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Author Topic: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)  (Read 23050 times)

Mizraim

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Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« on: May 12, 2012, 06:52 PM »
Dell Studio 1735 laptop - Running Windows 7

Recently I have had problems playing games where my keys get 'stuck' but not physically. After releasing the Move Forward button for example, there is roughly a 2 second delay before my characters actually stop moving. I have checked online on several websites and most of the topics I find that are related, all point to sticky keys, which I have verified are turned off.

This has occurred over several different games, both full screen and windowed mode, using different keys, (NumPad, Arrows, WASD) and the problem persists. The laptop has been turned off and rebooted with no change. Any ideas?

~Mizraim

yksyks

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2012, 01:47 PM »
Don't you happen to use TapTap Hotkey Extender? It sometimes causes exactly this behavior.

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2012, 03:28 PM »
I don't use TapTap Hotkey Extender. I appreciate the thought though.

IainB

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2012, 07:06 PM »
This might help. I would hazzard a guess, from what you describe, that the holding down of a key under certain game-playing circumstances sometimes somehow triggers the keyboard buffer to store the key depression as repeat key presses, which are then fed sequentially to the processor - possibly after a timed delay.
In Win7-64 Home Premium, you can mess about with these settings to some extent by setting up "Filter keys" (see screenshot clip below). You used to be able to mess about with them a bit in XP as well, but I forget how. Might be worth experimenting with - "suck-it-and-see".
Key control adjustments - 2012-05-14.jpg

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2012, 07:17 PM »
I've played around with the Filter Keys and there is no change at all after enabling and disabling them. Thanks for the suggestion.

4wd

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2012, 07:36 PM »
You didn't mention whether this is to do with online or offline gaming, as for online there could be a problem with lag occasionally.

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2012, 07:37 PM »
This has affected all games I've played. Both online and offline. Anything else I can add to shed light on this situation?

4wd

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2012, 07:45 PM »
Just out of interest, is it only while playing games ?

eg. No mysterious slowdowns or seemingly interface freezes while using other programs ?

Have you checked the Event Log for any warnings or errors possibly related to disk access, (or anything else) ?

Have you tried killing all unnecessary background tasks before running games, (this includes any antivirus) ?

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2012, 07:51 PM »
I've only noticed this during game play. I have not checked the event log, but I'll do that and report back. I have never killed the antivirus before and this problem has only recently showed up. I'll try this out later and let you know. Thanks for the suggestions.

4wd

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2012, 07:54 PM »
I have never killed the antivirus before and this problem has only recently showed up.

It could be an AV program update has made it more aggressive in its behaviour.

You could try running Game Booster and turning the AV off before running a game offline, (ie. unplug from the network altogether).

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2012, 10:34 PM »
Ok, sorry for the delay. I don't get to play as much as I'd like but after doing all of your recommendations, the problem persists. I have found that this problem is not present in FFXI or D3 (but Diablo 3 is mouse clicks only). I'm just about ready to format my C drive and see if that helps the problem. Unless there are any other suggestions, I'm out of ideas myself.

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2012, 10:56 PM »
This issue isn't just related to games. It looks like my keyboard has a delay in it. This is apparent in the keyboard test (where you can change your settings and test them out. Also in Microsoft work. I hold down the 'a' key for 5 seconds, and it continues for about 2 seconds after I release the key, but it's also slightly delayed before it begins typing. I'm completely at at loss as to why this is happening. I've tried shortening the delay to nothing and even speeding up the repeat speed, but the delay persists.

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2012, 11:37 PM »
After reading on a forum with a similar problem, I went to the device manager and found that there are several keyboards installed:

HID Keyboard Device - Does not require a reboot to remove
Microsoft eHome MCIR 109 Keyboard - Does not require a reboot to remove
Microsoft eHome MCIR Keyboard - Does not require a reboot to remove
Microsoft eHome Remote Control Keyboard keys - Does not require a reboot to remove
Standard PS/2 Keyboard - Requires a reboot to remove

I've removed all of these, with the exception of the Standard PS/2 Keyboard, (keep in mind I'm on a laptop with no external keyboards connected) and I've had no change.

IainB

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2012, 01:34 AM »
I'm just about ready to format my C drive and see if that helps the problem. Unless there are any other suggestions, I'm out of ideas myself.
That would be just a kinda random thing to do - you have no reason to suppose it will achieve anything. Probably a complete waste of time.

This is good information:
I hold down the 'a' key for 5 seconds, and it continues for about 2 seconds after I release the key, but it's also slightly delayed before it begins typing. I'm completely at at loss as to why this is happening. I've tried shortening the delay to nothing and even speeding up the repeat speed, but the delay persists.

I think that what this seems to indicate is that:
(a) you have the settable key repeat delay set at about 5 seconds, so that when you press a key and hold it down, it will start repeating after the delay interval (approx. 5 seconds), and
(b) it will send the repeats at a settable repeat rate. The repeated keys take about 2 seconds to be output before the buffer is emptied.

These settings are accessible - e.g., Customising your computer
To adjust the key repeat rate
1. Open Keyboard in Control Panel.
2. On the Speed tab, make changes as follows:
  • To adjust the amount of time that elapses before characters repeat when you hold down a key, drag the Repeat delay slider.
  • To adjust how quickly characters repeat when you hold down a key, drag the Repeat rate slider.

Note
To open Keyboard, click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Keyboard.

There's a good post here as well: Adjusting your keyboard’s repeat rate

Try setting the repeat delay to 0 (zero), and reducing the repeat rate.

Alternative suggestions:
  • Out of interest, I had a look in X-Setup Pro, but it doesn't seem to offer anything over and above the standard system settings you can access per the above.
  • Your keyboard processor chip may be failing - but that would usually mean you had the same odd behaviour in all applications (not just games), and it would usually be bizarre and seemingly random behaviour. Your problem does not seem to fit that description.
  • As a precaution, just doublecheck that your current keyboard mapping is as per default, with remapkey.exe:
    As a possible solution to ALL CAPS accidents...
    ...
    Tip - dispatching the CapsLock gremlin with Microsoft's remapkey.exe http://tips4laptopus...ck-gremlin-with.html
    It refers to the Microsoft remapkey.exe utility.
    ...
    Other keyboard mapping fixes are useful, but redundant if you use remapkey.exe, which works fine in Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Win7-64 Home Premium.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2012, 01:49 AM by IainB »

Deozaan

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #14 on: June 02, 2012, 03:20 AM »
I've removed all of these, with the exception of the Standard PS/2 Keyboard, (keep in mind I'm on a laptop with no external keyboards connected) and I've had no change.

It kind of makes me wonder what would happen if you did plug in an external keyboard. :-\

Mizraim

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Re: Keyboard keys 'stuck' (software???)
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2012, 12:13 PM »
I'm just about ready to format my C drive and see if that helps the problem. Unless there are any other suggestions, I'm out of ideas myself.
That would be just a kinda random thing to do - you have no reason to suppose it will achieve anything. Probably a complete waste of time.

The only reason I thought of this was because I had tried all the setting adjustments I could think of, and all of the suggestions listed here to no avail. I thought a computer format would reset everything back to default thus eliminating the problem.  :)

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I don't know what changed, because I have never tampered with the keyboard settings before this issue appeared. I have gone several times to the keyboard delay/repeat settings and tampered with them after reading your suggestions, and now, quite suddenly, things are back to normal - from what I've experienced. I've only tested it out on Terraria, and general typing, and if there is a delay, it's very minute. Again, thank you for the time you've invested.

~Mizraim