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Windows receiving false key presses (as if a key is being held down)

So, every once in a while my computer starts acting like I'm holding down a key when I'm not.  It's a different key each time the problem happens.

For example, today I was watching some videos in GB-PVR, when I pressed Alt-Enter to toggle fullscreen so I could do some web browsing.  When I opened the web browser and clicked on the search field, the field was immediately populated with a constantly increasing number of the character '6'.

I exited GB-PVR at this point, and killed IMON (my IR receiver program), but this didn't solve the issue.  When I clicked on the start menu to restart IMON, the search field was, again, immediately populated with the character '6'.

When this has happened in the past, I usually restarted the computer via task manager.  This time, however, I actually managed to gain some useful information.  I utilized my pinned Explorer icon to open an Explorer window and navigate to Control Panel.  From there, I launched Device Manager, and tried to uninstall the PS/2 keyboard driver.  This failed because I wouldn't let the computer restart.  At that point, I uninstalled HID Keyboard Device, and Windows stopped receiving the key presses.  When I scanned for hardware changes to reinstall HID Keyboard Device, the keyboard began behaving normally, at which point I began to search Google for similar issues.

Finding no similar issues, I decided to make a post about it.

Does anyone know any fixes for this?  This is the third time it's happened (the first time on this particular install), and it's starting to get really annoying.

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Hi,
 
Method 1:
 
I would suggest you to check this issue in safemode:
Follow this below provided link to start your computer in safemode.
 
Method 2:
 
Try connecting any other keyboard and check if you are facing the similar issue.
 
Because this issue could also occur if there is there is any sticky keys enabled on the keyboard and some damaged keys.
 
Please get back to us with the result.
 
Thanks and Regards:
I. Suuresh Kumar - Microsoft Support.

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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The computer still received the false keystrokes even with no keyboard connected, so it is not an issue with my keyboard.

 

I cannot test this in safemode, as it is an intermittent issue, and I have no way of predicting when it will happen.  As I have stated before, when it happens, a restart fixes the problem, or in this last case, uninstalling and reinstalling HID Keyboard Device fixed the problem.

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On Fri, 14 May 2010 02:54:43 +0100, <jmetal88> wrote:
 
> The computer still received the false keystrokes even with no keyboard
> connected,
> so it is not an issue with my keyboard.
>
 
Do you mean that the issue may start even when there is no keyboard, or
merely that removing the keyboard doesn't stop the repeating once it has
started?
 
> I cannot test this in safemode, as it is an intermittent issue, and I
> have no
> way of predicting when it will happen. As I have stated before, when it
> happens,
> a restart fixes the problem, or in this last case, uninstalling and
> reinstalling
> HID Keyboard Device fixed the problem.
 
When it is repeating does pressing and releasing the corresponding key
stop it repeating? You will need to try all keys that can produce the
character (so both the normal 6 and the 6 on the numeric pad if 6 is
repeating)
 
Is it only one or two keys that repeat, or is it many keys?
 
When a key repeats is it a key you have been using recently?
 
Do you have auto hotkey (or any other key macro program) installed?
Do you use a cordless - such as wireless, bluetooth, IR, WiFi - keyboard
Do you use a keyboard sharer - such as synergy, or a KVM switch?
Have you had a lot of keys down at the same time?
 
In general if a key is repeating in Windows it is because windows has seen
a key press event but no corresponding key release event - windows will
then repeat the key until it sees the key up event, removing the keyboard
won't stop this.
 
The key up event might not have been produced by the keyboard because dirt
has got into it preventing the key from coming up properly, or because too
many keys have been held down at once and the keyboard can't tell which
key up events it needs to produce.
Alternatively the event might have got lost - there are many ways this can
happen including transmission error from a cordless keyboard.
 
 
--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/
 

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Sorry, I did mean that unplugging the keyboard didn't stop the repeating.  It is a very reliable keyboard though, an IBM Model M with buckling springs.

I have tried pressing the repeating key, and that seems to have no effect.  At the time '6' was repeating, numlock was off, so the normal 6 is the only one that could possibly have sent a key press, but I do remember switching numlock on and off to try pressing the other 6 to see what would happen, and that also didn't affect the repeating 6.

So far, this has happened with three different keys.  I can't remember which key it was the second time, but the first time it was space, and of course this last time it was 6.

I used to use autohotkey, but I uninstalled it a long time before this started happening.  I thought it might be something to do with my IR remote, since it usually happens after I've been using it to watch videos, but as I said before, killing IMON didn't help (also, none of the buttons on my remote are mapped to the number 6 or the space bar, so if IMON had sent those key presses, then the program is seriously broken in some way).

