PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

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ijor
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PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by ijor »

My PC keyboard suddenly started to repeat space keystrokes. Whenever I hit the space bar, it produces two (sometimes three) spaces. I read that this mean that it likely needs some cleaning. Ok, so I remove the space bar and perform a quick cleanup of the area and the bar itself. It works ok ... for a couple of days, may be more, but then it starts again. Clean again, some story, works ok only for a few days.

Time to change the keyboard? A major cleanup removing all the keys?
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alexh
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by alexh »

I don't know what the mechanicals are like of your keyboard but I have used contact cleaner in the past to avoid a full strip-down. Just test it first to make sure it dries non-greasy but it should.
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Whilst the mechanicals can get sticky, it's possible that you'll need to go a bit deeper and look at the the key switch, be it a membrane, rubber dome or mechanical switch. For membrane and rubber dome I find that a clean with IPA is usually enough, but for mechanical switches you probably need some sort of contact cleaner like DeOxit or Electrolube.
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by exxos »

If it is a USB keyboard I would certainly spray some contact cleaner on the USB socket and plug or try a different USB socket. I've been "had" of thinking I have a faulty keyboard when it was simply a bad connection.
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by ijor »

Thanks for the replies.

It's a mechanical keyboard, not an expensive gamer keyboard, but not a very cheap keyboard either:

Logitech G413 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with USB Passthrough – Carbon

Edit: For some reason a link to Amazon doesn't work.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by rubber_jonnie »

ijor wrote: 24 May 2024 14:03 Thanks for the replies.

It's a mechanical keyboard, not an expensive gamer keyboard, but not a very cheap keyboard either:

Logitech G413 Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with USB Passthrough – Carbon

Edit: For some reason a link to Amazon doesn't work.
Probably a squirt of contact cleaner in the switch would do then.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
ijor
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by ijor »

rubber_jonnie wrote: 24 May 2024 14:08 Probably a squirt of contact cleaner in the switch would do then.
For doing that I would need to remove the switch, right?
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by exxos »

ijor wrote: 24 May 2024 14:03 Edit: For some reason a link to Amazon doesn't work.
Thats because of HTTPS links are not allowed across different domains. If you remove HTTPS, it should work fine.
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Re: PC keyboard duplicates space keystrokes

Post by rubber_jonnie »

ijor wrote: 24 May 2024 15:36
rubber_jonnie wrote: 24 May 2024 14:08 Probably a squirt of contact cleaner in the switch would do then.
For doing that I would need to remove the switch, right?
Depends on the switch, some do allow a little access with the keycaps removed and the stem depressed, others may need removal.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...

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