Laptop Help .. Help!!!

[dryfly]

Code blue in Coaldale...

 

Oooh. My wife's LP is acting strange. Totally unstable. Tried shutting down a few times. Once it was stable enough so I could run the virus scan and it is clean.

 

What sort of happens is this. It starts making "ding ding" noises just like when you punch a wrong key. Then it just falls apart. I try to start a program an it acts just as if several keys are depressed--they are not. I ran fingers over all of them to see if any were jambed down by cracker crumbs. Clean. At one point I must have hit one of th function keys and the "search Windows" invoked and THEN the 3 and + characters appeared in the search window ... unending ... 3+3+ 3+3+ 3+3+ 3+3+ 3+3+ ... just as if one was pushing these two keys. Well things just go to hell and windows are trying to pop up an bells are dinging and it is simply weird. So I have to shut it all down.

 

Oh yeah..when it is first started (after shut down) at the "starting Windows" screen the puter starts to ding ding as if one was pushing a key. Then it stops and next shows the security window and then goes to the startup desktop. Fine so far ... and then without going near it, it starts dinging again ..just as if one was pushing a key or many keys. Not even touching it.

 

Any thoughts or help?

 

A bit later.... I popped off a few key covers. Looks all fine. Started LT up again. This time is was stable. Humm... "Clive the Incredible" has fixed the old girl. So we start up Outlook Express mail system. Ohh..still fine. Click on "new message" and whacko...the '3' starts typing in on it's own in the "to" window. ....arrghh!!! There was no stopping it--see lower image.

 

 

IS THIS WHERE I AM AT ???

[maxwell]

she still on warranty?.....i didnt have te same problem bt similar and i jstu tok it back and they fixed it...was missed for a few weeks tho! hopefully someone here has a better solution...might need a good cleaning or sumn is shorting?

[cheeler]

Sounds like part of the keyboard is toast and shorting. I don't know if windows allows the user to turn off the built in keyboard on a laptop and use an external one, but it may be something to check if you can get into Device Manager.

[birchy]

Either the keyboard is dying.. or the connection from the keyboard to the motherboard is loose.

 

What type of laptop is it Clive?

[j5ep00]

this happened to me when i spilt something on my comptuer!

it was just water and only maybe a teaspoon which i pretty much got it all out

still fried the keyboard and dell sent me a new one free of charge here in 2 days

i bet your keyboard is toast! check into waranty

[birchy]

I'm heading out for the night.. but if it's a Dell or a HP you might be in luck. Might be able to snag one from work for ya and sent it your way.. a replacement keyboard that is!

[ladystrange]

put the laptop down and walk away slowly. very slowly. do not turn your back on it or let it loose at night when the lights are out.

 

the keyboard is not shorting, your motherboard is not fried or disconnecting, it has been taken over by demons. the symptoms you have experienced with the emphasis on the #3 is a possession of the worst kind.

 

stock up on inscence, bay leaves, phosphorous and sulfur powder, kosher salt and fresh goat or chicken blood. On Wednesday morning, call the montel williams show and have sylvia brown walk you through the exorcism procedures. after the ceremony has been completed you will not have to worry about continuous hauntings.

 

then promptly head to future shop, best buy, london drugs or which ever computer store tickles your fancy and get a new one.

[dryfly]

We all seem to agree. I am thinking something shorting in the keyboard too... not unlike nerve synapses working overtime and causing neurological disorders in folks.

 

Cheeler..."Sounds like part of the keyboard is toast and shorting. I don't know if windows allows the user to turn off the built in keyboard on a laptop and use an external one, but it may be something to check if you can get into Device Manager." I will try. I have a wireless keyboard but whenever I've used the main LT keyboard has always remains active. I'll see if the external will help.

 

Birchy "or the connection from the keyboard to the motherboard is loose." Yeah that sounds cool. But how on earth does an old Luddite check that? Man I can't change a light bulb. Mind you, not much I can do to make it worse, eh? It is very FUBAR as is.

 

U.. er...waranty .. well, er no. This little puppy is five years old!!

 

Teck..tis a Toshiba A10 Satellite. But thanks. It has been faultless and it was my main computer for over three years. Power used on some major projects and tons of picture work.

 

Sooo.. ladystrange has it pegged perfectly methinks...it has been demonized by #3 and I should " head to future shop, best buy, london drugs or which ever computer store tickles your fancy and get a new one" I will pursue a repair but in reality it is simply is not worth taking to a tech shop and spending $400 to have it worked over. It is a doorstop and I might as well get a new one. Not a major priority as my wife can use my desktop for her emails but THAT is a tad awkward cause I get cranky (crankier) when she wants on and I am in the middle of a major project right now -- hardly enough time to post dorky pictures of max and Glen.

 

I'm a tad nervous about losing the data in the files--even tho it is not my main machine.

 

Thanks all. Will report back.

[Weedy1]

Clive I just had the keyboard done on my Tecra (Toshitba). It's a 10 minute job (by a tech) and I can't imagine the keyboard costing much more than a $75-100. I would look into it if it's still a good machine.

 

edit - $25

 

http://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Toshiba-Sat...a/dp/B000KJW5QI

[dryfly]

1) Oh WOW! $25 + shipping is great. Have bookmarked. Thanks Weedy1.

 

2) Thanks for the advice regarding an external keyboard. It must be the keyboard as all you wizards figured. I attached the wireless KB and all is just geezly lovely now. But the LT keyboard is still active--even tho I selected the Logitech wireless in the control panel. I gingerly tried the on-board keyboard and it worked without doing the keyboard funky.

 

Soooooo...must be a loose connection in the keyboard or in how it's connected to the box. For the moment it is fine. Was pretty damn weird and I was seeing $$$ fly away 'cause we really need two machines to maintain harmony in our household.

 

On the bold assumption that it was not a virus, I dumped the important LT files onto the external--which is usually attached to my main machine for daily project backups.

 

Tanks.

 

[Weedy1]

Now get the screwdriver out. You can do it.

[Weedy1]

Here's a step by step destruction :

 

http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/Tosh...sassembly_1.htm

[dryfly]

Weedy1. You've got me convinced. Gonna spring $25+ for the keyboard and give it whirl. My wife just did some banking on the old hay burner and it worked fine. But somethings awry, wot? (Update: The item will not arrive before C'mas..so I guess I can't get her a new keyboard for a present then. KIDDING girls! Will wait and see what evolves with the old one for a couple of weeks and look around for one closer to home.)

 

Thanks to for the disassembly instructions (found 'em too) ......which brings to mind the trite, but apt, phrase, "I'll know just enough to be dangerous." Funny ... they show you how to take it apart, but nothing about putting it back together.

 

Thanks all,

 

Clive

[Weedy1]

I would take it apart first and see if it isn't just a loose ribbon cable.

 

I have been using Toshiba LT's for many years and have never had a physical problem with a Satellite that needed parts. At work we have these LT's bouncing around vehicles and left outside at -30 to +30, seldom an issue.

 

 

The Tecra's are a different story though. Bigger bucks, supposedly more robust, but nothing but problems.

[Taco]

Ahh......steps 8 back to 1?? thats how I gotta do it with my Browning auto loaders