# Solved: Keyboard mapping all messed up???



## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

Hi,

My girlfriend has a Samsung R519 and it's recently developed a strange problem with the keyboard.

Essentially... some keys don't type anything on screen, some type correctly, and some... just type what appears to be random characters????

For instance, hitting qwertyuio produces: R45TU76Y. But... those characters are only actually produced from hitting 't' which produces the R45T and 'y' which produces the U76Y. 'q,w,e,r,u,i and o' actually put nothing on the screen when you hit them.

I thought she might have somehow managed to activate the num lock but... using fn+F11 doesn't solve anything. Actually, that and fn+F12 seems to disable the mouse pad and hide the mouse pointer.

I can't figure this one out.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Del.


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

That sounds to me like a hardware issue rather than a keyboard mapping problem. If this is a desktop computer, try swapping the keyboard for a different one which doesn't share the problem.


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## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

No, it's a Samsung laptop.

I'd be stunned if it was a hardware issue. Can't think of anything that could suddenly mess up the keyboard layout like that.

Thanks for pitching in tho.

Del.


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

I've looked at a keyboard or two that was all messed up like that; in one case it involved a four year old boy playing drums on the keyboard but any sort of excessive pressure could do it. All that has to happen is for one key to be knocked until constantly conducting. 

Keyboards are wired in a sort of grid arrangement such that two different wires intersect at any given key and that intersection is unique. Both wires go through other keys, but don't meet again. This way when a key is pressed the computer can tell from which to signals are active which one button was pushed. However if one key (and therefore two sets of wires) are permanently live, you can imagine the confusion the computer has then.


For example.
0 1 2 3
1 A B C
2 D E F
3 G H I

If A is pushed, the computer looks up wires 1, 1. If F is pushed it looks up 3,2. If however A were stuck and F were pushed it would be unable to distinguish between A, C, D, and F since all four wires would be live.


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## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

Yeah, I see you point, mate. I guess that could be the case.

But... there's not been any drumming by the little 'un, and can't think of any other time there has been any knocks or unusual pressure put on the keyboard.

I've built a few desktops in my time, but never dismantled a laptop. Is it something I'd be able to see visually if I took it apart?

Thanks,

Del.


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

> Is it something I'd be able to see visually if I took it apart?


I doubt it, unless you have Superman's Microscope vision. It would just be a slight permanent compression in one of the small carbon-black rings on the keyboard, and I don't think it would be repairable. You can get replacement keyboards for many models of laptops (the newer the easier I believe), and disassembly guides right across the net.

In my opinion this is the most likely cause and most likely solution, but feel free to wait for other's suggestions as well. Personally I would much rather avoid buying anything and much rather avoid taking a screwdriver to my machine until there were no other possibilities. Meanwhile a simple test such as plugging in a USB keyboard can't exactly hurt; if it does work then you've all but confirmed it's a problem with the laptop hardware.


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## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks, Ent. All makes sense.

I'll see if I can grab a USB keyboard (think I've got on in a box somewhere...) and try that.

If I can confirm they keyboard seems to be damaged, then I'll have a go at replacing it myself.

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated.

After I've checked with the USB keyboard, I'll come back and close this thread if that proves it is as you've said.

Cheers,

Del.


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## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

USB keyboard works fine.

So... I guess you were right. I've no idea when the laptop could've taken a hard enough bash to the keyboard to cause any damage, but I guess it must have.

Thanks for your help, mate.

Cheers,

Del.


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## Tadtheo (Oct 6, 2007)

You could try re-installing the drivers in Device Manager to see if that fixes the issue. You could try that before you go pulling apart your laptop.


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## MightyJoePublic (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks Tad. Will give that a try before I replace the keyboard.

Cheers,

Del.


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