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Question

keys bring up unwanted boxes on acer how to fix?

Dec 19, 2012 12:16AM PST

My acer is only a few months old. Ironically, I had same problem on Toshiba, returned after one week.

For example: I touch p key and the printer box appears. I hit the s key and a search box shows.. or a k and the keyword box appears. . I can't go anything, have to shut system down, and this has caused a lot of problems as I have been in the middle of working and lose data.

I have been told it could be a stuck control key but that doesn't make sense because when I reboot the problem generally goes away. Unfortunately it returns.. and lately the entire email program is freezing as well.

since getting the computer, I have not installed any software other than aol . avg and upgrades to adobe.
I wondered if it was just happening on my email program, so I went to desktop to type a letter and can't .
please suggest what to do ???

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Those are exactly the symptoms of a stuck CTRL key
Dec 19, 2012 12:29AM PST

I assume you're talking about a laptop. Get some Post-it notes and slide them under both CTRL keys to clean out any crud underneath them. You can also buy a cheap (under $10) USB keyboard and see if it happens with that. The fact that the problem is intermittent does by no means indicate that it's not a sticking CTRL key. CTRL-S is supposed to give you the search box, CTRL-P is supposed to give you the print box, CTRL-K is supposed to give you the keyword box, so I don't see where there could be any doubt about the sticky CTRL key.

Good luck.

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thanks, going to try that now
Dec 19, 2012 3:25AM PST

it is so new, I never thought that could be the issue. also since it stops for a while after rebooting.

I went to computer settings to find out if the sticky keys box was enabled, and it isnt . I never knew about that, so I already learned something from you. Thanks. I'll post the result

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Answer
Another idea.
Dec 19, 2012 12:39AM PST

Research STICKYKEYS (click the start orb and type it in.) It's a stock Windows feature. Just in case it's that.
But the odds it's just a bum keyboard.


Bob