Screen toggles on its own between full and normal screen modes

[Elsie]

This has been an intermittent problem with this machine since I got it, and it is driving me nuts. I started off with a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64x, and soon after it began: the screen toggling, ON ITS OWN, between normal mode and full mode, sometimes so quickly I thought I had to be high on something... It was impossible to read anything, type, hit the right item with the mouse pointer, etc. It started more often with web browsers (no surprise, since browsers are on my screen a lot of the time), IE, FF, Chrome, but also happened with Windows Explorer screens, Control Panel, MS Word, etc. I thought there was a correlation between the problem and Firefox updates, but was never able to confirm that. Video card drivers (mine is an HD Radeon 6670) were always current. I went online to figure out how to fix it, and one piece of advice I got was to uninstall IE, which I did. That didn't help. Then I found a post mentioning the edge of the browser window shouldn't "touch" the top edge of the screen. I resized my browser windows and that seemed to fix it. Until today...

Again my screen is doing the normal mode - full mode demented toggling. I have noticed that at times there seems to be a relation between typing and toggling (it makes for a VERY frustrating experience). Searching your forum, I found a post mentioning changing from Aero to basic desktop themes, and I have done that. Initially nothing changed. So I set up a little camera in front of the screen, hoping to record a little video that would illustrate how crazy this is. OF COURSE, from the moment the camera was up, the screen has been rock-solid...

I am now wondering if the Aero - basic screen change has actually fixed it! But not really counting on that, I turn to Edugeek forum for some enlightened advice. Thanks!

[elsiegee40]

Have you checked he keyboard? Tip it upside down and give it a really good shake... (it's kind of embarrassing how much rubbish falls out); this could be as simple as a staple somewhere under the keys.

[Elsie]

Now that is an interesting piece of advice! I expect staples, bread crumbs, memory cards, birds and pens to fall out of it! Seriously, it is good advice and I will do it now. Thanks!

 

Five seconds later... It seems you are on to something here: as I shook the keyboard I could see the screen toggling between full and normal modes. What now?!

Edited May 15, 2012 by Elsie

[glennda]

I guess you mean internet explorer. I would assume your keyboard has a dodgy F11

[Elsie]

So I guess we're talking new keyboard here...

[glennda]

So I guess we're talking new keyboard here...

 

I would

[elsiegee40]

So I guess we're talking new keyboard here...

Yes, I'm afraid so...

 

Do have a closer look around F11 to make sure there's nothing obvious stuck round it first.

 

Five seconds later... It seems you are on to something here: as I shook the keyboard I could see the screen toggling between full and normal modes. What now?!

Working in schools, as many of us do, we are used to finding the most horrible stuff in keyboards... it's always worth trying the simplest things first!

[Elsie]

If I press F11 the screen goes into toggling mode at full tilt... There doesn't seem to be anything stuck in there, so I have to conclude the key is faulty. Off to shop for a new keyboard... Thanks, Elsiegee and Glennda!

[glennda]

bang it very hard - tends to fix keyboard problems

 

I accept no responsibility if you properly break your keyboard!

[Elsie]

Glennda, I am proud to share with you the little video I recorded when my keyboard's F11 went on a terminal downwards spiral -- and no amount of banging, shaking, swearing or begging could bring it back. My only alternative was tearing its USB receiver off my computer and installing an old, corded keyboard in its place. Enjoy!