Windows Remote Assistance Keyboard Gibberish

[Randy]

I am helping somebody fix their PC (Vista Home Premium on a Gateway
laptop) via Windows Remote Assistance. The first time that we used it
(after some success), after a planned restart, I couldn't reconnect
and the remote user's keyboard would result in gibberish (e.g. type
one letter, get something totally different on the screen). We needed
to rebuild the PC anyway, so this just prompted us to finally get
around to doing this.

After reinstalling the O/S, we used WMA successfully and without
incident to install many applications such as anti-virus, Adobe
Reader, etc. Then, we had to reconnect after a planned restart. This
time, I had the remote user invite me by saving the invitation as a
file and sending it to me. We had been previously doing the
invitations directly by email (without the file). Instantly after
creating this file, the keyboard gibberish reappeared.

I have no idea how to fix this. In both failure events, I tried
System Restore points to times prior to the error, but this did
nothing. I have looked at the keyboard layout and the language
options, but they are fine and do not appear to be part of the
problem. I have seen a couple of references to this on the web, but
no good solutions offered.

I am using Windows 7 Home Premium. Can anybody help?

Thanks,
Randy

 

[Randy]

After reinstalling the O/S, we used WMA successfully and without

incident to install many applications such as anti-virus, Adobe
Reader, etc.  

Sorry, typo. WMA should have been WRA (Windows Remote Assistance)

 

[Russ SBITS.Biz [SBS-MVP]]

Do they have any AV that has Keyboard Encryption for Remote Secure typing?
Russ

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[Randy]

Do they have any AV that has Keyboard Encryption for Remote Secure typing?
Russ

No. Nothing like that. Just a standard installation of Vista Home
Premium.

 

[Randy]

Figured it out and am posting for anybody else who has this problem.
The remote computer is a Gateway laptop. Somehow when we were using
Windows Remote Assistance, it turned on the NumLock key. I am
confident that it was WRA, since this happened to us twice, both times
immediately upon sending out an invitation for remote assistance.
Since it is a laptop, the NumLock key is less apparent and requires
using the FN key in conjunction with the NumLock, which is displayed
on the key with a picture of a lock with the number 1 in the center.
Live and learn. No idea as to why WRA turned on the numlock, but it
clearly did and now I know how to turn it off - on a Gateway laptop at
least. (Hold down the FN key and then hit the key with the picture of
a lock on it). This will resolve the problem - at least until your
next restart.

The permanent resolution to this problem is to change one of the
values in the registry. Search the registry for
"InitialKeyboardIndicators" and change this value to "0" (zero).
Restart the computer and the numlock will be off for good. (click
Start, type regedit in the search field, select regedit.exe. Once in
the registry editor, select Edit - Find, enter
"IntitialKeyboardIndicators" in the search field, check "Match Whole
String Only", and click Find Next. Double click on the
InitialKeyboardIndicators key on the right and enter 0 in the Value
data field. Click OK, close the registry editor, and restart the
computer.)

Crazy problem with a simple solution (once I figured it out). Seems
to be resolved. I hope that this post helps if anybody else runs into
this.

Randy