Anoying Keyboard Locking/beeping
ZtL
Join Date: 2003-06-26 Member: 17705Members
Join Date: 2003-06-26 Member: 17705Members
in Tech Support
<div class="IPBDescription">3 buttons is too many to press...?</div> I've known a few keyboards to do this, but I wouldn't expect it from a new logictech. Whenever I hold down 3 or more keys I get the internal beep every few seconds and my keyboard commands lock up. For example, if I want to few the map in ns (s) and move forward (w) while moving right (d) it starts beeping and locks up. I could bearly type on my old four dollar keyboard, but atleast I could move around in FPS games. Anyone know anything about this?
Comments
Unfortunetly I don't remember how to get to it.. in typical Windows fashion the settings that can stuff so many things up are the ones that are the hardest to find <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
USB = no lockup
the problem ain't the sticky keys... it's about the ps/2 port technology... every keyboard that has a ps/2 connector can't hold down 3 keys at any given time (I am not 100% sure though so don't take it as gold)
I don't have an USB keyboard, nor have I worked with one so I'm not sure, but I have heard it too, that USB does not have this problem
my 2c in 100 words
The problem is partly down to the keyboard, and partly down to the PS/2 controller on your mainboard.
When a certain combination of keys is pressed at once, some keyboards will not acknowledge the pressing of one, or more of the keys. I had this problem with my old Trust keyboard, Tab and W wouldn't work together, go figure what happened to that one...
When the keyboard just plain "locks", then it is one of those combinations that you've pressed. Nothing can solve this, aside from getting a new keyboard, and even then, it'll still happen to a degree.
If your PC just beeps, then you've flooded the keyboard buffer. Give ita second, and it'll empty, then go back to hammering the keyboard.
Until they figure out a way past buffer overflows, and keyboard signal breaks, unfortunately, this is something you're going to have to live with.
Also, the problem DOES happen with USB keyboards...
USB = no lockup
the problem ain't the sticky keys... it's about the ps/2 port technology... every keyboard that has a ps/2 connector can't hold down 3 keys at any given time (I am not 100% sure though so don't take it as gold)
I don't have an USB keyboard, nor have I worked with one so I'm not sure, but I have heard it too, that USB does not have this problem
my 2c in 100 words<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Never had any lockups on a PS/2 keyboard myself.
I was told its to do with the memory onboard on the keyboard and it getting filled up, in the same way an electronic keyboard can only play so many notes at once.
Not sure how much truth is in that either lol.
The problem is partly down to the keyboard, and partly down to the PS/2 controller on your mainboard.
When a certain combination of keys is pressed at once, some keyboards will not acknowledge the pressing of one, or more of the keys. I had this problem with my old Trust keyboard, Tab and W wouldn't work together, go figure what happened to that one...
When the keyboard just plain "locks", then it is one of those combinations that you've pressed. Nothing can solve this, aside from getting a new keyboard, and even then, it'll still happen to a degree.
If your PC just beeps, then you've flooded the keyboard buffer. Give ita second, and it'll empty, then go back to hammering the keyboard.
Until they figure out a way past buffer overflows, and keyboard signal breaks, unfortunately, this is something you're going to have to live with.
Also, the problem DOES happen with USB keyboards... <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This makes the most sense to me. Although it is still strange since my last keyboard was so horrible and cheep that this much more expensive one would give me problems that render it worthless in many games. They are both PS2, but my old 4 dollar piece of junk never locked or beeped on anything.
Sticky keys have been disabled for a long time, I also checked other keyboard settings like the repeat rate and such--all to no effect. I'm not sure how this happens with some boards and not others and from what I have gathered here there are a lot of potential areas of problem, but it's just not ok being unable to run and strafe with the map or to crouch-jump around a corner...maybe I'll just have to buy another board..
I know pressing S and D at the same time and then trying to press either X or C won't work for me, and also when I use arrows, pessing left up and ctrl won't work.
Try moving all your keys about, use the center of the keyboard, perhaps TFGH for movement, It shouldn't be all 3 key presses, but only a certain combination that are the problem.
And it is down to how the motherboard contacts the keyboard, although I'm not sure why, new keyboards and old motherboards experience this, perhaps due to inefficiency of the PS2 port, but I don't know. There may also be BIOS options that help with this problem, even if they don't fix it.
I have binded my minimap to mouse thumbbutton <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I have binded my minimap to mouse thumbbutton <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes I've been trying. The problem is the weird relearning that I have to do whenever I switch computers and discovering the few combinations of buttons that actually work together. I still can't do anything quickly like I can on my old board--like crouchjump a corner while firing and then flashing the map up... <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Example--on an old computer I had, we had some games that would allow 2 people to play from 1 keyboard. While convenient, that caused key conflicts all the time, as each person would often have 2-3 keys held down at once, and 5 or 6 keys was just too much for the keyboard.
Playing NS on my current keyboard, I never have any conflict problems at 3 keys, but when I try to hit 4 keys at once sometimes it will lock. (building while watching map, walking forward, and strafing, or something like that). But 4 keys at once is rare, even though I've moved everything except "fire" off of my mouse and onto the keyboard, so that's not really a problem.
As for the different operating systems effecting it... drivers installed differently? A specialist keyboard driver would probably be able to handle the information from the keyboard much better than the standard keyboard driver.
I use an unbranded keyboard (key switches, not sponge; old skool) and I can play old 3 player games on the one keyboard. (Each player having control of upwards of 5 buttons, pressing 3 at once at times.)
I'd say get a different keyboard. Simplicity >all; imo you should avoid ones that are wireless, have extra buttons, or think that € should be next to shift.
Lies.
The problem is one and only the keyboard. If you want to press more then 2 buttons at the same time, you have to get a gamer keyboard. many many keyboards simply don't support the pressing of 3 or more buttons at the same time. life with that fact, you can do nothing about it except writing the hardware manufactures to drop that cheap crap they are using...