Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:57 AM
I've gotten a lot of help here so thought this might help somene in the
future in return.
Yesterday morning couldn't type into programs with keyboard or start
programs from the bottom of the screen. Lots of other problems as well.
Rebooted several times. About ready to reinstall XP. For some reason tried
MS Word. First off it told me control key was down! Sure enough - stuck
halfway down. Pulled it up and all works again! Will switch to another
keyboard tomorrow before I boot up. I'd have never noticed it without
Word's help.
Just a tip to put in the back of your mind. In all my ~50 years or so of
computing never had this happen before so it really stumped me.
Martin Smith
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:58 AM
Dirty keyboard? Turn it upside down and bang it gently - if a lot of
debris falls out that may cure the problem. (Vacuuming keyboards
sometimes helps too.)
Susan
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
If you have an IBM Model M, take the top off and marvel at how much
cruft is in there. I did it the hard way -- take the keytops off and
use a Q-tip :-(
--
Cheers, Bev
"When I was a kid my dad once joked that the best way to
prevent being on a plane with someone carrying a bomb
would be to bring your own bomb and not detonate it.
Sounded convincing. What are the odds that two people
board, each with a bomb?" -- Rowdy
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
It can be quite disgusting.
I opened up one keyboard that was in good shape, and either lost a keytop
or broke something, enough to render that keyboard useless. Sadly it was
a better than average keyboard.
Michael
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
Cheers, Bev
His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
The stupid thing was that I didn't run an "IBM compatible" until 2001, so
there was a long period when I'm sure I could have picked up those early
good keyboards, but had no use for them. I'm not seeing them now, when I
can use them, but I'll keep looking.
We had some warmish weather for the past two weeks, though now it's cold
again, but spring can't be far off, and then garage sales. We aren't the
lucky ones who have them all year around.
Michael
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
EXCEPT holiday weekends and weeks when it was assumed to rain on
Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Yard sales used to be a lot better when
people had to pay to put an ad in the paper. Now, since Craigslist is
free, people figure "Oh, I don't feel like getting up this morning,
let's do the sale next Saturday...". Even worse, they say "Corner of
Longden and Santa Anita" so enraged shoppers can't throw a brick through
their window if they drove tens of miles to a good-sounding sale only to
find NOTHING. Almost as bad -- the 'corner of' people don't put up a
sign, just figure you'll drive around the nearby area until you get lucky.
I swear I'd laugh and applaud if I saw somebody else heave a brick
through their window.
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 9:59 AM
Then there are the signs with no date. And the corresponding people that
never take their signs down. No date - no go.
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 10:00 AM
I've been tricked by that. I see a sign, it looks new, so I go down that
street, and can't find the sale. I used to assume that it was a leftover
from a previous week, but after Bev's comments (and she's made them
before), I now wonder if someone puts up the signs, then changes their
mind or closes early.
Michael
Martin Smith
3/6/2017 10:00 AM
And the signs on corners with tiny light letters -- suitable for
pedestrians, but NOT for drivers :-(
OTOH, if these people were smart they never would have bought stuff they
were willing to sell for 5 cents or less on the dollar!