Dan Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 OK... so I'm working on a few comps today at a neighbors house- a little basic cleaning, setting up a home network, easy cheesy. Then they ask if I can fix a keyboard on their laptop (HP ze5700). Enter the end of my day. The "7" key is busted. I mean completely busted. In their failed attempts to do something they completely ripped out the key and tore up the underlying circuit thing. So, it's pretty well screwed. I told them they could buy a new keyboard relatively cheap and replace it. Can you get it to connect to an external keyboard? Sure, I say. Well, to make a long story short... the computer is continually acting as though the "7" key is being continually pressed. I removed the laptop's keyboard completely. Still 7's continually being typed with no keyboard whatsoever attached. I tried everything I could thing of, but bring up any cmd window (not an easy task when all you can type is 7c77m7777d77) and a steady stream of 7's start flowing. So, any advice? It beats anything I'd ever seen.
justnzane Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 OK... so I'm working on a few comps today at a neighbors house- a little basic cleaning, setting up a home network, easy cheesy. Then they ask if I can fix a keyboard on their laptop (HP ze5700). Enter the end of my day. The "7" key is busted. I mean completely busted. In their failed attempts to do something they completely ripped out the key and tore up the underlying circuit thing. So, it's pretty well screwed. I told them they could buy a new keyboard relatively cheap and replace it. Can you get it to connect to an external keyboard? Sure, I say. Well, to make a long story short... the computer is continually acting as though the "7" key is being continually pressed. I removed the laptop's keyboard completely. Still 7's continually being typed with no keyboard whatsoever attached. I tried everything I could thing of, but bring up any cmd window (not an easy task when all you can type is 7c77m7777d77) and a steady stream of 7's start flowing. So, any advice? It beats anything I'd ever seen. hook up an external USB keyboard, unhook the internal keyboard so it is useless. That is what I would have had to do, had i not been able to stop my computer from doing a similar thing, where I spilled some white zin on the keyboard and my alt and left arrow buttons were pressing non-stop. I pulled that keys off and washed it, so it doesn't stick anymore. I still have to use an external keyboard, but i don't have the sticky issue anymore
Dan Posted March 1, 2009 Author Posted March 1, 2009 hook up an external USB keyboard, unhook the internal keyboard so it is useless. That is what I would have had to do, had i not been able to stop my computer from doing a similar thing, where I spilled some white zin on the keyboard and my alt and left arrow buttons were pressing non-stop. I pulled that keys off and washed it, so it doesn't stick anymore. I still have to use an external keyboard, but i don't have the sticky issue anymore I did that. No dice. 7's were still streaming continually.
justnzane Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 I did that. No dice. 7's were still streaming continually. any way to disconnect permanently the internal keyboard? Cuz there would be no logical reason otherwise for the CPU to being pressing 7's without a keyboard hooked up internally.
WWVaBeach Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Sounds to me like they should play 7's for Cash 3.
Dan Posted March 1, 2009 Author Posted March 1, 2009 any way to disconnect permanently the internal keyboard? Cuz there would be no logical reason otherwise for the CPU to being pressing 7's without a keyboard hooked up internally. Yeah, I unplugged and physically removed the keyboard. It was laying on the table 2 feet away from the laptop. I turned it on (with and without the usb keyboard). Opened the recently opened programs and got cmd up. 7's still steadily typing in. I agree - no logical reason behind it. I'm completely stumped.
justnzane Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Yeah, I unplugged and physically removed the keyboard. It was laying on the table 2 feet away from the laptop. I turned it on (with and without the usb keyboard). Opened the recently opened programs and got cmd up. 7's still steadily typing in. I agree - no logical reason behind it. I'm completely stumped. sh--... could it be a virus of some sort? otherwise, I am right with you there: stumped.
Corp000085 Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 silly question, but did you take off the keyboard top off or did you physically unhook the keyboard circuit board from the motherboard? I have seen laptops that have a single keyboard unit and some that has the actual plastic keys and the underlying circuit board as a separate unit. It probably has a tiny 4 pin connector or something.
