shift key stuck (not a keyboard issue)

By sOma
in Microsoft (Windows)

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sOma

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Hello. I'm having a problem with windows, and it's acting as though my shift key is stuck... basically, when I try to select one icon on my desktop (or anywhere else in the windows explorer), an entire group of icons ends up being selected, and when my caps lock key is off, I type in capital letters, and when it's on, I type in lowercase letters. Of course, my first thought was that maybe my keyboard was malfuntioning... so I plugged in a different keyboard, and the problem persisted. Strangely, I don't have the problem at all when I boot into safe mode.

I don't know how this happened. I didn't mess with any settings... I only noticed it after exiting a video game. Anyway, I did some research on google and could only find information on sticky keys... and that didn't seem to help too much, as sticky keys is/was disabled. So... I'm lost. There doesn't appear to be any obvious reason why this is happening, and there doesn't appear to be any obvious way to fix it.

I would appreciate any help anyone can offer. I've been up all night trying to figure this out... I'm sure it's very simple, and I'm going to think myself a fool once I am made aware of the solution. ;)

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/285473-shift-key-stuck-not-a-keyboard-issue/
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sOma

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  Tokar said:
Assuming you are using windows XP (since you didnt say)...

Open the on screen keyboard and see what you got...

start -> programs (or all programs, depending on which start menu you are using) -> Accessories -> Accessibility -> On-Screen Keyboard

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Oh, yeah... it's windows XP, I'm sorry about that.

I just opened the on-screen keyboard... it appears that both the right and left shift keys are pressed... they're both dark blue with a red outlining.

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Tokar

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If you click the shift key on the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK from now know on :)) does it become un-highlighted, or no change?

If it becomes unhighlighted, does the shift key on your real keyboard return to normal functionality?

I notice that on the OSK it treats the SHIFT key just like NumLock...until you click it again.

If no change...

have you tried repeatedly hitting the shift key?

I usually find that sometimes by right mouse button gets stuck in windows. Repeatedly clicking the Left and Right mouse buttons very fast seems to resolve that issue.

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
If you click the shift key on the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK from now know on :)) does it become un-highlighted, or no change?

If it becomes unhighlighted,? does the shift key on your real keyboard return to normal functionality?

Hmm... no change. However, if i press both shift keys at once the on-screen keyboard flashes for a brief second, then goes back to normal... er, well normal meaning with the shift keys still pressed.

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I notice that on the OSK it treats the SHIFT key just like NumLock...until you click it again.

If no change...

have you tried repeatedly hitting the shift key?

I usually find that sometimes by right mouse button gets stuck in windows.? Repeatedly clicking the Left and Right mouse buttons very fast seems to resolve that issue.

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That doesn't seem to work either.

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Tokar

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I think i got you some info on how to fix this my good man...

http://ask-leo.com/help_my_shift_key_is_stuck.html

In sum: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Accessibility Options

or...

Start -> Control Panel -> Accessibility Options...depending on which start menu you have.

Uncheck anything that is checked.

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sOma

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  smart001 said:
Sticky keys automatically turns on after the shift key is pushed 5 times in a row. Try doing that again, it should turn them off. Hopefully that helps. It happened to me when I had sticky keys diabled.  Hope that helps!

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Yeah... I tried that too... but no change.

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
I think i got you some info on how to fix this my good man...

http://ask-leo.com/help_my_shift_key_is_stuck.html

In sum: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Accessibility Options

or...

Start -> Control Panel -> Accessibility Options...depending on which start menu you have.

Uncheck anything that is checked.

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Yeah... stickykeys, filterkeys, and toggle keys were all unchecked... I actually visited that website earlier, (with the help of google) but it just seems weird that this is happening when none of that stuff is checked.

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Tokar

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  sOma said:
Yeah... stickykeys, filterkeys, and toggle keys were all unchecked... I actually visited that website earlier, (with the help of google) but it just seems weird that this is happening when none of that stuff is checked.

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do you use a Microsoft Intellipoint mouse?

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
alright...there was some article in the MS KB about intellipoint mouse and wierd Shift key functionality.

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Oh... hmm... I plugged in another mouse and that didn't seem to help... strangely, when I unplug the keyboard I still get the problem too... that doesn't make sense when there's no keyboard present. How can two shift buttons be held down when there's no keyboard?

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Tokar

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  sOma said:
Oh... hmm... I plugged in another mouse and that didn't seem to help... strangely, when I unplug the keyboard I still get the problem too... that doesn't make sense when there's no keyboard present.? How can two shift buttons be held down when there's no keyboard?

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its a longshot, but it might be some crapware doing it. Have u done a virus scan or a spyware scan recently?

edit:

Have you tried going into safe mode and seeing if the Shift keys are the functioning the same way?

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
its a longshot, but it might be some crapware doing it.  Have u done a virus scan or a spyware scan recently?

edit:

Have you tried going into safe mode and seeing if the Shift keys are the functioning the same way?

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I did a virus scan, and a chkdisk/scandisk earlier... no change.

I just booted into safe mode and opened up the on-screen keyboard... shift keys are not held down. Odd.

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Tokar

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  sOma said:
Also, something different that never used to happen is when I'm booting into windows, it's asking me for a hardware profile... the only thing to choose is "Profile 1" so I keep going with that.

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interesting with the Safe Mode thing...

Ive never used hardware profiles...never had any run ins with such a thing.

Its definitely some setting in windows or something causing it, seeing as how Safe Mode is fine.

I'll look around on google for hardware profiles....

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
interesting with the Safe Mode thing...

Ive never used hardware profiles...never had any run ins with such a thing.

Its definitely some setting in windows or something causing it, seeing as how Safe Mode is fine.

I'll look around on google for hardware profiles....

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Yeah.. I don't know what exactly hardware profiles are, or why/how I'm using them.

As for my PC, it's a desktop. It's a fairly new machine. Got it about two months ago.

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
have you tried removing the keyboard driver in the Device Manager then rebooting the machine to let it reinstall the driver?

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Yup, I tried that too... even installed new drivers for it... when that didn't work I just uninstalled it all again.

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Tokar

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check out to see what you have set here:

Spit back what u got here...

In the control panel...

goto Regional and Language Settings

click the Languages tab

click the details button

tell me everything u got in that window...

Then after you do that...

Click on the Key Settings button...

In there should be two things

"To turn off Caps Lock"

"Press the CAPS LOCK key" or "Press the SHIFT key"

Which one is it on?

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sOma

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  Tokar said:
check out to see what you have set here:

Spit back what u got here...

In the control panel...

goto Regional and Language Settings

click the Languages tab

click the details button

tell me everything u got in that window...

Then after you do that...

Click on the Key Settings button...

In there should be two things

"To turn off Caps Lock"

"Press the CAPS LOCK key" or "Press the SHIFT key"

Which one is it on?

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In this order, I see this:

For "Default input Language"

In a scroll down menu it says: English (United States) - US

Then under "Installed Services"

EN English (United States)

Keyboard

US

And I can't click on key settings... it's grayed out.

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