Windows login password field disappears unless I hold down left CTRL

LittleTyke

Distinguished
Jul 11, 2015
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18,510
A few hours ago on my XP PC (SP3) my left CTRL key started auto-repeating when I held it down. Also, if I clicked on any icon on the task bar or systray, the icon would open up its menu briefly, then immediately pop down again. So I rebooted.

On the Windows login screen I clicked on my user name to display the password field, but as soon as I released the mouse, the password field disappeared. I clicked again on my user name. Same problem. Then I found that if I held the left CTRL key down, then clicked my user name, the login field appeared, but I couldn't type any text in. As soon as I released the CTRL key, the login field disappeared! I tried the "classic" login screen (CTRL-ALT-DEL twice in a row), but again as soon as I let go of the CTRL key that login screen disappeared.

I shut down the PC and swapped the keyboard. Same problem. NB: This is an old (2006) PC with old-style keyboard connector, not USB.

I tried rebooting with last known good configuration. Same problem.

I booted into safe mode. Same problem.

Then I connected a USB keyboard from my Raspberry pi (old keyboard still connected) and with the USB keyboard Windows login behaved normally. I was able to login. The very next thing I did was make an Acronis True Image backup. Now that's finished I want to troubleshoot why the old keyboard wasn't working properly.

So, is the mobo broken? Can the keyboard port on the mobo be "broken" in some way?

Right now I'm scanning for viruses. I already did an AVG anti-root kit scan and that didn't find anything. Windows Malicious Software Removal tool didn't find anything, either.

I viewed the StickyKeys, FilterKeys and ToggleKeys options in Accessibility Options and all the boxes are unchecked.

So what happened to my keyboard input from the original keyboard? I've never seen this before on ~any~ Windows OS and I've used various Windows editions since at least 1998.
 
Solution
G
Has to be a defect of your PS/2 connector on the motherboard, needs a clean up, some contact spray because of oxidation or resoldering. Give it a shot, otherwise USB.
G

Guest

Guest
Has to be a defect of your PS/2 connector on the motherboard, needs a clean up, some contact spray because of oxidation or resoldering. Give it a shot, otherwise USB.
 
Solution