I'm facing a really odd issue with a customer's PC. For over a month now, strange things have been happening. It started with her working in Word when the PC would print long strings of '+++++++' and eventually escalated to Word inserting multiple blank pages into her documents. This issue isn't consistent; it pops up randomly in various applications, particularly whenever she clicks on a text box.
We tried replacing her keyboard and did virus scans, but there was no malware found. Eventually, we swapped her old PC for a brand new one and migrated her data. Unfortunately, within a week, the same issues arose again. I even witnessed the random inputs happening firsthand when she wasn't touching the computer. After checking it again, our techs couldn't find any malicious software. Then, while her desktop was in the shop, her laptop started exhibiting the same strange behavior.
After a couple of weeks without issues, just last week it started happening again. Now she reports a strange 'bong' sound during these episodes and has seen it open 76 Word documents on its own in under a minute. Despite our team of experienced techs troubleshooting, we're baffled. We suspect that environmental interference could be the cause, but we can't pinpoint what might be affecting the PCs. We're looking for any ideas or troubleshooting methods to resolve this peculiar situation without restricting her access to other computers.
5 Answers
Have you checked if any remote assistance tools are running on her PC? Sometimes those can cause unexpected behavior, like opening documents or random inputs. Also, consider creating a new user profile to see if that resolves it.
Is it strictly happening in Word, or have you noticed it in other applications too? Sometimes weird inputs can be app-specific, so that might give some clues.
What if there are personal items on her desk, like strong magnets or other electronics? I also suggest trying to swap her desk with someone temporarily to see if the issue persists in a different location.
I like that approach! It could help isolate if the problem is coming from her environment. Plus, a change in scenery might be refreshing!
I had a similar issue where the user had a new wireless keyboard but forgot to remove the old wireless dongle from the system. Over time, the interference would cause random inputs. Could a similar situation be happening here? It's worth checking if there are old dongles or keyboards cluttering up the workspace.
That was my initial thought too! However, since they replaced the computer and the problems persisted, it seems unlikely. Still, checking for those old dongles is a smart move!
Definitely need to take a look at that. It's a good lead!
I remember an older cordless phone operating at 49MHz caused similar problems for some PCs. Could there be any radio interference from nearby devices? If the keyboard gets unplugged while this is happening, it might help rule out the interference.
She mentioned it was appearing in various apps, particularly text boxes. It's odd but consistent across software.