Windows XP issue? "===========" populates caption boxes.

[Niall]

Hello,

Recently I have been encountering some issues with my pc that have left me
stumped. The symptons are threefold a) pc keeps 'slightly' freezing, b)
frequently caption boxes (e.g. google search box or even this message box is
populated with this: "===========" which can just keep populating the box and
c) I cannot type in the 'equals to' sign.

Does anyone know what is causing this please? I have avg free 8.5 and
Spyware Doctor installed.

 

[VanguardLH]

Hello,

Recently I have been encountering some issues with my pc that have left me
stumped. The symptons are threefold a) pc keeps 'slightly' freezing, b)
frequently caption boxes (e.g. google search box or even this message box is
populated with this: "===========" which can just keep populating the box and
c) I cannot type in the 'equals to' sign.

Does anyone know what is causing this please? I have avg free 8.5 and
Spyware Doctor installed.

Try a new keyboard yet?

If you are using a laptop, yet tried disabling its touchpad when typing
(and use a USB mouse instead)?

 

[Niall]

=========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

Hi Vanguard, thanks for your prompt response. Unfortunately changing the
keyboard doesn't make a difference (I've tried a usb with my laptop), neither
does disabling the touchpad help. As you can see above the problem occurs
annoyingly but inconsistently. Any other suggestions? I reckon a particular
file is corrupt/damaged but not sure how to locate it. I've installed IE7 and
SP3.

 

[VanguardLH]

=========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

Hi Vanguard, thanks for your prompt response. Unfortunately changing the
keyboard doesn't make a difference (I've tried a usb with my laptop), neither
does disabling the touchpad help. As you can see above the problem occurs
annoyingly but inconsistently. Any other suggestions? I reckon a particular
file is corrupt/damaged but not sure how to locate it. I've installed IE7 and
SP3.

Still it seems like a hardware issue. You didn't say it happens in one
program so the assumption is that it occurs in any program that accepts
input (principally keyboard input) from the user.

Yet tried rebooting into Windows' Safe Mode and retesting?

 

[Alister]

Hello,

Recently I have been encountering some issues with my pc that have left me
stumped. The symptons are threefold a) pc keeps 'slightly' freezing, b)
frequently caption boxes (e.g. google search box or even this message box is
populated with this: "===========" which can just keep populating the box and
c) I cannot type in the 'equals to' sign.

Does anyone know what is causing this please? I have avg free 8.5 and
Spyware Doctor installed.

This looks like a keyboard problem - hardware, not software, in that the
equals key is sending key presses at random intervals. One way to prove
it would be; the next time you see it happening press and hold the shift
key - you should see the output change to a + sign.

Unfortunately, being a laptop, plugging in a different external keyboard
won't stop it happening, you may need to get a replacement keyboard for
your laptop.

You could try hitting the equals key firmly (not with a hammer I hasten
to add) just to see if it is the physical key which is stuck down, but I
doubt it, it sounds more like a wiring issue.

Alister

 

[Niall]

Hi Alister,

Thanks for your tip. When I pressed and held the shift =key it temporarily
stopped the problem. However it didn't produce a plus sign and di=dn't do
anything di=fferent from pressi===ng any other key. Incidentally the equals
to =key doesn't w=or=k on my =pc. Any other suggesti=ons? (it======='s
frustrating typing!)

 

[VanguardLH]

Hi Alister,

Thanks for your tip. When I pressed and held the shift =key it temporarily
stopped the problem. However it didn't produce a plus sign and di=dn't do
anything di=fferent from pressi===ng any other key. Incidentally the equals
to =key doesn't w=or=k on my =pc. Any other suggesti=ons? (it======='s
frustrating typing!)

If pressing the equals sign key doesn't produce an equals sign character
in your documents but you keep getting all these equal sign characters
for user input then your equals sign key is damaged. It isn't spring
back up. Have you tried pulling up on the key to see if it is stuck
down?