OT weird cursor behavior

[Martin Pinckney]

I asked this question before, and no one seemed to know the answer.
Its driving me crazy. My cursor jumps around the page as I type, resulting in a mish-mash of mixed-up words. It's getting worse. I can't type a complete sentence now without a problem.

It happens in any program when editing text, but it seems to be worse when on line. Sometimes when typing an email or a post on this forum, a whole section of text gets highlighted on its own, then, not watching the screen, I replace it with new text. When I see what has happened, then I have to UNDO and try again.

Any ideas from you computer geeks?

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

Well for starters what kind of computer? and what OS? How is the keyboard connected? wired? wireless? Do you have some alternate OS you could boot on the system to isolate if it is a hardware or a software issue? For example if you are using a x86 windows compatable system you could download and burn a linux CD Kanoppix that is designed to run off the CD and see if the behaviour is the same there.

[Lincoln R.]

This is a really obvious one, but if you're on a laptop, make sure part of your hand isn't hitting the track pad. If you're on a desktop I'd suspect a faulty mouse.

[kc]

Yes, I happened to have similar problem with my newly bought notebook, only to find out later that it was my hand that got in touch with the track-pad while typing. Trivial problem, but real.
kc

[Bart (UK)]

I hate touchpads, worst invention ever in my opinion. Cost me many hours of wotk. I now always attach a mouse.

[Eric Smith]

Some notebooks provide a button to toggle the touchpad on and off, so that you can disable it when using an external mouse. Sadly, the one I have does not, so I still have to live with the cursor jumping away if I get my thumbs or palms too close to the touchpad while typing.

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

My Lenovo laptop has a utility to enable or disable the entire trackpad or just certain features of it. I do use the trackpad but dislike the tapping and scrolling "features" so I turn them off however periodically I discover that they get re-enabled some how.

[Katie Wasserman]

Do you have a wireless keyboard and/or mouse?

If so, something is interfering with it or the battery is low. Try a new battery and if that doens't help move the USB wireless receiver to a different USB port as far from the old one as possible.

If you have a wired keyboard/mouse and this is happening you might have a virus or a broken keyboard or mouse.

[Dave Shaffer (Arizona)]

Could it be your computer (in particular the keyboard/mouse)?

Does it happen if you try different PCs?

When I type on one of my my laptops, I have to be very careful to not let my palm brush the "mouse" touchpad. Otherwise, the cursor can indeed go far astray - and if I am not watching, I start typing somewhere else.

[Martin Pinckney]

Sorry, I should have given more information. It's a tablet PC (HP, of course). Actually, I think generically they are called convertible, since the screen pivots so you can use it like a regular laptop, or folded like a tablet. Windows 7 Pro 32 bit. I don't use the touchpad, I use a Microsoft notebook optical mouse.

I wondered about the touchpad, but if I'm just typing, the mouse cursor is independent from the text cursor, so I am at a loss how that could be the problem.

Edited: 17 Oct 2011, 10:50 a.m.

[Paul Berger (Canada)]

Well typical touchpad operation allow for moving the mouse pointer and also simulation of mouse buttons sometimes referred to as tapping, if that is enabled then it could easily move the mouse pointer and then effectively click elsewhere which i believe would move your text cursor, and could even have the same effect as click and drag. I would look in the windows setting for something to completely disable the track pad if you don't use it or at least to turn off tapping. If it is anything like the track pad on my Lenovo laptop it will also have physical buttons that you may also be inadvertently hitting.

Edited: 17 Oct 2011, 10:57 a.m.