Why is it randomly deleting what I've typed in?

[ovid9]

I have hardy 8.04 installed on my wife's dell inspiron 1100. Which I've come to find out is pure hell trying to get linux running on without some fairly annoying issues.

I've tried xubuntu, well, it didn't like xfce. I tried 9.10, well, it has the "intel bug" and would freeze. I've tried puppy, but until I update the Bios it won't run in anything buy 800x600 (640?) resolution.

Anyway, I got 8.04 ubuntu working on it mostly. I have to boot into recovery mode every single time or x doesn't load, but I can live with that.

The main issue, she will be typing along and suddenly, it starts to delete what she is typing. It happens using both firefox and open office for certain. Its happened online using facebook and gmail, and using open office writer and I believe text editor.

It isn't the delete key getting stuck, at least not physically stuck as it seems to occur whether or not you've recently hit delete. At least as far as I can tell.

Once it starts deleting, you just wait and hope it stops before it deletes EVERYTHING you wrote. It usually deletes for 10-30 seconds, not rapidly, but...it will chew up lots of what you wrote.

Anyone ideas?

[NoonienSoong97]

I haven't heard anything like that happening. So far the only problems I have with ubuntu8.04 is that sometimes I use my mouse to click, and the system registers it as more then one click. Also I tried Ubuntu 9.10, and the screen res is stuck in 800x600. However I think that should be easy to fix.

[airtonix]

I haven't heard anything like that happening. So far the only problems I have with ubuntu8.04 is that sometimes I use my mouse to click, and the system registers it as more then one click. Also I tried Ubuntu 9.10, and the screen res is stuck in 800x600. However I think that should be easy to fix.

Please do not de-rail the thread.

It is for discussing the original posters issue with text being removed sporadically.

[J V]

If the pc is laggy it could be that insert is on and you didn't get the effects until later...

[ovid9]

If the pc is laggy it could be that insert is on and you didn't get the effects until later...

Possibly, but I don't think so. This is definitely as you are typing along and then it starts moving backwards deleting your input.

Now, if the mouse pointer or cursor hopped to another point in the text with insert on, I could see that as the issue, but I have no evidence that is occurring.

Every time she's just been typing along and then I hear muttered cursing and she gets up to go use her Windows machine.

I realize I'm not giving you all a lot to go on here, but for the life of me I haven't a clue why this might be happening.

Thanks though.

[audiomick]

I had a keyboard issue with my old Toshiba laptop. There was something weird about the driver, a Synaptic keyboard/touchpad driver I think, that caused it to sporadically repeat a key for ages. Could be something like that.

If it is a laptop, maybe she is accidently touching the touchpad with the heel of her hand, or something. I do that all the time on my Vista laptop, and it does weird stuff.

[ovid9]

I had a keyboard issue with my old Toshiba laptop. There was something weird about the driver, a Synaptic keyboard/touchpad driver I think, that caused it to sporadically repeat a key for ages. Could be something like that.

If it is a laptop, maybe she is accidently touching the touchpad with the heel of her hand, or something. I do that all the time on my Vista laptop, and it does weird stuff.

Yeah, I'm starting to think its just one of those wonky little issues that are almost impossible to nail down and or do anything about. Ah well.

I don't think she's doing that, though its a possibility.

Well, prices on decent netbooks and laptops are getting lower all the time its probably just time for a new one.

Thanks all!