User is locked out when typing an email

[Jason Piercey]

SBS2003R2

Got a user here, that on occassion, when typing an email in outlook
(new email or a reply doesn't matter) will become locked out of the
computer. It looks like the computer shuts down. He'll hit the power
button and the machine acts like it is booting up. Press ctrl+alt+del
to unlock the PC and when the monitor comes back on outlook is
still in focus and he can continue typing the email.

Windows XP Pro SP2

I'll try an update to SP3 but wondering if anyone has seen this before?

Thanks.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Are you sure he's not hitting a shortcut that locks it?

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Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



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[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Got a user here, that on occassion, when typing an email in outlook
(new email or a reply doesn't matter) will become locked out of the
computer. It looks like the computer shuts down. He'll hit the power
button and the machine acts like it is booting up. Press ctrl+alt+del
to unlock the PC and when the monitor comes back on outlook is
still in focus and he can continue typing the email.

Sounds like he's putting the PC in standby or hibernate. Windows key, u, h
will hibernate XP, as will Windows key, u, Shift-s. Windows key, u, s will
put the PC in standby. If he accidentally presses the Windows key and then in
quick succession, before he has time to notice, presses u, then h, the system
will behave just as you describe.

 

[Jason Piercey]

I was standing behind him when it happened yesterday, it surely appeard
to be normal banging on the keyboard to me. He is one of these guys that
types with one finger (maybe two) so a quick combination of keystrokes
would be very unlikely.

Maybe the keyboard is flaking out. I could swap it and see if the problem
goes away.

 

[Jason Piercey]

Pressing the Windows key + u brings up a utility manager before
I can even hit the h key on my system.

 

[Jason Piercey]

Update:

It appears to have been a bad keyboard. I was at the machine
just a few moments ago attempting an update to SP3 via a web
browser address of update.microsoft.com. As soon as I hit the
u and p characters it behaved as described in any application or
simply sitting at the desktop. Other combinations of u + letter
behaved normally.

I'm updating to SP3 anyway but thought I'd let you know what
fixed it.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Pressing the Windows key + u brings up a utility manager before
I can even hit the h key on my system.

Notice that I did not write "Windows key+u", I wrote "Windows key, u". Press
and release the Windows key, then press "u".

 

[Jason Piercey]

Noted.

That brings up "Shut down windows" dialog box. Pressing h after that
does nothing on my system. Regardless seems the keyboard was at
fault, so problem solved.

Thanks for offering assistance.