Why is my kboard skping?

November 15, 2007 6:35 AM

Why does my new Microsoft Natural 4000 USB keyboard keep skipping? When I'm working in Word, it will sometimes miss out two characters (usually exactly two, weirdly) and it's a real pain.

I'm using a PC with Windows XP Pro, and it's a USB keyboard, plugged in to the back of my monitor which has its own power supply so acts as a powered USB hub. Could it be that I'm just not hitting it hard enough? Any other issues I might not be thinking about? This is driving me crazy. Not sure if it just happens in Word, but that is the program I use most often.

posted by altolinguistic to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Response by poster: It occurs to me now that this skipping is usually accompanied by what looks like a flicker on the monitor - so perhaps this isn't a keyboard issue. Music files keep playing as normal, though, and the PC doesn't crash or anything.
posted by altolinguistic at 6:46 AM on November 15, 2007

Funny, I am having (maybe) the same issue with the same keyboard. For me, it's the letter 'n'. Is it the same letters/keys consistently?
posted by malaprohibita at 6:49 AM on November 15, 2007

Have you tested it on another USB port that is not in the monitor's hub?
posted by bonobo at 6:51 AM on November 15, 2007

Also, some customers who reviewed the keyboard at Amazon.com report issues with feedback and responsiveness of this model.

As a MS Natural-style 'board user (since the initial model), I get really frustrated with the tweakings and extra "features" that are added to each generation. I'm browsing about for a backup keyboard for my current Natural--mine's dirty and, of the six-or-so boards in this family I've owned, I killed one during a dismantling/washing.
posted by bonobo at 7:03 AM on November 15, 2007

Unplug it from the monitor and plug it into the computer. Especially if the monitor is acting strange.
posted by damn dirty ape at 3:53 PM on November 15, 2007