Low-use, but elderly Packard-Bell laptop has just started to exhibit a peculiar problem.

When inputting from the keyboard, the cursor, which usually sits in a position after the last character entered is spontaneously and randomly re-positioning itself during typing to a position anywhere in the text previously input. If I'm not too quick noticing each pointer re-location, then a few characters get typed in the wrong location in the text.

This effect occurred a least 10 times whilst composing this post.

It occurs irrespective of the use of carriage returns and positions the cursor both foward and behind the correct typing position for the next character.

I presume that some thing, possibly low-level, is adversely affecting the cursor pointer memory ?

Coincidentally, this seems to have occurred only after renewing my free AVAST anti-virus software

Also had a Blue Screen event, shortly after this installation, which said I had an unspecified hardware problem . Hmmm ?

Any ideas ?

Nick,

1/06/08

Just tried MS Word and no problem ! Looks like something in Internet Explorer is buggered !

Nick,

Hi Nick,

I had this problem before and in the end it came down to a very sensitive touchpad. As i typed the palms of my hands hovered over the touchpad causing the cursor to move.

Just a thought. Try disabling the touchpad and see if it happens again.

Regards.

Meant to say,

To check to see if it a hardware problem, check the Device Manager.

To do this, right click My Computer, left click manage, left click device manager. If there is any yellow exclamation marks next to any hardware there is a fault with that. It could be the wrong driver is installed for instance.

Regards.