Keyboard Problem: SHIFT+9 treated like PAGE-UP

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  1. Posts : 4
    64
       #1

    Keyboard Problem: SHIFT+9 treated like PAGE-UP


    Hello all. Thanks in advance for any help.

    When I hit SHIFT+9 [for the left/open parenthesis], my system interprets it as if I'm hitting PAGE-UP. This occurs with both the left and right shift key. The 9 key and both shift keys otherwise work fine, and SHIFT+0 [for the right/close parenthesis] works fine too.

    The problem occurs regardless of what program is running, and even occurs in safe mode. However, it does not occur in recovery mode [the mode you boot into to restore a system image or "repair" windows]. It also does not occur with an external keyboard [but since this is a laptop, using a different keyboard is not practical]. I am at a loss because the first and third sentence of this paragraph suggests it is a hardware issue, but the second sentence suggests it is a software/driver issue.

    I am running Win7 Pro 64x on a new Asus UX21E. The machine is new, so a bunch of programs have just been loaded recently, which makes troubleshooting complicated. However, these are all basic/common programs that have never given me trouble on other systems [MSO, Adobe CS4, NIS, Skype, etc.]. Likewise, because the machine is new, I doubt this is a malware issue.

    I have tried uninstalling the manufacturer’s keyboard driver and reverting to Microsoft’s default “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” driver, but that did not solve the problem. Before I waste a bunch of time reloading the OS [assuming that makes the problem go away] and reinstalling the programs one at a time to identify the program that’s causing this [assuming it is indeed it is a software issue], can anyone offer any insight as to what might be going on?

    This problem is very annoying and has and has made this system all but useless considering I frequently write code. I can’t even make a sad face emoticon to end this post... I guess I’ll have do it backwards ):
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 126
    Windows 7 Pro 32bit / Windows 7 Professional
       #2

    The numeric keyboard on my portable computer doubles 9 with the Page Down function. To make "(" I use the 9 in the number series running along the top of my keyboard. Not sure how your keyboard is configured, but the 9s have different Shift properties attached to them.

    Anyway, on my system: Shift + numeric keyboard 9 acts very much like a Ctrl + Home combination.

    Best Wishes,
    Rªnce

    Just another thought: is your Shift Lock on?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 4
    64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I do not have a number pad [the laptop is 10 inches wide]. The only 9 key I have, and the one I was referring to in my original post, is the one that appears above the I and O keys [standard US keyboard layout]. I don't even have a function-key-enabled number pad, the kind that gets overlaid upon the right side of many other laptop keyboards. As a result, I don't have a numlock key [nor a scroll lock key, and no, my capslock is not on].

    Unless laptop keyboards are designed differently, I am pretty certain hitting LSHIFT+9 does not result in a "open parenthesis" signal being sent from the keyboard, but merely a "left-shift-key-down" "9-key-down" "9-key-up", then "left-shift-key-up" sequence of signals, and that it is a drivers role to interpret that to mean open parenthesis. Your post points out the number row 9 and number pad 9 must have different signals. Together, this suggests my number row 9 key is either [1] emitting the number pad 9 signal, or [2] emitting the proper number row 9 signal, but the driver is misinterpreting it. The fact that external keyboards work normally suggests the former, but the fact that the problem is not seen in recovery mode suggests the latter.

    Anyone thoughts?

    UPDATE: I have found that I can get the open parenthesis by typing FN+SHIFT+9. I am slightly less annoyed, but even more confused. This is not a solution, but workaround, and it might lend more insight towards the root of the problem.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 126
    Windows 7 Pro 32bit / Windows 7 Professional
       #4

    Had an old Thinkpad that used the Fn key in a simliar manner. The combination was kind of a pain. The last couple of machines I've purchased were both 'desktop alternative' 17" machines, and both have numeric keypads.

    Not sure what else I could suggest, but doubt re-loading your system is the answer. I would look out for possible firmware or bios updates from the manufacturer and/or try and get used to a new workflow.

    Sorry,
    Rªnce

    edited for typo ...
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 4
    64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Rance, are you saying that you had to use the fn + shift + 9 key every time you wanted to type "(" on your Thinkpad?

    I reset the laptop to factory configuration, and the problem disappeared. As a result, I am almost certain now this is a software and not hardware issue. I only performed the reset only to see whether it would fix the problem, so I've since restored my setup from a disk image I created prior to the reset (thus restoring the problem too). I didn't want to lose all my programs and custom settings.

    I've also found a new workaround. The nature of this workaround confirms that my number-row-9 key is somehow being interpreted as the number-pad-9 key. This is very strange, as no other key is treated this way. For example, shift + number-row-3 results in "#" properly. It does not result in "page-down" as if it were shift + number-pad-3.

    The new workaround involves remapping keys in the windows registry. I basically followed the steps here: Remap the CapsLock Key or any Key in Windows XP, 2000, Vista and 2003. This allows windows to remap the number-pad-9 keystrokes as if it were they were number-row-9 keystrokes. Even though I don't have a number-pad-9 key, windows thinks my number-row-9 is a number-pad-9, so this remapping reverses the mixup.

