Again with the keyboard not functioning properly.

[qballbandit]

Hello,
This is my second post on this subject, which has me down and out with OR.
Randomly, the alpha and numeric keys simply fail to respond when starting an activity in OR. The F keys work, numeric keypad works, home/end/delete, etc. all work.
Obviously, this renders me useless once the activity starts. I have been through multiple reboots this time, loading/deleting/loading different versions of OR, and every start is the same - no alpha and numeric keys function.
In the past, after numerous OR delete/reloads of different versions, and/or reboots, it would rectify itself and work for awhile.
This issue started yesterday morning, and I have not been able to get the keys to function since.

Other users have this issue? Any thoughts?

Thanks much,

[baldwin]

I have not heard of anyone else having this strange problem. I take it you are running a bog standard windows setup.

[longiron]

Neil,
While it seems a bit obvious, have you checked the key mapping when you start OR?

[qballbandit]

Running WIN7 Ultimate, fully updated. No major system changes from a hardware standpoint. It's a gaming machine which I custom configured. USB keyboard connection.
In OR, always used default keyboard settings - still look to be configured as such. Ran a "Check", and came back with no errors.

Thanks gents,


EDIT: what makes this issue worse, is that 5 minutes after posting the above reply, I tried again....and wouldn't you know it, it works fine.

[slipperman]

Hi Neil,
Have you tried using a different USB socket?
Second thoughts - if you are using a separate hub for the keyboard, try it in one of the on-board USB sockets; it could be a timing problem, which affects OR more than other software.
Third thought (!!) - It's not a wireless keyboard, is it? - if so, its battery might be running low, or the transmitter may be too close to a large chunk of metal, or a loudspeaker.

Cheers,
Ged

[qballbandit]

Hi Ged,
I can try moving it to another socket. I'll do that when I power down later on, so it will recognized next boot.
I used to use a PS2 gender bender on it, because I had problems with the keyboard not loading on boot-up in the past. Recently, it wouldn't recognize the PS2 connection, so tried USB, and it's worked (on the boot-up) ever since.
Should have thought to move it then, but thanks for the suggestion!

[PXSE]

Are you sure its just not a problem with the keyboard itself? Possibly a broken or pinched wire near the wire's entrance point creating intermittent contact issues during normal use movements?

Yes, I need a USB keyboard present when powering my system up, but I can change keyboard and mouse USB ports on the fly without having to reboot. I just get a "down" sounding system noise when I remove a USB keyboard while the system is on, and I get an "uplifting" sounding system noise when I plug it back into the same or any other USB port. That's how I knew a prior keyboard I had was acting up on me, I would get these "down/up" sounding system sounds out of nowhere in rapid succession.

[mikeebb]

If you've had the keyboard for a while, I would suspect a problem there more than with OR. But ... I *have* had strange problems occasionally ... so:

• Does the keyboard work OK with everything else? Try it with MSTS and maybe another game. If it works everywhere else, then OR comes under suspicion, though I don't know how it could happen; otherwise ... keyboard. Also: is it clean? Crumbs & dust can get into the works and mess up even a membrane-switch unit.
• If it worked OK with the PS2 adapter, then stopped working there, then worked for a while as USB and stopped working there, it might be a bad cable. Try wiggling it a little, especially at the USB plug end and the keyboard end, and see if it starts working (temporarily) again. Since keyboard cables can't easily be changed, that would also indicate a new keyboard.
• Keyboards and mice should generally not be connected to a separate USB hub. Too many potential (and actual, sometimes) connection & interference problems. Should always be connected directly to the computer, which if reasonably modern has plenty of on-board USB ports. Some "gamer" keyboards have their own USB hub and ports; mice are a little more tolerant of using a "chained" hub like that but still work better if connected directly.
• Finally, this shouldn't be a problem if the keyboard had been working correctly, but some computers (like my old Gigabyte board with AMI BIOS) require a "legacy" BIOS setting that activates USB during POST. If your keyboard works in the BIOS setup, you probably don't need that, but check anyway - sometimes it'll work in the BIOS but not with other things. DON'T activate "legacy" USB storage, though; in XP and up, at least, that causes occasional lockup problems in all the computers I've had.

Again, I suspect the keyboard (or at least its cable), not OR, given all that was mentioned above. Decent keyboards aren't horribly expensive - though a really nice "gamer" or old-IBM-type keyboard with mechanical (not membrane) switches can be quite dear.

[qballbandit]

Thanks guys for all the responses.
One thing I can say with absolute certainty - the keyboard works for every other function it is used for. Typing, FlightSimming, and yes - MSTS. All of the prior work fine when OR does not.
Beats the hell ough'ta me.