My keyboard suddenly started producing completely different input. For example, typing "steam" resulted in "sad," and pressing S, A, or D produced different combinations of those letters. T sometimes entered symbols such as %, and some keys stopped responding while others still worked. After restarting, the behavior changed, and eventually pressing Space or Delete began entering the ¥ symbol. The keyboard has also been controlling videos, changing the volume, opening context menus, and repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting. The on-screen keyboard even appeared to have a stuck Enter key. Changing the keyboard region or layout did not fix it. What could be causing this, and how can I troubleshoot it?
3 Answers
First isolate the keyboard from the computer. Shut the computer down, disconnect the keyboard, then start it again and use the on-screen keyboard or another known-good keyboard. Check whether any physical keys are stuck, and look for liquid, debris, or damage. If the strange input disappears when this keyboard is disconnected, it is probably defective rather than a software setting.
You can still verify the layout by selecting the intended language and keyboard layout in the system settings, but changing regions will not normally cause the keyboard to disconnect or randomly trigger video controls. Test in a simple text field and, if possible, in the computer’s firmware or on another device. If it behaves incorrectly everywhere, replace the keyboard.
This sounds much more like a keyboard hardware, cable, USB port, or wireless connection problem than a language or regional layout setting. Random key combinations, media controls, context menus, and disconnect/reconnect behavior can happen when the keyboard is failing or a modifier key is stuck. Unplug it, try a different port, and test with another keyboard. If the other keyboard works normally, replace or repair the original one.
The repeated disconnects are especially suspicious. If it is wireless, replace or recharge the batteries and test the receiver in another port. If it is wired, try another cable if it can be detached.
A stuck Ctrl, Alt, Windows, or Fn key could explain some shortcuts and media actions, but the changing characters and ¥ output still point toward a keyboard fault or a bad connection.