    I still have no idea how this problem came about, but at least, superficially, I can use my keyboard normally now.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 126
    Windows 7 Pro 32bit / Windows 7 Professional
       #6

    No, no, the Fn key did, though, enable a third function to some of the keys. The numeric keypad was included within the alpha part of the Thinkpad keyboard: letter, Shift + letter, Fn + letter.

    Glad you got a fix of sorts anyway.

    Be Well,
    Rªnce
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #7

    Hi arbiel, I am having the exact same problem with my UX21E. I have contacted Asus tech support so far they have not given me a solution which actually works.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4
    64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    hi, sammy. as i wrote earlier, i suspect this problem to be of software origin because it went away for me when i did a factory reset, which means asus might not be able to do much. what programs do you have installed on your machine? we may be able to isolate the offending program (if indeed it is a program and not something windows- or driver-related) by seeing which ones we have in common.

    i'm not in front of my laptop right now, but off the top of my head, programs that were installed when i noticed the problem include:
    microsoft office 2010
    adobe cs5
    max/msp 5
    media monkey 4
    norton internet security 2011
    google chrome
    google earth
    dropbox
    kindle for pc
    skype

    i also applied a windows anytime upgrade from the included win7 home premium to to win7 pro.

    in the meantime, try the registry key remapping workaround. it has worked great for me thus far and i haven't seen any side effects yet.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 2
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #9

    Hi. When I first got the laptop I installed the following software

    Office 2010
    Adobe CS5
    Firefox
    Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012
    NuSphere PHP Ed
    WAMP

    I don’t ever remember a point when the shift 9 was working so Im not sure which program would of caused the problem. Also as you suggested it might have been a driver or similar.

    Here is what ASUS said.

    ----------
    For your issue, please download and reinstall the KB filter driver. You can find it in Utilities or Others.
    ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download UX21E

    If still, please load BIOS default as follows for a try. Please turn on the laptop. Press F2 as soon as you see ASUS logo to enter BIOS. Then press F9 to load BIOS default. Then save and exit and then reboot the laptop.
    The BIOS flash procedure is now complete.

    For more information feel free to refer to our self-help pages by clicking
    the links below:
    Troubleshooting -
    ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Troubleshooting
    FAQ - ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- FAQ
    ----------

    Neither of these worked so I then wrote back and they suggested reinstalling windows.


    I did as you suggested and remapped the 9 on the keyboard to the “Regular 9” instead of the “Number Pad 9”, it is working well now.


    As far as I can tell, there could be 2 causes.
    1. 1) It may be a hardware problem where the 9 key is wired to the “Number Pad 9”. Things seemed to work as normal at first and then we installed software which made the 9 key behave in the undesirable way.
    2. 2) The other option could be is that the 9 key is wired correctly and then we installed some software which remaps it to the “Number Pad 9”


    Maybe we could test what the 9 Key does with DOS software before windows loads or check the 9 key in safe mode?

    Thanks for your help.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1
    Colorado
       #10

    ( mapped to page-up caused by "num-lock"


    Hi. I had this same issue... After rebooting and googling to find an answer, I remembered that I had connected an external usb keyboard and hit "num-lock" so I could use the number pad. I didn't realize it at the time, but that's what caused the ( to be mapped to page-up.

    To fix it, I plugged the external keyboard back in and hit "num-lock" once again to toggle it back to normal key mappings. That fixed the ( problem.

    Hope that helps

    Cheers.

    John






    arbiel said:
    Hello all. Thanks in advance for any help.

    When I hit SHIFT+9 [for the left/open parenthesis], my system interprets it as if I'm hitting PAGE-UP. This occurs with both the left and right shift key. The 9 key and both shift keys otherwise work fine, and SHIFT+0 [for the right/close parenthesis] works fine too.

    The problem occurs regardless of what program is running, and even occurs in safe mode. However, it does not occur in recovery mode [the mode you boot into to restore a system image or "repair" windows]. It also does not occur with an external keyboard [but since this is a laptop, using a different keyboard is not practical]. I am at a loss because the first and third sentence of this paragraph suggests it is a hardware issue, but the second sentence suggests it is a software/driver issue.

    I am running Win7 Pro 64x on a new Asus UX21E. The machine is new, so a bunch of programs have just been loaded recently, which makes troubleshooting complicated. However, these are all basic/common programs that have never given me trouble on other systems [MSO, Adobe CS4, NIS, Skype, etc.]. Likewise, because the machine is new, I doubt this is a malware issue.

    I have tried uninstalling the manufacturer’s keyboard driver and reverting to Microsoft’s default “Standard PS/2 Keyboard” driver, but that did not solve the problem. Before I waste a bunch of time reloading the OS [assuming that makes the problem go away] and reinstalling the programs one at a time to identify the program that’s causing this [assuming it is indeed it is a software issue], can anyone offer any insight as to what might be going on?

    This problem is very annoying and has and has made this system all but useless considering I frequently write code. I can’t even make a sad face emoticon to end this post... I guess I’ll have do it backwards ):
      My Computer


 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:54.
Find Us