completely ignorant and need help!!!

sparky360

Hi there,

I have a PC at home and up until a few months ago it was working perfectly. Now when I boot it up, it lets me do everything fine UNTIL.... I press any key on the keyboard. When I press anything if freezes the mouse and locks me out.

If I do not press a key then the mouse works fine. I have gone into the control panel and looked for the keyboard but none is showing. When I boot up first, the keyboard lights flash for a second and then go.

I tried googling a fix for it but tbh I am completely useless at computer speak. Some said to start the computer in safe mode but I cant as it doesnt recognise the keypress needed at startup. I have also tried a different keyboard but nothing changes!!!

Any help would be appreciated (doubley appreciated if you could use extreme laymans terms)

I have scanned the computer for viruses and spyware and nothing is showing!!

Please help!!!!!!!

murphym7

I'm fairly ignorant about these matters too but I would borrow a keyboard from a buddy and see if that works, could be as simple as a faulty keyboard.

laura1408

what i would do first is go into start then "help and support" then click on "Undo changes to your computer with System Restore" you then select a restore point on your computer to a month back when you werent having problems and see will that solve the problem, have you got up to date anti virus????? it could be that you downloaded something thats freezing your computer?

If this doesnt work then a new keypad is prob needed?

sparky360

thanks for the replies, I had just edited my post as you posted yours.

I have tried a different keyboard. Same problem!!!

Also tried a system restore and went back 3 months and it froze again! It's killing me!!!!!

laura1408

are you running a proper scan on it? i found out recently i wasnt runnin full scans on my computer, had to ring IT in the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is it a home or office computer?

sparky360

its a home computer. I am running the full AVG scan and also superantispywear full scans.

laura1408

you could always go into control panel and go to add/remove hardware and remove all the hardware that you dont use (u will be suprised at how many things automatically download without you knowing) Is ur spyware/antivirus up to date?

Slow Motion

On your desktop find my computer, right click on it with the mouse and select properties. This will bring up a box with a few tabs on the top, click on Hardware, then click on device manager. This will bring up a list of the hardware devices on your system. You should see the keyboard on the list somewhere, if there is a problem with it you should see a little red or yellow tag on it. Regardless of whether there is or isn't click the little + to the list open the list keyboards, there should be only one, if you right click on this you should be able to get another properties screen, select this and you will get another screen down the bottom of which there is a trouble shoot option, try this and see how you get on!

Hope that is not too confusing

laura1408

what i found also freezes you computer is if you have too many windows or programs running at the same time? or lets say if you exit a window and it doesnt close immediatly if you keep clicking the x at the top of the window or go in and out of diff programmes it confuses the computer and it freezes,

Have you tried hittin Ctrl Alt and Delete all at the same time and then choosing task list? it then brings up the programmes that are not responding and you can highlight them and choose end task.......

sparky360

Slow Motion : I will try that later but I am pretty sure that absolutely nothing comes up when I look in hardware that it is completely blank!

Laura : I cant hit Ctrl Alt Del as if I press ANY key, it locks me out!

ntlbell

if you boot into the bios can you use the keyboard?

does it crash?

sparky360

not sure how to boot into BIOS. I tried pressing the Shift F11 but even when the startup screens are running, it doesnt allow me to press any keys

ntlbell

what model pc is it or is it a self build?

if you tap pause/break from when you turn it on you should see a splash with something like

F1 for bios or F1 for setup

etc etc

sparky360

it's a Dell. Not sure what spec.

knoxor

sparky360 wrote: »

not sure how to boot into BIOS. I tried pressing the Shift F11 but even when the startup screens are running, it doesnt allow me to press any keys

When you start up the computer , can you hear any beeps? There are a number of beep codes that sound when there is a hardware failure during the POST (Power On Startup Tests) that a computer performs each time it boots.

Have a look at the list in this link

http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm

Reboot your computer and see if you can hear a series of beeps.

ntlbell

sparky360 wrote: »

it's a Dell. Not sure what spec.

should be F2

try F1-F8 or Delete you'll get it eventually

knoxor

We would probably need to find out what motherboard you have to see which beep codes correspond to your system.

First, check to see if you can hear a series of beeps on your computer when you boot up.

Do you have any documentation with your system ? Any booklets or manuals provided when you bought it ?

Slow Motion

Do you know anyone with a wireless keyboard that you could borrow? I have one that I use via a USB port, if there is a problem with the keyboard port as opposed to the keyboard itself (you said you tried another), this might be a way around it!

Slow Motion

ntlbell wrote: »

should be F2

try F1-F8 or Delete you'll get it eventually

That's correct AFAIK

knoxor

sparky360 wrote: »

it's a Dell. Not sure what spec.

I think these beep codes might be more relevant

http://www.bioscentral.com/postcodes/dellbios.htm

Yerac

Have you tried the on-screen keyboard (part of the accessibility options). Assuming you are using Win XP, go start -> programs -> accessories -> accessibility -> "on screen keyboard".

If it works it might at least give you the option of managing your way around within the OS with some form of keyboard.

Also no harm testing this to see if this crashes you out too.

sparky360

thanks for all your help lads (and ladies). Will try all this tonight. Will keep you posted tomorrow. Please keep an eye on this thread so you might be able to help me further. An Xmas without a computer would bring more substance to my other halves request for a spanking new laptop

Earth Worm Jim

sparky360 wrote: »

its a home computer. I am running the full AVG scan and also superantispywear full scans.

I reckon its the above, i have heard it may have a trojan in it? Looks a little bogey, seeing as its spelt wrong as its spyware and not spywear?

Has being known to freeze keyboard functions or cause the keyboard to write on its own! Try uninstalling it..Or do a repair with your dell disc(the green operating system one) And then uninstall it and use spybot instead of superantispywear..

sparky360

I think that might be a typo on my behalf lol
I'm almost sure its superantispyware.

I'll uninstall it tonight though

Hal1

Which type of keyboard do you have? Was the other keyboard you tried the same type? and check for damage to the port (the place it plugs into) at the back of your pc.

or
USB / PS2

sparky360

the purpley type one. Both keyboards were that type

Hal1

I could be wrong, but I would check for any 'play' or damage to the keyboard port on the PC, and check the end of the keyboard's cable. I seen this happen where a user would damage this due to tugging on the keyboard, you know if the cable was to get stuck.

BopNiblets

sparky360 wrote: »

Laura : I cant hit Ctrl Alt Del as if I press ANY key, it locks me out!

Right click on the task bar and click Task Manager (should be there), see if any processes go mad after pressing a key.

computerdoc

Try booting from the Windows recovery cd that came with the pc & see if you can use the keyboard.