Keyboard skipping letters

[Guest]

Father in law's keyboard was skipping letters. (says when they are typing
along, hunt & peck, then look up at the screen, letters are missing.)
His is a new e-machine, the keyboard came new with it. Windows Vista Premium.
He bought a new keyboard, (more ergonomic, no because of the problem) and
says the new keyboard also skips.
Are there actually drivers and updates & things for keyboards? What should I
check first to verify if it is a system problem versus defect in hardware
versus operator error? THANKS

 

[JerryM]

The computer should still be under warrantee,

Return it to the store for a replacement.

Jerry

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Amanda.

Is he a fast typist? Maybe he's getting ahead of the hardware, especially
if that is a wireless keyboard.

I'm moderately fast (~60 WPM) and often get ahead of my Microsoft Wireless
6000 keyboard. Even when I'm not typing fast, I often look up and see that
"what is this" has been interpreted as "what I sthis" - because WLM's spell
checker saw the space before the "s" following the "i" and "corrected" it to
a capital "I" for me. :>( Often, too, I'll see "teh" convert to "the"
right before my eyes.

Are there actually drivers and updates & things for keyboards?

Yes, and they are very hardware-specific. Can you tell us the make and
model of his keyboard(s)? Generic drivers are built into Vista, and the
specific driver for the first keyboard should have been included with the
e-Machine computer. The new keyboard should have come with a CD or other
media containing the driver for it if it needed a special one.

Of course, if it is a wireless keyboard, the solution may be as simple as
dying batteries, either in the keyboard itself or in the sending unit. Or
with interference from other objects between the computer, the sending unit,
and the keyboard.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64)

 

[Dominic Payer]

Is it a Bluetooth or wireless keyboard? If so, make sure the dongle at the
computer end has a clear and short line of sight to the keyboard (and mouse
if relevant) since the problem might simply be poor communication because
the signal is blocked. Don't put the wireless or Bluetooth dongle in the
back of the computer.

Watch and see if he is pressing the keys firmly enough. Keyboards differ and
the new ones may be less sensitive than anything he is used to.

There are drivers for keyboards and mice, but they make the special function
keys work and provide more advanced customisation of the keyboard. For basic
keyboard use they are not essential. Look on the underside of the device and
note the manufacturer and model number, then visit the manufacturer's
website and see what drivers they offer. Driver disks should have been
supplied with the keyboard, but could have outdated or buggy versions of the
drivers, so it is always advisable to get the latest drivers for anything
from its manufacturer's site.

 

[Guest]

Yes, he took the one back to the store, they said there was nothing wrong
with it. I am going to see him today, I'll see how he types, what the brand
name is etc.
I thought it was just a dirty keyboard, until the new one also did it.....

 

[Guest]

He is definitely not a fast typist. I'll go over to see him and watch what he
is doing, as well as note the specific mfg etc.
Maybe I should look at the control panel properties for sensitivity.

 

[Guest]

I'm pretty sure it isn't wireless. On my own computer, I solved several
problems just by moving that little dongle thing. I'll take a closer look at
his setup, I just wanted a few options before I do. Did'nt really think
drivers could have an effect. I'll get more info, then go from there, thanks!

 

[Guest]

Nandika?
I have not found a solution. It could be a CPU usage problem though, I had
not checked on that. The keyboard doesn't seem to skip all the time, so it's
hard to track it down.

 

[Rich.]

Replace the keyboard.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

If the keyboard is cordless, replace the batteries; otherwise replace the
keyboard.

 

[Dave]

Hi

I had a similar problem with my wireless keyboard - problem occurred when my
Ipaq PDA was connected via USB. Do you have anything similar conected?

Dave

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

A keyboard that skips letters is a faulty keyboard, it has nothing to do
with the OS. Replace it.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com