VirtualBox

Opened 5 years ago

Last modified 5 years ago

#18157 new defect

keys repeat (example: moving the cursor) will make shift or control key stick

Reported by: Galin Owned by:
Component: other Version: VirtualBox 5.2.10
Keywords: keyboard caps-lock ctrl constant Cc:
Guest type: Windows Host type: Linux

Description

Hello,

I have a problem with the indiscriminately activation of caps-lock and/or ctrl while typing, moving the cursor or selecting text.

This symptom will happen if I use one key very long (selecting text...) . (Not often and not exact reproducible, but several times a day.)

Host is:

  • Linux Mint 19 Tara / Cinnamon (freshly installed 8 Weeks ago)
  • 2 different computers (physical identical and with similar installation) with the same problem!
  • 16 GB Ram, i3 CPU
  • ASRock H370M ITX ac / BIOS v3
  • Onboard/CPU graphics
  • Virtual Box 5.2.10

Guest is:

  • Windows 7 (several installations (old converted computer and freshley installed also))
  • Guest Additions are also installed
  • USB Additions are also installed... but the issue was earlier as this installation
  • no test with Linux as guest!

Annoying:

  • text will be selected if virtualbox thinks that shift is pressed

OR

  • the cursor jumps by word like the ctrl key is pressed

This can change in "one session" of this issue. (selecting ... jumping ... selecting)

I'm able to "solve" the problem with: continue with selecting text! cursor right ..... cursor left ..... cursor up and down.... watching if text is selected (blue) while the cursor is moving the text.

No typing of Letters is possible, because every character is combinated with the "virtual ctrl" or the "virtual shift" key. Result: typing "s" is combinated with ctrl to: save my document... and so on.

Clicking with the mouse (on a existing document in task bar) will cause to open a very new document. I'm not able to get into an opened document with the mouse via taskbar. Every mouse-click will open an new instance of the program.

I can see "this" before the issue begins:

  • If I move the cursor along the line the cursor has a certain speed. Very short time before the issue starts, the speed will reduce a little bit.
  • While the issue is active the cursor has his regular speed.

short time before the issue "ends" (for an hour or two or 15 minutes) the speed of the cursor is reduced to zero. Sometimes the issue has a continuation. Sometimes the issue ends and regular work is possible.

This can last up to 5 minutes!

The reboot of the guest is no real solution. Sometimes the issue takes part within 5 minutes.

The time itself is no factor: If I leave the computer for a while, the issue is still alive. ONLY continuous run over the timer will solve the problem.

the keyboard is working fine in Linux! No "virtual ctrl" or "virtual shift" key.

Any open questions?

  • what is needed? (log-files, list of installed programs, ...?)

Any ideas?

regards Linu

Change History (4)

comment:1 by Michael Thayer, 5 years ago

Summary: keys repeat (example: moving the cursor) will activte Caps Lock and/or Ctrl keykeys repeat (example: moving the cursor) will make shift or control key stick

Could you have accidentally activated the Windows "sticky keys" function?

comment:2 by Galin, 5 years ago

I checked this manual for sticky keys: https://de.wikihow.com/Sticky-Keys-ausschalten

sticky keys is OFF and I never touched this option in the past.

It seems not to show the right direction because the cursor changes the speed regularly while moving across the text (most times evenly ... but sometimes unequally) when changing between

  • "pressed crtl" and
  • "pressed shift" and
  • thinking about turning off the "function".

I have this error since converting my proper working OS is converted into a virtual machine. But freshly installed machines have this "feature" also.

I think about "buffer overflow" while polling the keyboard and getting confused while receiving so much scan codes from the keyboard, but I'm no programmer.

comment:3 by Michael Thayer, 5 years ago

Since I don't think that any of the core developers will have time to look at this soon, I suggest that you ask on the forums to see if anyone else has seen something similar. I am not aware of other reports at this time. Finding out more about the problem might also improve the chances that one of the developers will have a good idea, or that you will find a work-around.

comment:4 by Galin, 5 years ago

finding out more... HOW? Logfiles seem not to be helpfull. Do they exist for such a case? Is it possible to create some logs about special parts of the software like

  • the keyboard controller
  • scan codes
  • transport of scan codes from host to guest?

I have no idea about the long chain of possible error-producers: a) Mainbooard ... b) BIOS / UEFI ... and the different versions of BIOS c) Linux ... d) keyboard driver e) keyboard connector (AT/DIN :D ... PS2 ... USB) f) VirtualBox ... and g) this "old" special version of VirtualBox in Mint 19

and of these any combinations. But the result is not usable for daily work if I think about a special problem and the keyboard suddenly shows this behaviour and steals up to 10 minutes of time prior the final decision to reboot the VM.

I think, that the error is IN VirtualBox [part f) or g) ] because the regular Linux is working well.

You are writing about "forums". Are there more than one and which one could be "most" suitable?

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