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ERIC

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Dec 31, 2001
Posts
1,851
Loc
New York's Hudson River Valley
Business
Newburgh Mercantile
help! i have done something that has my shift key stuck on> so i get no caps and a comma looks like this< a number five is % !!!

how do i unlock it
 
If I get a stuck key (like ctrl alt or shift), I usually just bang away on all the keys with the hope that it comes unstuck.. I've never had one that doesn't come unstuck.

Except when I accidentally dumped my large glass of Coca-Cola over my keyboard, but fortunately my Wireless Natural Desktop Pro from Microsoft comes apart quite nicely for cleaning.

So depending on your keyboard, it might be a time to invest in a new one. If you can find the culprit key that's stuck, try pulling the key off carefully and wipe around the base with a q-tip dipped in alcohol or something to remove gunk.
 
If anyone would be interested in contributing to Eric's Keyboard Fund, please contact me privately.

I'd hate to see you spend a lot of time on repairs, Eric, when we could get you a new keyboard for about $9.95. (Not one like Steve's, mind you.)
 
Just call me Heloise, but I read that you can clean keyboards w/water and listerine (equal parts) and a small artist's brush (about 1/2 inch wide). Unplug the keyboard (duh!) and dip the brush (squeezing out the solution) and repeatedly swipe over the keys and around the base of the keys. Allow to dry for several hours or dry w/a blowdryer.

Best bet is to not eat/smoke/or have dirty hands while at the keyboard. (Yeah right!) Acutally, Ron's suggestion is probably the best.
 
I'm assuming you mean stuck as in a software sense, not in a physical sense?

If so... rebooting should clear up that issue.

It's a known thing with pc's. Another thing that will clear it up often is to push shift+control+alt a few times (together)

Mike
 
Originally posted by Mike Labbe @ GTP:
I'm assuming you mean stuck as in a software sense, not in a physical sense?

If so... rebooting should clear up that issue.
And then go into your Control Panel under Accessability Options and make sure that StickyKeys, FilterKeys and ToggleKeys are all turned off, and under Settings for each one that "Use Shortcut" is also turned off. That may not have been the culprit, but they can be a real pain.
 
I heard on the Kim Komando show that you can put it in the dishwasher. She said to not use cleaner or heat. You can, i guess, put it in the dishwasher?
 
After all, I have recently heard that running the old v-nailer thru the carwash works, so...

Kim Komando says use the dishwasher

Jay, you sure are smart.

(And I've obviously got way too much time on my hands).
 
Since your post was all in lower case, but the numbers and comma come out as a “Shift-something”, I am guessing that you don’t have a hardware problem, but rather the ASCII interpreter has hiccoughed, i.e. a software glitch.

Reboot, then glare at your keyboard malevolently until it shapes up.
 
My vote is with David's suggestion.

If not then it could be something with your keyboard drivers. You could uninstall your keyboard and then reboot and let it reinstall.

But most likely its accessibility related.
 
Let's be analytical about this. Do you have another keyboard (like even one you can borrow from another computer?) If so, try swapping and seeing if the other keyboard behaves properly. If it does, swap them back. Does the problem recur? If so, deep six the broken keyboard and get yourself another. Let us know how this goes.
 
good solution doctah

Not to splinter this too much but does anyone know of a keyboard with a tab key over by the number pad?
 
As far as another keyboard - it's a laptop.

BUT wow! When I turned in on again it cleared up on it's own. Thankfully. I am not very good with this stuff.

Thanks for all the ideas and advise. I have a feeling that it knew the formidable resource I have in the techie section here, so it just gave in. This laptop will have to try harder next time it it plans to have its way with us!
 
Eric! Don't put it in the dishwasher!

Actually, an external keyboard is a great upgrade for a laptop if it's sitting on a desk. You can disconnect it when you're travelling.

An external monitor is another big help/

Add an external hard drive and a mouse and you've almost got an (expensive) desktop.
 
I'm going to look really stupid here, not for the first time. My son encouraged me to buy a monitor and external keyboard for my laptop. I can't for the life of me figure why I'd want to. There's already a keyboard and okay-sized monitor. What's up and what am I missing??

Cathie
 
Some folks just don't care for the small keyboards or screens that come built-in with the laptops/notebooks. The external options get around this objection, but that's about it ;)

Mike
 
I bought a port extender for my laptop. Will be installing the port extender to power, a keyboard, a mouse, and an external monitor at my second POS station. The laptop will come "home" with me and contain my web site work area, and my accounting. Each morning I can easily (usb) plug it into the port extender, thus charging during the day and having a full POS station.

At night, the laptop comes home so I (as time permits) can work on things at my leisure.
 
Thank you, Cathie, I was wondering the same thing.

It seems to me to be akin to living in a camping trailer for the convenience of towing it around the country and then, whenever you park it for any length of time, you build a garage and a patio onto it!!

Isn't the whole idea of a laptop to take advantage of the all-in-one convenience of built in everything in a compact package that can be easily carried about? If one wants to have a large monitor or a separate keyboard, why not simply wait for one of these one day super blue light specials that Dell or others offer on their website and buy a PC for $300.

If you pay attention to Mike's postings (as I did about a year ago) you can get a multi-gigahertz lightning fast PC with all the bells and whistles on it for next to nothing.

Are we showing our ages, Cathie, or our ignorance of these things, or ........... are we too smart for our own good???
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:cool:

Framerguy

P.S. And all this as a result of a simple question about a sticking shift key!!! :eek:
 
Now THAT, Cliff, makes perfect sense to me!!
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FGII
 
There ya go, Tom. Makes sense to me now, too.
And we will NEVER be showing our ages or ignorance: that's admitting defeat and one never gives up, no matter how old or stupid.

It's that old good offense/defense thing.
 
OK, Tom and Cathy, don't forget Ron has had his laptop since they first came out and they are much different today. I think the lap top might be nice expecially with bi-focals.

When they put a split keyboard on a laptop, I'll consider getting one. I've spilled half a bowl of cereal with the milk on a keyboard. I figured sure that was it but it is still working.

Isn't the rule of thumb, when all else fails, reboot.

Jeannette
 
My laptop's monitor crapped out at least a year ago. I plugged in an external (19", no less) monitor and, since it wasn't going anywhere, a full keyboard, external hardrive and optical mouse. Also 2 scanners and 2 printers. And a CD burner, a digital tablet and some other stuff I've forgotten about.

That's what I used until a bought my son's desktop last summer and dropped in another hard drive and a DVD burner.

What was my point?

I don't remember.
 
Yes, Ron, I see what you mean now.
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FGII
 
Oh, and an external Zip Drive. And speakers.

Some would be tempted to call it Frankenputer, but that would be just too cute.

That laptop took up all of a 3'x5' desk.
 
Laptop, Expansion Base w/ 160 gig mass storage drive and built in speakers, wireless keyboard and mouse, DVD Burner, printer and wireless router. Uses less than 25% of a small computer armoir (48" high x 36" wide x 20" deep). The base charges the laptop when docked and I can go anywhere in the house, deck or over to the neighbors with the laptop connected to the internet. I have 9 USB ports so I can connect anything in a second.

I did this because I had to have a laptop and wanted everything that a PC could offer.
 
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