asterisks everywhere

itinerants | 08:32 Sun 07th Dec 2008 | Technology

5 Answers

My brand new computer (Packard Bell*) has suddenly started * adding asterisks at random in all* doc**um*en*t*s.* *The back delete button often refuses to function and sometimes instead adds endless rows of asterisks. I use Word but the asterisk anomaly occurs in all documents. It's even happening now as *I type. I suspect it's linked to the shift key or the delete key, but I can't pin down exactly what prompts the asterisks to appear.

I wondered at first if the keyboard supplied with the computer was faulty. Now I wonder if I have picked up a virus through junk mail. I have AVG installed.

It doesn't happen all the time. It will suddenly kick in after about 10 minutes of typing and is 100% infuriating, especially as I have new glasses which don't work either!

Has any one else experienced this? And is there a solution which can be applied by a technophoic grandfather with premature senescence?

Thanks for your advice

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scaniavabis

I've had similar experiences in the past and it's always been down to a sticky key on the keyboard or in some cases, I've taken staples from documents with one of those proper staple removal things and later found the staple in between the keys!. I don't think it's going to have anything to do with your PC. Have you tried another keyboard? Have you tried tipping your keyboard upside down and see if anything falls out? Good lucK! .. another Grandad

rojash

My money's on a faulty keyboard - try the one from your old computer.

Beswad

Sounds like the keyboard is faulty. I had similar problem with my keyoard with '5' keep appearing on whatever I type.

It's not worth fixing. They are relatively cheap. Throw it away and buy yourself a new one.

itinerants

Question Author

Thanks for your help. The consensus certainly seems to be against the keyboard. I'll invest in a decent one (rather than the cheap plastic affair which came as standard) and hopefully that will resolve the issue.

rojash

As for your glasses - have you tried updating the drivers?

(that's a joke)

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