So, I'm currently on my mobile since my desktop is acting very weird. I have a standard wired mouse and keyboard setup and use two monitors. My computer runs on Windows, and I usually browse with Chrome. Earlier today, all my open programs—like Spotify, multiple Chrome windows, Discord, two Microsoft Word documents, and Steam—just closed by themselves. At first, I thought I accidentally hit a shortcut to minimize everything, but it kept happening. After I reopened everything, a strange thing occurred: a new Chrome tab popped up with gibberish typed in the search bar, which made me think something's not right. I saved my work and did a manual restart, which helped for a bit, but then it happened again while I was working on my document—more gibberish typed out of nowhere. Is this a keyboard issue or some kind of virus? I'm really puzzled on how to troubleshoot this!
4 Answers
You should check for any rogue programs in the Task Manager, like something called stealthbrowse.exe. It could point to an issue you need to handle.
Have you tried unplugging your keyboard? It might be acting up and you could see if that changes anything. Just a simple test to rule out a hardware issue.
If there was any liquid spilled on the keyboard, that might be your culprit! It could cause some keys to short out, making your PC think they're pressed down all the time.
Sounds like a virus could be the issue. I recommend using Malwarebytes to scan your system. They have solid software for this sort of thing. If you're really worried, you might want to try using a bootable virus detector to scan your computer without actually turning it on. Kaspersky is one option; here’s a list of others: https://www.comparitech.com/antivirus/free-bootable-antivirus-tools/
I’d lean towards checking your keyboard first, though. Sometimes, something might be resting on it or crumbs could get stuck between the keys. Maybe swap it out with another one if you have one handy.