The Dean Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Wow...new one by me, sorry. Disconnecting the keyboard sounded like the right answer. I am totally shot, and not thinking very clearly (insert cheap shot, here), but... Is there a command line process to kill the built-in keyboard support? If you can find that, maybe you can write it to notepad, or something, and save it to a usb flash drive. I'd also add some other commands you might need (like "cmd" for example) so you can use the mouse to get to a command window, and cut and paste the commands from notepad with the mouse. Perhaps even though the keyboard is detached, the processes are still running. Of course, you can kill many process with task manager, but I don't know if you can get that one. Other, probably bad, things I might try are running a scan of the machine with a good anti-malware, running CCleaner or maybe something like Trojan Remover. Damn...let us know what works, Dan.
VOR Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Tell the cheap mofos to buy a new laptop. And tell them never to try and fix one on their own again.
Dan Posted March 1, 2009 Author Posted March 1, 2009 silly question, but did you take off the keyboard top off or did you physically unhook the keyboard circuit board from the motherboard? I have seen laptops that have a single keyboard unit and some that has the actual plastic keys and the underlying circuit board as a separate unit. It probably has a tiny 4 pin connector or something. I removed the keyboard. It's connected to the motherboard with a thin, flat wire (maybe an inch or so wide). Unplugged that and the keyboard came completely out and was in no way touching the computer. I think that's what you mean? Wow...new one by me, sorry. Disconnecting the keyboard sounded like the right answer. I am totally shot, and not thinking very clearly (insert cheap shot, here), but... Is there a command line process to kill the built-in keyboard support? If you can find that, maybe you can write it to notepad, or something, and save it to a usb flash drive. I'd also add some other commands you might need (like "cmd" for example) so you can use the mouse to get to a command window, and cut and paste the commands from notepad with the mouse. Perhaps even though the keyboard is detached, the processes are still running. Of course, you can kill many process with task manager, but I don't know if you can get that one. Other, probably bad, things I might try are running a scan of the machine with a good anti-malware, running CCleaner or maybe something like Trojan Remover. Damn...let us know what works, Dan. I was looking for a command line process that could kill it just now. Still haven't found anything. But, that's what I was thinking as well. I didn't try the antivirus stuff yet - quite honestly my brain didn't even go there. I was too busy thinking it was related to the keyboard being messed up. I'll let ya know what I find out - if anything. Tell the cheap mofos to buy a new laptop. And tell them never to try and fix one on their own again. That's what I told them when I first saw it. "who butchered this thing?" But, yeah they're close to getting a new one. It's an old hand me down as it is, so I'm not sure they're ready to send it off to HP for repair.
justnzane Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Wow...new one by me, sorry. Disconnecting the keyboard sounded like the right answer. I am totally shot, and not thinking very clearly (Been smoking too much out my pipe, as shown in my avatar), but... FYP
The Dean Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 FYP I wish that was the reason. It may be in an hour, or so, though.
KD in CA Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 Sounds to me like they should play 7's for Cash 3. Or get to a craps table ASAP.
eSJayDee Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 I don't know how to solve your problem, but I might have an idea how to pursue a solution. I'm assuming you're running some type of Windoze? I believe a keyboard is "connected" to the BIOS by a hardware interrupt. I would think it possible to write some sort of overlay/TSR type thing that "intercepts" this interrupt & basically ignores the "7" key. Any PC gurus have any insight on something like this? Am I talking totally out of my butt?
BuffaloBill Posted March 1, 2009 Posted March 1, 2009 1.) Get a big rock2. ) Smash laptop with big rock. A hammer would be more elegant. Sounds like these folks need to break down and get a new PC. If it was in that shape to begin with they are likely to start experiiencing other problems. Reminds me of an Acer Tablet PC that I had - when the second hard drive went bad in a twelve month period I took it as reason to give it up. I knew for relatively little money I could put another one in but the risk of lost data was just not worth it.
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