Laptop auto-completing every input field with dashes

I have a crazy issue going on that started 48-hours ago. Every input field that is displayed is immediatley filled with an endless stream of dashes -------- and I cannot stop it.

Even the Microsoft button immediately launches search and starts filling this with dashes. Excel starts and then immediately fills the first cell clicked with dashes - pages of them if I let it continue. I have Norton 360 which reports nothing untoward and have checked the keyboard to make sure the keys are not sticking (they are not) but it seems bizarre. I have tried everything and have managed to negotiate to restore - but (as ususal) restore just wastes your time going through the process and reporting that the restore hasn't worked 30-minutes later. Other odd things are happening too - restore only shows one restore point ands when I click to see more, I get a flash of other restore points available and immediately the screen changes to just show one restore point again.

I have taken the memory out and tried each of the two modules on it's own - this changes nothing.

Have I got a virus or trojan? The last thing that has happened is random folders opening and closing....

I have Win 7 32-bit Home Premium fully service packed to latest spec.

Help!

Thanks

CP

Hello beingcp and welcome to Seven Forums.

Since system restore isn't working and you're having all of these odd issues, it's possible that some kind of malware has taken over your machine. You could try doing a full scan with the free Malwarebytes after updating the data base. It has good success finding things other antimalware programs seem to miss.

Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer

You could also try another free tool from Microsoft called Standalone System Sweeper.

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...m-sweeper.html

Please post back and let us know the results.

Ok - thanks for the advice regarding Malwarebytes and the Microsoft tool. I tried both - the Malwarebytes cleaner took 8 hours to get to a point where it died with a message "Malwarebytes has encountered an error and must close..."

Tried a second time with same result. Used the tool to do a quick scan but it found nothing,

The MS tool scanned everything for 6 hours and reported no problems - it completed the scan with no warnings or quarantines.

This really got me scratching my head. I have unplugged everything from the USB ports and this has made no difference - I thought I had got the problem beat when the auto-filling started again and I unplugged a Solar PV data meter (USB) and the auto-complete stopped. But I now have a laptop that won't boot into the POST (this happened before and was the basis of me thinking I had a memory module problem).

So - no further forward. The flag telling me that there is a backup in progress is still showing (or it was before the laptop refused to boot) so I have no idea what is going on - I don't know if this is a harware or software problem now.

I am at the extent of my knowledge of what to do next - anyone got any suggestions? I want to rip out the hard drive and extract the data but I am not sure I should do this at the risk of transferring any malware problem to my desktop - same with backups; do I restore these to another machine or is this just asking for trouble?

Thanks

Try starting your machine in Safe Mode to see if the issues persist. Particularly if you now have additional restore points to choose from.

Safe Mode

You could also try running a Clean Startup (aka Clean Boot) to see if you can isolate any program or services conflicts.

Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup

I too have just started getting this problem after putting a new HD in my laptop. Run my anti-virus and Malware bytes to no avail

have you tried making sure there is not a stuck key on the keyboard? Turn the thing over and rap the back side a couple of times WHILE THE COMPUTER IS OFF
How have you verified keys are not sticking?
On my laptop if I hold down the dash key and let it start inserting dashes and then hold shift it stops rather than switch to underlines and if I release dash and repress it while holding shift I get underlines.
What happens if you hold down other keys while it is dashing away?
If I am dashing away and then hold a letter it inserts letters.
Be thorough with the simple keyboard before going nuts on software.

It is a new keyboard 3 days ago and also a new HD. And no, it is not sticking. It happens exactly as beingCP describes it in his post in Nov 2011. I am going to reinstall the OS which hopefully will sort it out

OK guys, it's time to think outside the box! glideabout, I see you are in Australia and I don't have a clue where beingcp is because he fails to complete his profile in any way shape or form, that's a hint to you beingcp. I have seen laptop keyboards and computers as well as other digital devices go completely crazy when exposed to high humidity levels. Austrailia is entering that time of year. What's the weather like where you guys are?

Please provide some feedback guys.

Hi cyclops,

I am 200 kms NE of Adelaide on the river Murray. Yesterday was in the mid 20s (C) and today in the top 30s (C) with my aircon going at 26 degrees C. I also have another fan underneath the computer Very dry and fires north east of Adelaide. This has never happened before and I have had the laptop for 5 years and another laptop for about 10 years with no problems. I will try it with an external keyboard later, but it is being used on this desktop at the moment.

glideabout said:

Hi cyclops,

I am 200 kms NE of Adelaide on the river Murray. Yesterday was in the mid 20s (C) and today in the top 30s (C) with my aircon going at 26 degrees C. I also have another fan underneath the computer Very dry and fires north east of Adelaide. This has never happened before and I have had the laptop for 5 years and another laptop for about 10 years with no problems. I will try it with an external keyboard later, but it is being used on this desktop at the moment.

Sounds good glideabout. I hope no liquids have entered the computer recently?
Any other external devices connected?

Just for grins and giggles, take the battery out, unplug the power for an hour. Hold the power button down for a minute with no power source connected and then retry