My keyboard suddenly flips to symbols intermittently - help !

my keyboard has suddenly started to flip to some kind of symbols font intermittently - help ! I've tried another keyboard, and the same thing happens. (I'm typing this on another computer) I've tried opening variuos system preferences, and choosing default settings wherever possible. Sometimes it flips back and forth rapidly between the weird symbols and english... almost like there's a short circuit or something. My Wacom tablet works fine... Thanks in advance for any advice !

Try these two resets, if that doesn't do it start in Safe Mode and see if the problem persists.
SMC RESET
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord and ALL peripherals.
Wait 15 seconds.
Attach the computers power cable.
Wait another 5 seconds and press the power button to turn on the computer.
The 5 second timing is important to a successful reset.
PRAM RESET
Zap the PRAM
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.

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TS2771 Suddenly the sound of my iPods keyboard suddenly becomes very faint bit when I have my headset on its functioning very well please help thanks

Suddenly the sound of my iPods keyboard suddenly becomes very faint bit when I have my headset on its functioning very well please help thanks

Try:
- Reset the iOS device. Nothing will be lost
Reset iOS device: Hold down the On/Off button and the Home button at the same time for at
least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
- Reset all settings
Go to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset All Settings.
All your preferences and settings are reset. Information (such as contacts and calendars) and media (such as songs and videos) aren’t affected.
- Restore from backup. See:
iOS: How to back up
- Restore to factory settings/new iOS device.
If still problem, make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store since it appears you have a hardware problem.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar

Wireless keyboard suddenly stopped working - changed batteries still did not help

Hi
I have an Envy 20 all in one touchscreen with a wireless keyboard which has been absolutley fantastic until now. The wireless keyboard suddenly stopped working while composing an email. I replaced the batteries and checked them with a volt meter to ensure 1.5v. They are a name brand alkiline battery. I tried re-booting the computer and pressing the blue connect button under the keyboard. The only keys that seem to work are the volume up/down and mute; the rest of teh keyboard does not. Any idea? I like the factory keyboard so I am hoping it is not a faulty keyboard. After market keyboards will use a USB port.
Thanks
Thor
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hello @Thor66,
Welcome to the HP Forums, I hope you enjoy your experience! To help you get the most out of the HP Forums I would like to direct your attention to the HP Forums Guide First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More.
I understand that your wireless keyboard is not working and you are looking for assistance. I am providing you with an HP Support document: Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Troubleshooting, which will walk you through the troubleshooting process for your wireless keyboard.
Now if this does not work and you have to replace the keyboard do not fear you can replace the keyboard and the dongle without using another USB port as the one that is in can be replaced. I would be happy to assist you further and/or walk you through changing out the dongle from a new wireless keyboard, but first I would encourage you to post your product number for your computer. I am linking an HP Support document below that will show you how to find your product number. As well, if you could indicate which operating system you are using. And whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit as with this and the product number I can provide you with accurate information.
How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?
Which Windows operating system am I running?
Is the Windows Version on My Computer 32-bit or 64-bit?
Please re-post with the requested information and I would be happy to provide you with assistance. Thank you for posting on the HP Forums. Have a great day!
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
Dunidar
I work on behalf of HP
Find out a bit more about me by checking out my profile!
"Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong." ~ Donald Porter

Keyboard is only typing symbols

I am using a macbook - the keyboard will no longer type the querty letters, but symbols instead. If I hold the function button the alphabet returns, the language is set to US english. How do I resolve this?

I'm having the same problem. I was typing with word and everything was peachy. Then suddenly my keyboard freaked out and started typing symbols. No language settings, keyboard preferences or font checks would help. It couldn't be a virus since It hasn't been connected to the Internet in a while. I didn't spill anything on the keyboard either. This isn't just a Word issue, any program I open its the same thing. Does anyone have a solution?

Satellite A30 keyboard suddenly stopped working - how to remove and replace?

Hi all, n00b to laptops and first post. Ok, I usually build and repair desktops, so much easier to gain aceess!!
My daughter switched on her A30 laptop last night and only 2 keys worked. Tried rebooting and getting into BIOS but couldnt. Tried getting it to boot into safe mode, only the up and down arrow working so could not select safe mode...doh. Am guessing this must be a harware problem.
Rebooted into Xp an opened up notepad....this time about 5 keys working. Reboot, 3 key etc etc.
How do I get to the ribbon cable to make sure it is seated properly. Is it common for a keyboard to fail in this way and is it easy to get a replacement?
At the mo, have all the small screws I can find out, removed battery, DVD rom and hard drive. Seems to be held towards the middle and rear. Dont want to force it and break something else!
TIA.

OK, so I had to laugh....flip the little cover on the top of the laptop and there are the 2 screws that hold the keyboard in place....lol
The ribbon cable was just about in its connector. Pushed it in and engaged the two locking tabs on the plastic retainer...job done!
Put it back together, fired up and Bingo! we have a keyboard again!
Oh well, may help someone else I guess.
Now she has no excuse for not doing her homework!

On start up i just get a grey screen with the apple logo-this has suddenly started happenin. Please help?

on start up i just get a grey screen with the apple logo-this has suddenly started happenin. Please help?

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

My keyboard is typing in symbols..

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arissa1990 wrote:
My keyboard is typing in symbols but only in pages.
Is this for every font you try?
Use the camera icon to post a screenshot of what you are seeing.

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Try a smc, then the pram reset. If still no joy, you might want to take it to the Apple store. Also look in the headphone jack and see if there is a red light on.
SMC reset:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
As always do a back up first.

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Will not turn on, will not turn on unless connected to power, or unexpected power off
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Check if a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI) is activated or there are signs of corrosion. Learn about LCIsand corrosion.
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If the iPhone did not turn on, reset it while connected to the iPhone USB power adapter.
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My issue is still not resolved. What do I do next?
Contact Apple Support.
You can find the full article here:
iPhone: Hardware troubleshooting
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2802
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

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Welcome to the Apple Community.
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My keyboard suddenly flips to symbols intermittently - help !

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