On my Dell Inspiron laptop when holding the SHIFT key to type something in capital letters the following happens: SILICon kid. As you can see, at some point after one, two or three letters the shift function stops working. I don’t think this is related to the external keyboard (which is connected through a USB hub) as I have replaced the keyboard and the problem continues, The problem also existed before using a USB hub so I don’t think the problem is related to the hub either. How can I make the shift function to work correctly? (more…)

After the computer has been idle for some time, a message appears saying ‘The device driver for the standard 101/102 key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard is preventing the machine entering standby. You may need to update this driver’. Rebooting the machine does not resolve this issue, and it always occurs after a period of inactivity. While trying to fix this problem, I also noticed the Windows taskbar has been modified and the three buttons which launched Internet Explorer, launched Outlook Express, and displayed the desktop, have disappeared. How can I stop the error message appearing, and recover the missing icons? (more…)

After installing a new Microsoft USB wireless keyboard and mouse the screensaver no longer works. All the settings seem correct, but the screensaver never activates. Also, could you also advise which power setting, in the screensaver properties, is the best to use? (more…)

The Windows mouse pointer randomly decides where it wants to be on any screen. Installing a new Logitech mouse with the latest drivers has not resolved the issue. The computer is running Windows XP.
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In the column on 19th December 2005 a question was published (http://www.siliconkid.com.au/index.php/skarchive/
viewquestion/1524) asking how to change the behaviour of the dollar ($) key to print the UK pound (£) symbol. In answering this question, I did not have a definite solution. Since that question was published, I have discovered a free utility called Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator: www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/msklc.mspx. This utility allows the user to create a custom keyboard layout. In other words, you can control what characters are printed in response to keystrokes. So, you could configure Windows to print a pound (£) sign when the dollar ($) key is pressed. Be aware, this utility is not easy to use and there is quite a steep learning curve. Should you incorrectly change the keyboard layout, some (or none) of the keys may work correctly, so be careful! Fortunately, there is a comprehensive Help file which comes with the utility which I strongly encourage you to read. That said, you should still only proceed if you are confident with the procedures and possible side-effects. (more…)