Home lap top virus?

[Tim Hancock]

My home laptop is really acting up when I am on-line. When I start typing a reply, the text jumps around or highlights or deletes or starts overtyping somewhere else. While surfing, it will start highlighting everything occasionaly and the side scroll will start acting up.

Wierd stuff that does not happen all the time, but it is getting very frustrating. I recently updated Ad-Aware, AVG Free, Spybot, AVG spy and AVG rootkit and they are not seeming to detect anything. Any other suggestions (keep in mind my laptop is on SLOW dial up at home and I do not know much about computers these days).

[TerryH]

Almost sounds like the TAB key is stuck.

[Tim Hancock]

I have used the tab key recently and it works perfectly with no issues.

[stomachmonkey]

Trackpad could be going. Hook up a mouse and use it exclusively, see what happens.

Trackpads sense heat.

Do you wear a watch or bracelet? Sometimes a piece of dangling jewelry can pick up enough body heat to trigger the trackpad.

Trackpads don't like wet/moist fingers.

Does it happen in every application? Start up Wordpad or something else that takes text input. When the browser acts up switch to the other app and see if the problem persists. Or download and try a different browser.

Clean the keyboard by gently vacuuming it. Don't blow compressed air into it.

[azasadny]

Doesn't sound like a virus to me, more like a hardware or driver issue...

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
Trackpad could be going. Hook up a mouse and use it exclusively, see what happens.

Trackpads sense heat.

Do you wear a watch or bracelet? Sometimes a piece of dangling jewelry can pick up enough body heat to trigger the trackpad.

Trackpads don't like wet/moist fingers.

Does it happen in every application? Start up Wordpad or something else that takes text input. When the browser acts up switch to the other app and see if the problem persists. Or download and try a different browser.

Clean the keyboard by gently vacuuming it. Don't blow compressed air into it.

I am already using a mouse (fairly new) and yes I have had word documents at strangely also. It sits on one of my workbenches in my shop and is a bit dusty, but not too bad. I will try to vacuum it to see if that might be it, but I can't help worrying that it is some kind of bug or something.

[slodave]

Originally posted by Tim Hancock
I am already using a mouse (fairly new) and yes I have had word documents at strangely also. It sits on one of my workbenches in my shop and is a bit dusty, but not too bad. I will try to vacuum it to see if that might be it, but I can't help worrying that it is some kind of bug or something.

Is it a roller ball mouse or one of the laser types? If the latter, they need a solid surface. A workbench can cause the cursor to do weird things. Try putting a piece of white papaer under the mouse.

Dave

[Moneyguy1]

Tim:

If you mean that your are typing something and suddenly you are inserting into an already typed line, then it is a keyboard problem. I have this old Compaq (Blecch!!!) that does this and sometime an enttire line or paragraph will "diasappear. The machine is old and crotchety and is the "spare" (in use right now) because the top-o-the-line Compaq (double blecch!!) loses its mind and begins huntine for "floppy not found) over and over, or simply drops out completely. But that is another story. If the unit you have has a separate keybord, might try a substitute and see if the problem goes away.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally posted by slodave
Is it a roller ball mouse or one of the laser types? If the latter, they need a solid surface. A workbench can cause the cursor to do weird things. Try putting a piece of white papaer under the mouse.

Dave

True, optical mice do not work on wood.

[Tim Hancock]

Optical mouse is on an old multi-colored mouse pad. It is random when it happens. The odd thing is that when it starts happening, I can usually type real slow to finish what I am typing. The fact that stuff starts highlighting randomly all over on the screen still makes me think there is some kind of virus or something. I have typed this whole post thus far n with no issue, but if I stay on-line a


Spoke too soon, it has started, the "n" (was typing the word "and") above got put between the words "far & with". My text now is randomly highlighting and I have to keep re-clicking my cursor to the right spot. I am using my mouse on a white sheet of paper on top of my mouse pad and it still was acting up. Now it seems to be working OK again. Wierd!

[stomachmonkey]

Try a different mouse.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
Try a different mouse.

I am an effing idiot! This old problem was getting pretty bad now that I am using my home shop computer daily due to my recent job loss. I unplugged my optical mouse and plugged in an old two button mouse and the problem is GONE!

I then pulled the battery out of the "new" optical mouse and popped in a new one and it also works fine now. Like I said I am an effing idiot!

I guess I just assumed that with the mouse idle and cursor off to the side, my problem was keyboard/virus and could not be mouse related. Oh well problem solved, better late than never!