laptop thinks I'm holding down the control key

ajaye · 21 Feb 2016

This problem only started today.

When on the internet and I click on any link it opens in a new tab. So I'm ending up with lots of tabs open and I'm getting a bit

.

When I open Word I get a dialogue box saying :
Word has detected that you are holding down the CTRL key. Do you want to start Word in safe mode.

Now, when I am in Word I can type Z, for eg, and I do get the letter Z and not the CTRL Z shortcut action of undo. The really annoying aspect of this problem in Word is that I cannot easily click on anything I've typed in order to edit it - rather than getting the cursor blinking at that one point I'll get a whole line or word highlighted, then have to click again (which works sometimes) or use the arrow keys to get the cursor somewhere thereabouts. This is making me

because I do a bit of writing.

I run MSE anti-virus and just ran Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (free) and it didn't detect any threats.

Hoping someone can help and many thanks in advance.

ajaye · 21 Feb 2016

I tried turning the laptop off and on (again) and this time it seems to have cleared the problem, at least for now. Sorry for putting anyone out and wasting their time.

Barman58 · 21 Feb 2016

You could try giving the keyboard a clean using a proprietary cleaner and/or a compressed air can. that sometimes will stop a "sticky" Key in the mechanical sense, (you would be surprised at what can get into a keyboard - once found a salted peanut under the enter key, still can't think how that got there ). Though it does look like your issue could have been electronic

ajaye · 21 Feb 2016

Thanks Barman. I'll try cleaning the keyboard if it happens again, though I still have that plastic protector thing around the keys- I never peeled that off, knowing I can be such a grotbag.

Peanuts ?? :)