Slow Thinking Day

I just about made a colossal idiot of myself. Fortunately, know one will ever know except for me and my blog.

As I was writing the last post, the mouse started acting strange. I clicked on a higher row than I was currently on, in order to correct a spelling error, and everything between the two points highlighted. After trying several times, I finally just hit "Save" and do some troubleshooting.

I figured that I had hit a key combination by mistake, so I rebooted the computer in order to clear the key strokes. I clicked on "Restart" and nothing happened. I tried it again - still notta. But when I clicked on "Shut Down", everything worked okay. So after waiting a minute or so, i pressed th "On" button and everything looked okay until I clicked on my mail program. All the icons above that one hightlighted also. "Uh-oh", I thought, "somehow I got a virus."

Yesterday while I was on the computer, I had updated the virus checker, so what had slipped by? I ran the virus checker(after unplugging the modem from the Internet), but it said I was clean. I plugged back into the internet and using the Taskbar shortcut, ran the update - which said I had all the latest updates. Okay, no virus, I think.

I tried a USB mouse instead of my PS/2 mouse. No change in reactions.

I went into the control panel to check the mouse settings. Then all the problems suddenly became clear; even using the keyboard to navigate highlighted anything above what I was trying to open. I managed to look at the keyboard and mouse settings (after a whole bunch of other stuff opened too), but they looked fine. I got my other computer going and Googled my problem, but nothing usefull came up.

Alright, it was computer repair shop time. I kept thinking it had to be something simple, and I would be spending money for no good reason (unless they found a virus that Norton's couldn't find), but I was obviously getting nowhere with it.

I loaded the CPU into my truck and then let the vehicle warm up while I filled up the indoor woodrack (it was still about 7 degrees outside). As I brought in the last load of wood, I couldn't stop thinking how the problem had to be simple. Maybe it was my deyboard that was messed up and maybe I should take my keyboard and mouse with me.

That's when it hit me. Duh! I checked the keyboard and found what I had expected to see - the "Shift" key on the righthand side was stuck in the down position. I got it un-stuck, brought in the CPU and hooked it up. Yep, everything is working just fine and dandy thank you very much.

All I can say is I'm glad I thought of it before I got to the repair shop and they couldn't reproduce the problem!

Comments

[Cop Car]

Good one, Bogie. Glad you found the recalcitrant key. I used to enjoy watching people use my computer at work. Even though I would caution them that I had a left-handed mouse setup (which should be obvious when the mouse is to the left of the keyboard?) and even though I would tell them it was OK if they wanted to reset it, they would invariably NOT reset the mouse and then would get left- and right-clicks confused. (When our "help desk" people were doing strange things on my screen by proxy, I would prompt them on the phone, "left mouse, left mouse".)

[Wichi Dude]

Sticky key, huh? What have you been doing around your keyboard anyway? Probably an escaped gummy-bear.
Glad you figured it out before hitting the shop. Those guys have a sense of humor, but it is an expensive one.

[bogie]

Cop Car - The left mouse set-up isn't so obvious, even if the mouse is on the left. I have never changed the way the mouse's clicks work (all my work computers have been set up with the mouse on the left and one of my home computers is set up with it on the left).

Wichi Dude - Nothing dirty about my keyboard; The key had actually gotten cocked so one corner of it was under underneath the face-plate.

[Buffy]

It's amazing how simple some of the problems can be. I still have to learn how to use some of the keys on my keyboard, and I probably would have done just what you did. The "num lock" key on this computer is on by default, but on the last computer, it was off by default. I never realized that I might have been able to change the default on the last computer.

The CPA sends an assistant to help me with Quick Books once a quarter. On the last visit I asked her if she had taken extensive classes on keyboard shortcuts, and she said she had just figured them out playing with the programs. She must be more dedicated to her computer than I am.