Onscreen keyboard glitch. Help?

[Skycron]

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has run into this issue. I've been tearing my hair out. I have a Surface Pro 4. It has just cropped up today for some reason.

When I type with my on-screen keyboard, it will randomly refuse to type certain characters. For example, I'll start writing an email, and the onscreen F key will type fine, then decide it will not type F. Later on, it might be Z, or G, or U. Its random. It's infuriating. Digitizer is fine as it seems to happen randomly. Can't find anything online that references this.

Anyone else have issues with their on-screen keyboard spaz out and randomly refuse to type certain random letters, then come back only to have another random character on the virtual keyboard refuse to type?

If so, any advice on how to fix this issue would be appreciated. Its driving me crazy. It just started happening today. Windows is up to date. Its running Windows 10. I noticed it happened after the update and shortly after installing Open Office, which is weird. I uninstalled OpenOffice but it's still doing it. (Plus I kinda want to be able to use OpenOffice.)

Thanks so much!

 

[sharpuser]

Bizarre problem, @Skycron . I will look around a bit to try to help.

 

[Skycron]

Thanks so much!!

 

[sharpuser]

Could be that your keyboard is changing to a different "layout". Try pressing Alt+SHIFT . Does that help?

 

[Skycron]

It seems to be intermittent - when I uninstalled OpenOffice and charged the battery up it seemed to stop doing it by about 80 percent. Not sure if OpenOffice uninstallation is a placebo or not. In the last hour it's stopped doing that glitch entirely it seems. Really, really weird! I'll try some testing and see what it does.

I'm debating reinstalling OpenOffice to see if it happens again. But with the problem gone so far, a bit torn.

That's a neat trick though - Alt + Shift. Thanks! I'll try doing that if the problem happens again. I am not sure why it disappeared.

 

[sharpuser]

Checking in on your OSK troubles, @Skycron. Fixed up yet?

Also, are you avoiding Windows 11 deliberately?

 

[Skycron]

Hi! Thanks so much for all your help. Yes, I'm deliberately avoiding Windows 11 for a few reasons (software, workflow, compatibility, etc.). I think I've isolated the problem. It seems that when the battery power gets below 40 percent it's consistent in terms of the keyboard issue. A fresh charge elimimates the issue. OpenOffice reinstalled with extensive testing and no delay.

 

[sharpuser]

Well I'm glad you found a workaround (keep battery charged), But of course, computers should not work like that.