After update to winver 1909 18363.720 two keys malfunction.

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Persuant to Woody’s recommendation, today I ran windows update on a Win 10 pro Dell desktop. After the update to winver 1909 18363.720 two keys on my keyboard are malfunctioning.

The asterisk “*” key on the numeric keypad does nothing. The asterisk “*” key above the “8” on the qwerty section inserts an asterisk normally.

The “END” key in the six key group to the left of the numeric pad inserts the letter “b”.  Shift + “END” inserts the letter “B”.

The SHIFT+”1″ combination on the numeric pad (labeled END) moves the cursor to the end of the line as it should.

The keys were working properly just before the windows update. I was using the “*” key on the numeric pad in the calculator. The keys now manfucntion in Libre Office Write, Libre Office Calc and in Notepad.

It appears to me that the windows update remapped the key codes.

Paul in NY

 

 

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Any separate driver update today listed at;

Start, Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, View update history, Drivers?

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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Paul_L

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The only driver update was done on 7/18/19 from Realtek Semiconductor. There were 16 “quality” updates from 8/28/19 to 4/14/20, and feature updates on 8/28/19, a failure on 12/25/19, 1/2/20 and 1/4/20. Hitting the END key and getting a “b” is particularly annoying.

Paul in NY.

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You could try Start, Settings, Update & Security, Troubleshoot, Additional troubleshooters, Keyboard.

But I think you may need to download and reinstall the keyboard driver for your desktop model from Dell Support.

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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Paul_L

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The windows troubleshooter found nothing wrong.

Dell had me install their SupportAssist program. It reported that I have the latest drivers and gave me a list of the drivers installed which include Realtek audio, system bios, Intel management 1, Intel management 2, Intel chipset, Intel network diagnostics, Intel ethernet controller, Intel rapid storage mgmt, Dell command update for Win32, and Intel HD graphics. There is no driver separately identified as a keyboard driver.

Paul in NY

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b

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I solved the problem. It was the keyboard. It decided to fail just when Woody told me to update windows. Thanks anyway.

Paul in NY

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Elly, b

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so are you getting a new keyboard?

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The defective keyboard is a 10 year old Unicomp buckling spring — the original IBM keyswitch design. I’ve been using them since my mainframe days and continuously since the PC first came out. I can’t type on anything else! I am sending it back to Unicomp, pckeyboard.com, in Lexington KY where they will rebuild it for a flat fee of $50. I am trying to type on a new gaming keyboard but I can’t get used to it.

Thanks for asking. I can’t figure out why the keyboard failed exactly when I updated windows. Just dumb luck, I guess.

Paul in NY

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This got my attn because for a good couple of months now my keyboard has been acting crazy out of nowhere. I am not completely certain if it started after an update but I have suspected that to be the issue. I do the insider builds on the fast ring myself. My keyboard is like 2 maybe 3 years old so not old at all but it will act like I have pressed a key multiple times. It does it with the lower case O and R, the number 4, and 8, but only on the number keypad, not the keys above the letter keys. The number 3 above the letter keys will oftentimes not even work so I have to hold it down. The number 2 on my number pad has started doing that too now. It drives me bonkers because this keyboard is not old at all first off, I am not hard on it at all either and I am constantly having to recheck what I write. It is a Logitech G910. I am all about making sure drivers for everything is up to date too, so I know that is not an issue. Just really is annoying and I am not sure if it is an update so left wondering if I should get a new one knowing this thing is not old!

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Have you tried blowing out the keyboard with a can of compressed air? Junk can accumulate under the keys and cause a problem.

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Lol, well not yet, but definitely that has occurred to me to try. Just been lazy hahaha!! I can say that I have not spilled a ton on it but I mean having said that not like I have not gotten crumbs in it and dust too so I am sure it could use a good cleaning. I just hate popping the keys off and then having to put them back on because if I clean them I take them off completely and then soak them and dry them and then put them back on.

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Can you borrow a keyboard to test?

cheers, Paul

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Hi Paul T,

I first substituted a generic gaming keyboard to verify that the problem was in the keyboard but I couldn’t type on it. Next I began swapping another Unicom keyboard between machines and then bought a new Unicom keyboard. I now have two old heavily used Unicoms here which are malfunctioning. I will send them back to Unicom for rebuilding. I think they charge about $40 for the rebuild which is a bargain.

If you moved from IBM mainframe keyboards to PCs the only keyboard you will be comfortable with is the Unicom. You may recall that when IBM spun off the PCs to Lenovo the buckling spring keyboard production equipment, design and the building in Lexington KY was spun off as a small independent company and many of the original employees stayed right there.

Besides, the clickety clack proves that I’m doing something. Thanks for asking.

the other Paul in NY

 

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Paul T

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