The repetition seems to have nothing to do with what I've been typing, and in fact, I usually find it happening when I haven't touched the keyboard for a period of 30 minutes or more.

The keyboard is not cordless, and I do not have a keyboard sharer.  I also don't make a habit of holding down multiple keys.

Now that I know unplugging the keyboard won't stop the event, I'm not quite sure what to do, as I'd rather not switch keyboards and wait for this to happen again. The IBM model M keyboard is far superior to any I have ever used, and after getting used to the buckling spring technology, I find it somewhat awkward to type on mainstream 'collapsing bubble' style keyboards.

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On Sat, 15 May 2010 03:27:07 +0100, <jmetal88> wrote:
 
Given it only happens infrequently it will be hard to find what is causing
it.
 
> Sorry, I did mean that unplugging the keyboard didn't stop the
> repeating. It is
> a very reliable keyboard though, an IBM Model M with buckling springs.
>
> I have tried pressing the repeating key, and that seems to have no
> effect. At
> the time '6' was repeating, numlock was off, so the normal 6 is the only
> one
> that could possibly have sent a key press, but I do remember switching
> numlock
> on and off to try pressing the other 6 to see what would happen, and
> that also
> didn't affect the repeating 6.
>
> So far, this has happened with three different keys. I can't remember
> which key
> it was the second time, but the first time it was space, and of course
> this last
> time it was 6.
>
> I used to use autohotkey, but I uninstalled it a long time before this
> started
> happening. I thought it might be something to do with my IR remote,
> since it
> usually happens after I've been using it to watch videos, but as I said
> before,
> killing IMON didn't help (also, none of the buttons on my remote are
> mapped to
> the number 6 or the space bar, so if IMON had sent those key presses,
> then the
> program is seriously broken in some way).
 
It might be that the IR sent from the remote was corrupted in transit.
It might be that something else is being picked up by your IR receiver -
such as another remote.
It might be something in the app you use to watch videos.
 
You could try unplugging the IR receiver.
You could try pressing the buttons on the remote.
 
You could try not using the remote for a while - to see if the problem
goes away.
You could try using a different app for watching videos.
 
 
>
> The repetition seems to have nothing to do with what I've been typing,
> and in
> fact, I usually find it happening when I haven't touched the keyboard
> for a
> period of 30 minutes or more.
 
But this also implies that the key repeating may have some time before you
noticed it - which makes it harder to identify the cause.
 
>
> The keyboard is not cordless, and I do not have a keyboard sharer. I
> also don't
> make a habit of holding down multiple keys.
>
> Now that I know unplugging the keyboard won't stop the event, I'm not
> quite sure
> what to do, as I'd rather not switch keyboards and wait for this to
> happen again.
> The IBM model M keyboard is far superior to any I have ever used, and
> after
> getting used to the buckling spring technology, I find it somewhat
> awkward to
> type on mainstream 'collapsing bubble' style keyboards.
 
 
--
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did you ever resovle this?, as i have the same problem and came here to find a resolution

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did you ever resovle this?, as i have the same problem and came here to find a resolution
No, I never did, really. I suspect it was a combination of Windows and my IMON software. I switched back to Linux and MythTV and have not had the problem on that OS.

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Trisdov,

It looks like your problem is similar, but differs from the original question. Please start your own question and provide the details of your problem so that we can help you further.

 

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7hardware/threads

 

Thank you

Chris
Microsoft Answers Support Engineer
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exactly the same description to my problem. 

it happened a year ago, then stopped (reinstalled system)

now problem is back, nervewrecking. Is a problem of the computer's system.

I suspect a virus?

NO clue to how to solve this unpredictible artefact.

 

happens when writing in editors, word processors. NO way to stop else then killing computer system.

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Just thought I'd jump in here too and say I'm having the same issue.

Mine happens around once a week. HTPC running widnows Vista and Media Portal. Also have Imon, running a wireless MS keyboard so initially thought that was the issue. Does to it when they keyboard is off/unplugged AND I've had it START happening when using remote desktop (in which case it's definitely not the keyboard, as that's always worked fine and only doing it in the remote desktop).

So 99% sure it's a software issue.

I've tried killing itype.exe, imon processes and pretty much everything else running to no avail.

Am using Autohotkey but only 4-5 remapped keys and never had issues with that before.

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Last updated May 23, 2024 Views 103,242 Applies to: