Start Menu popping up and disapearing

[jazzybee]

This has happend to my son's PC. I have swapped out the keyboard, I cannot get to run most programs, the antivirus appears to have expired a couple of months ago.

Anyone seen this before? anyone know how to get rid of this annoying problem?

Thanks

[GreenV8S]

Please explain the symptoms in a bit more detail. Does it happen when you bring the menu up with the keyboard? With the mouse? Every time or just sometimes? Does it still do it if you boot in safe mode? Etc.

[Kinky]

I guess move the mouse to the bottom of the screen, then click the right-mouse button, and select 'properties'.

The 2nd tickbox says "auto-hide" ... I assume this is selected. So unselecting it should it.

K

[thepassenger]

Aye could be auto-hide. Or I've noticed on my laptop that if I go to fast for the machine (i.e. it's still loading something) and bring up the start menu, it'll vanish if I don't complete before the program opens.

So can you give us some more info?

[jazzybee]

Its not the task menu, but the start menu, but I will check Auto Hide. It seems to be that the OS thinks that the Start button on the keyboard is pressed and unpressed. if the start menu is up and I press 'L' it tries to log off... etc. The menu disappears before I have a chance to select a program. When I DO get a browser open, I cannot type a url easily as it the start menu pops up and and the letter pressed activates whatever shortcut the windows and key combination makes....

Does this make sense? I have never seen it before, and I am not exactly a novice with PCs, but this one has got me.

[thepassenger]

Right.

I had this huuge post ready and was trying keyboard shortcuts... kit the close tab one bah.

Is it a wireless keyboard? If so try swapping it to a different channel if possible, could be another one in range.
If the keyboard is PS/2 try a USB one instead, it might be a knaackered keyb controller (do they still have those or is it integrated else where now?).

If you've replaced the keyboard with a different type and it's still going funky, then I'd suggest it's something going way weird with Windows; so try a bootdisk and get the machine in to DOS or Linux and see if the keyboard(s) behave fine.

[GreenV8S]

I would say you have a key stuck down, perhaps Alt or Ctrl.

[jazzybee]

Thanks. Tried the auto hide... Nothing.

Originally the computer had a wireless keyboard and mouse. Replaced them with USB one a few weeks back. This started today. replaced the usb keyboard with a PS2 one as I thought it might be the keyboard. No difference. Very funk behaviour. If no other idea, it maybe a windows re-install job.