I bought this HP laptop around 2021 mainly for studying, watching lectures, and typing. It has had very light use: I have never played games, and I only installed a few basic apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp. Recently, I noticed several issues and I'm not sure whether they share a cause or need separate repairs:
1. The physical Backspace key stopped working two or three years ago. I briefly tried remapping it, but that made the keyboard feel slow, and the key later seemed to work again without explanation.
2. When the laptop starts, the "/" key sometimes activates by itself and types repeatedly. This can continue for a while before suddenly stopping.
3. The cursor occasionally becomes extremely slow and difficult to move, then returns to normal on its own.
4. Double-clicking an app does not open it. I have to click the app once with the left button to start it.
5. Windows Security opens to a blank screen and takes a very long time, or sometimes fails, to display its contents.
I'm not very experienced with computer troubleshooting and would like to understand how to diagnose and maintain the laptop properly. I have tested the Backspace key with the on-screen keyboard, and it works there. What should I check first, and how can I determine which problems are hardware-related and which are caused by Windows or drivers?
3 Answers
These may not all have one cause. The Backspace failure and the “/” key typing by itself strongly suggest a physical keyboard problem, such as a worn key switch, debris, liquid damage, or a failing keyboard connection. Since Backspace works with the on-screen keyboard, Windows is probably receiving the key correctly and the physical keyboard is the more likely issue.
First, connect a USB keyboard and see whether Backspace and the unexpected slash stop happening. If the external keyboard works normally, the built-in keyboard will likely need cleaning, reseating, or replacement. You can also test the keyboard before Windows fully loads, such as in the BIOS or at the sign-in screen, to help separate hardware from software.
Test the cursor and double-click behavior separately from the keyboard. If you can borrow or buy an inexpensive USB mouse, check whether the pointer still slows down and whether double-clicking works normally. If the external mouse works, the touchpad or its driver/settings may be responsible. If the issue continues, look at Windows mouse settings, touchpad drivers, and background processes using high CPU or memory.
The fact that you need to left-click to open an app may simply mean the first click is selecting the icon and the second click is not being detected, which again points toward a mouse or touchpad double-click problem rather than the application itself.
Treat the Windows Security problem as a separate Windows issue. Start by installing all pending Windows updates and restarting the laptop. Since the update troubleshooter previously found a problem, it is worth running Windows Update again and applying whatever repair it recommends.
After that, open Command Prompt as administrator and run `sfc /scannow`. This checks for damaged Windows system files and repairs some of them automatically. You can also check that the Microsoft Defender and Windows Security-related services are running. Make a backup of important files before attempting major repairs, and avoid reinstalling Windows until you have tested the keyboard, touchpad, and mouse separately.
The Windows Update troubleshooter did find something that needed fixing, so I’ll run it again, install the recommended updates, and restart before trying more advanced repairs.
I tried the on-screen keyboard and Backspace works normally, but I don’t currently have a physical USB keyboard or mouse to test with.