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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Gillg on Saturday 03 November 18 16:42 GMT (UK)

Title: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Gillg on Saturday 03 November 18 16:42 GMT (UK)
Help, please!  My laptop seems to have gone mad and is printing an endless stream of 4s. At the moment it is resting and I can type, but I fear this may happen again.  Any suggestions as to how I can stop this?
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Ray T on Saturday 03 November 18 16:51 GMT (UK)
Is there something stuck in your keyboard or possibly the 4/r key has given up the ghost.

If it starts again, hold down the shift key and see if it produces sows and rows of “r”s.
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: hallmark on Saturday 03 November 18 16:57 GMT (UK)
https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Jammed-Keyboard-Key
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Gillg on Saturday 03 November 18 17:26 GMT (UK)
Maybe it's my fault for nibbling biscuits as I type!  Actually I do suddenly seem to be free from the 444... printing at the moment.  Perhaps I have somehow freed the key, but I'll look at the various remedies now.  Thank you for the links, Hallmark, and for your suggestions, Ray T.
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Gillg on Saturday 03 November 18 17:29 GMT (UK)
Ray T
Tried holding down the shift key, but nothing happened. Fingers crossed, maybe it has cleared itself.  Thanks. :)
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: hallmark on Saturday 03 November 18 17:31 GMT (UK)
Just put it in a case and put it in car standing laptop one end when you're driving somewhere.....  Bumps on road become useful!   ;D
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Saturday 03 November 18 17:56 GMT (UK)
Gillg,  it seems that you cleared the problem, but did you mean that you're getting the numbers appearing on your screen or printing to a printer? Also Hoovering the keyboard or blasting it with compressed air is also likely to help. Also just turning the keyboard and/or laptop over and giving it a good shake should help. You might even have enough leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Martin
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Gillg on Sunday 04 November 18 12:16 GMT (UK)
The endless rows of 4 just showed on the screen.  Haven't tried printing yet.  Anyway, a judicious use of my little pastry brush seems to have done the trick for now, though I'll bear in mind the various solutions offered.  I did find the one which suggested taking off the individual tiles rather alarming :o. Thanks, everyone.
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Sunday 04 November 18 12:37 GMT (UK)
After a career in IT, now retired, I never knew the secret of the pastry brush.

Off Topic, I often wonder if you could do DNA tests on the whole family by swabbing the grime off the mouse...

Martin
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s
Post by: Ray T on Sunday 04 November 18 17:23 GMT (UK)
Have you tried banging the thing hard several times on a a solid table? No? I thought not but it would undoubtably dislodge whatever might be stuck!

An old mate of mine used to work for a firm called “Lab-hire” and they had a rather unusual way of cleaning electrical equipment - they used to wash it with distilled water and then dry it slowly in a heated room for three weeks before putting it back on the shelf.
Title: Re: Rows and rows of 4s COMPLETED
Post by: Gillg on Monday 05 November 18 09:55 GMT (UK)
Goodness! That all sounds rather violent! :o  So far so good today. Am considering using a hairdryer for that recommended blas of air if it happens again. Thanks, all. :)