What are you doing when this happens? Browsing, writing a document, editing a text document?
Is it always in the same application or does the issue affect all applications (Word, Notepad, Firefox,etc). If it is related to a specific application, there might be a setting to modify this behavior.
I'm not sure if this will help since it takes two hands maybe.
Keyboard shortcuts - Perform common Firefox tasks quickly | Firefox Help
I could not find anything specific in a search on:
- "arrow keys change firefox browser tabs not browser cursor"
- "will caret browsing in ff change tabs?"
- or "arrow keys do not move firefox browser cursor"
I did find that for every search, search pointed to Caret Browsing that will allow cursor movement within the active tab, but when caret is turned on it will not switch to another tab.
I have tested caret browsing with my 26.0 version of Firefox (FF) and cannot get it to switch tabs, it will only move the cursor within the active tab. Do you have the most recent version of FF?
Caret Browsing | How to Turn Caret Browsing On or Off in Mozilla Firefox?
Update Firefox to the latest version
If I may expand on the suggestions of my esteemed members:
I would first try the suggestion by DocBrown and blow out the keyboard, see if one of your family, friends or caregivers can help with that by finding and blowing out the keyboard with a can of compressed air.
UsernameIssues suggestions follow by checking the behavior of your laptop against the on-screen keyboard behavior.
There are add-on's to modify the keyboard in FF like Pentadactyl can you recall if you have any installed?
To check the FF plug-ins and settings it would be best if you ran FF in Safe Mode for Firefox
Even though you mentioned this only happens while using FF Slartybart has an interesting angle.
There are settings in FF that can be checked out, go to Tools in the menu bar of FF; then Options (1.), Advanced Section (2.) General Tab (3.) and see what your settings are for (#4.), notice my #4. is unchecked:
I haven't explored whether or not your issue can be affected or crossover into other applications.
There are settings in about:config but try these suggestions first before or if we venture there.
Thank you to all. Ok, Options/Settings/General all are checked but the first and last items.
If plugin related, wouldn't this always happen?
I'm typing with one finger, in Firefox,then need to scroll up oe down in a page. Or just browsing through and hit the up arrow. Never Ctrl which indeed on both sides of keyboard.
Did I answer all? Oh that article didn't seem to mention this situation.
It's very intermittent. I wish I could make it happen. I don't change settings, I don't install new software very often. Lid is open 90 minutes a day. No pets, dust, cooties or food in keyboard. Turned this over and nothing fell out. No dustcan but if anything was trapped I'd think this would happen more often.
I appreciate all the help. Keep it coming!
A plugin or even a native Firefox feature can be created in such a way as to only work when an edit field is detected. In my case, there are some forums that I visit where Firefox does not do any spell checking while I'm in the post composition field. My guess is that this is because of the way that Firefox detects that it is in an edit field or there are ways for the forum's software to turn off the spell checking... thus encouraging the members to use the forum's spell check feature.
If you notice this happening again, please let us know what website you were visiting, what you were doing at the time (e.g. making a post) and maybe take a screenshot of the entire screen. As I mentioned earlier, testing with the virtual keyboard might help too.
I understand how frustrating it is to not be able to reproduce this issue at will. But don't worry, this thread can stay open for as long as it takes.
I have no memory so will print out those directions at my laptop tomorrow. I'll put up a note so when it happens I can go on screen
I don't use many programs other than Firefox, FTP, Notepad, and occasionally others. Mostly those three. I'm becoming familiar with Chrome but there are features I miss.
I'm counting on y'all. I'll be patient because this happened just twice, maybe a month apart. It's real frustrating to have it be infrequent but being so I know my keyboard is fine as in my OS.
Ok. F7 or On Screen Keyboard. Will do so next time this happens. Been a while ... whicj os good!
Happy New Year!
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