Tracking every keystroke, and I mean EVERY

[ChrisGreaves]

I am getting beyond ticked-off with both my Win7 machines when they (usually in Word 2003 or Wordpad) start storing my question-mark key as an accented upper-case-E, and screwing up the character set. It happens in Word/Excel VBE as well, when single-quotes turn into something else and in the debug window the question mark becomes a something else - I forget which.

I *generally* notice the effect within about 200 keystrokes (I'm a two-fingered keep-you-eyes-on-the-keyboard sort of guy)

My solution to date has been to exit the application, reload it, and pray that I have saved those things which I ought to have saved and left unsaved those things which I ought not to have saved.

I figure that if I had a memory-resident application that tracked everything I do, right down to weird combination of Ctrl, Shift and Alt, then the next time it happened I could dump the log/buffer immediately and get a clue to just where my fingers were causing the trouble.

For I firmly believe that it is a finger-slip or combination that's causing the trouble.

The Notebook is a Compaq Presario CQ62 Win7 Home and the Netbook is an Acer Aspire 533 Win7 Starter, FWIW.
I mention the Word/Wordpad because a great deal of my time is spent typing in text for articles, proposals etc.

I guess I want the equivalent of a black-box that records the latest activity in an endless loop.

P.S. I didn't have this problem in WinXP over 8 years or so, so i suspect that it is something in Win7 which recognizes a weird character key that I've been making all my life, but just wasn't a trigger in the WinXP environment. That is, it's still my finger-slip, but in Win7 it has an impact that it didn't have in Win XP.

[DaveA]

You may be turning on the "Nums Lock" and setting the ascii key code for these characters.

[ChrisGreaves]

You may be turning on the "Nums Lock" and setting the ascii key code for these characters.

Hmmmm!
Thanks Dave. It's a thought.

I went into Win7/Word2003 and typed a few question-marks, then turned NumLock on and tried more question marks, using the left- and right-shift keys.
All I got were question-marks.

My 2-fingered typing restricts me, I believe, to the large outlined area (below), and I confess to using the Del, Home and End keys
in combination with Ctrl etc.

It is quite possible that my little-finger might hit the NumLock (outlined extreme right), but that's, like, an extra-extra hand width to the right, and I think I'd be aware of that.

If by NumLock/ASCII you mean the practice of keying in a 3-digit code for an ASCII character, wouldn't that mean that I'd somehow typed the 3-digit code for accented-upper-E at precisely the time I meant to use Left-Shift-backslash to generate a question-mark?

Or do you mean that the NumLock key can sometimes change the interpretation of a shifted main-keyboard character?

IMG_5056.JPG

P.S. I wish "NumLock" didn't sound so much like "Dumb-Cluck"!

[PaulB]

Chris, have you checked to see if you have multiple language support installed. If you purchased your computers in Canada they may have come with US English, Canadian English and French Canadian language support pre-installed. I know that was the case with my wife's recently purchase Acer. You may want to un-install languages you do not use to see if that clears up the problem.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, have you checked to see if you have multiple language support installed

Thanks Paul.

3.png

Is this where you mean me to look - Windows Control Panel rather than MSWord?
I ask because if/when I make a change I want to run with it for a full 24 hours, so it will be a semi-permanent change excluding all other suggestions.

I see that I have both US and Canadian English checked off.
When I scroll down there are no further options.
I think if I go ahead I'd choose "remove", right?


PS. I'm pleased with myself. I checked the ACER netbook before posting this. There I see "English (Canada)" and "English (United States)" (note the different sequence!) both checked on.

[PaulB]

That's the place. I've restricted myself to US English only. I noticed that your graphic shows the French Canadian keyboard. Could be why you are getting some accented characters.

Language.PNG

Edited to add: I'm confused... I thought we were talking Windows 7 here. Your graphic looks like it's WinXP.

[ChrisGreaves]

That's the place. I've restricted myself to US English only. I noticed that your graphic shows the French Canadian keyboard. Could be why you are getting some accented characters.

I'll make the change now.
This works, there's a cold waiting for you at M9C 2A6!

Your graphic looks like it's WinXP.

Yup. Win7 both machines.
I've probably asked for "classic" look to ease the migratory pain (grin)

[DaveA]

The reason I suggested the "Nums Lock" is, because you are having this issue on a Netbook and NoteBook, which do NOT have separate 10 key pad. The Nums Lock turns some of the lettered and symbol keys in to Numbers keys on these types of computers.

But, then you show us a external key board, are you using the external keyboard on both machines?
If you are using a external keyboard, are you using the right drivers?

Corrected typo

[ChrisGreaves]

But, then you show us a external key board, are you using the external keyboard on both machines?

Thanks for the response, Dave.

No. The external keyboard - 99% of my use - is hooked up to the Compaq Presario Notebook, and it's the same keyboard I used with the old laptop with Win XP, so the theory goes my 2-finger habits haven't changed. The netbook is used mostly at night in bed or in the living room to type up ideas.

If you are using a external keyboard, are you using the right drivers?

Now that I don't know. I'm naive I know, but somehow I expected Win7 to "cope" with a generic keyboard. It's a Logitech V-SU61.
I went to the LogiTech site but they've not heard of a V-SU61.
I think I'll run with the "English US" regional setting for a few days and see if that fixes the problem.
If not I'll harry the driver issue a bit more.

[Leif]

The reason I suggested the "Nuns Lock" ...

The mind boggles...

[ChrisGreaves]

The mind boggles...

Oh ease up, Dave.(grin)
It's not the worst typo he could have made on a family-oriented board ...

[Leif]

You could try upgrading your version of Microsoft^© Abbess Keyboard to V2.2...

[ChrisGreaves]

You could try upgrading your version of Microsoft^© Abbess Keyboard

No Monk-keying around here, eh?

[HansV]

You just have to get your priorities right.

[ChrisGreaves]

You just have to get your priorities right.

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, have you checked to see if you have multiple language support installed.

Three days heavy-duty typing in Word, VBA and Firefox and nary a slip.


THANKS PAUL!