various solutions
on and off since then and relied on a laptop at home and my work PC to gain
computer usage.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Thanks for the replies, as aforementioned I have tried an alternate wired
(known working) keyboard with the same results. When I say the "W" is
disabled, I mean that once this started, striking the W key produces no
character on the screen. W's only appear if the computer displays them on
its
own without human input. This obviously sounded like a keyboard problem or
stuck key as suggested by the previous poster and various posts across the
net. However, it repeats on a wired keyboard and once plugged in,
configured
with proper drivers and settings the W key no longer works on that
keyboard.
I guess I could try a 3rd Keyboard.

The list of suggested cures were gathered off the Internet from people who
have apparently experienced this phenomena over the past few years. It is
not letter specific. Others have experienced multiple ghost typing of
EEEEEEEE or other characters.

Yes, the problem appeared about a month ago. I have tried various
solutions
on and off since then and relied on a laptop at home and my work PC to
gain
computer usage.

Strange - I could see no mention in your original post of you trying a
different keyboard. Did you really? And what about the Safe Mode and/or
Recovery Console tests I recommended?

 

[RMH7069]

Strange - I could see no mention in your original post of you trying a
different keyboard. Did you really? And what about the Safe Mode and/or
Recovery Console tests I recommended?


.

Pegasus,

As mentioned in the line above in my original post:

"--Removing the Wireless Drivers, & cold booting with a PS Keyboard
plugged in and configured. (Same behavior and disabled W key)"

That should read PS/2 connected keyboard. Let me add that this is a known
working keyboard, and YES I did "really" try it. Also as mentioned in my
original post, the behavior exists in SAFE MODE as well. What do you suggest
I do in the recovery console? Reinstall or repair the Windows Installation?

Problem there is about a year and half ago, the PC crashed via some
virus/trojan?? and a clean and repair wouldn't suffice, so I reinstalled
windows in another directory C:\WINDOWS2 and deleted the original. (And yes
all programs and peripherals have ran properly since then until this problem.
However, Now a repair and/or reinstall from the Windows XP disc that came
with my Dell requires I go and manually edit the locations in the registry in
order for the disc to locate the installation. Obviously this is hard on a
machine that insists on typing strings of W's after a couple user inputed
keystrokes.

I'm trying to avoid wiping the drive and reinstalling the OS and all
software (again), but it is looking like that or another computer is going to
be the solution.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Pegasus,

As mentioned in the line above in my original post:

"--Removing the Wireless Drivers, & cold booting with a PS Keyboard
plugged in and configured. (Same behavior and disabled W key)"

That should read PS/2 connected keyboard. Let me add that this is a known
working keyboard, and YES I did "really" try it. Also as mentioned in my
original post, the behavior exists in SAFE MODE as well. What do you
suggest
I do in the recovery console? Reinstall or repair the Windows
Installation?

Sorry, I did not realise that "cold booting with a PS Keyboard" meant that
you used a PS/2 keyboard.

If the problem does not exist in the Recovery Console then you will know for
sure that it is not caused by some hardware-related issue. Malware appears
to be the most likely culprit and if your various anti-virus or anti-malware
programs cannot detect it then a clean installation seems the only answer.
Since this has happened before, I recommend you invest in an imaging program
(e.g. Acronis TrueImage) so that you can quickly restore a damaged
installation when it happens again.

 

[RMH7069]

Sorry, I did not realise that "cold booting with a PS Keyboard" meant that
you used a PS/2 keyboard.

If the problem does not exist in the Recovery Console then you will know for
sure that it is not caused by some hardware-related issue. Malware appears
to be the most likely culprit and if your various anti-virus or anti-malware
programs cannot detect it then a clean installation seems the only answer.
Since this has happened before, I recommend you invest in an imaging program
(e.g. Acronis TrueImage) so that you can quickly restore a damaged
installation when it happens again.


.

Thanks. I'll try the Recovery Console.

 

[RMH7069]

Input at the prompt in Recovery Mode yields the same result: two characters
humanly inputted and then a string of WWWWWWWWWWW automatically entered by
the PC.

Thus, I assume this IS a hardware problem despite my trying both the
Microsoft Wireless Natural Multimedia Keyboard and a standard wired PS/2
keyboard with the exact behavior (including both keyboards 'W' key not
functioning).

I'm also assuming that means it is internal as in the Motherboard or the USB
and/or PS/2 connectors? I'm going to try another wired USB keyboard (in all
the USB slots) before writing this PC off.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Input at the prompt in Recovery Mode yields the same result: two
characters
humanly inputted and then a string of WWWWWWWWWWW automatically entered by
the PC.

Thus, I assume this IS a hardware problem despite my trying both the
Microsoft Wireless Natural Multimedia Keyboard and a standard wired PS/2
keyboard with the exact behavior (including both keyboards 'W' key not
functioning).

I'm also assuming that means it is internal as in the Motherboard or the
USB
and/or PS/2 connectors? I'm going to try another wired USB keyboard (in
all
the USB slots) before writing this PC off.

Thanks again for the help.

Two more suggestions:
- Boot the machine with a Win98 boot diskette or CD from www.bootdisk.com.
Since it does not use any of your WinXP files, it will give you the ultimate
confirmation that you have a hardware or a BIOS problem.
- Before writing off the PC, ask the boys in a hardware newsgroup for
advice.