You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Keyboard typing random characters

Hi. I have an extended keyboard connected to my MacBook Pro 13-inch, 2016. Running Catalina 10.15.5.


After cleaning the keyboard with a cloth (so therefore pressing some keys quite hard), it is now not typing as expected.


If I hit "return", it does go to a new line, but adds "-+"


If I type "r" I get "r5"


As soon as I plug the keyboard in it automatically start tying an endless row of "55555555..."


It is definitely the keyboard as an old extended keyboard works fine when switched.


I have done all of these and still not working. Any ideas?


  • You may have accidentally set an option that changes how your keyboard operates.
  • Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Dictation & Speech, then click “Text to Speech.” If “Speak selected text when the key is pressed” is selected, deselect it or click Change Key to select another key.
  • Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Keyboard. Make sure Slow Keys is turned off. If Slow Keys is on, you must hold down a key longer than usual before it’s recognized.
  • Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Mouse & Trackpad. Make sure Mouse Keys is off. If Mouse Keys is on, pressing keys in the numeric keypad moves the pointer instead of entering numbers.
  • Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Input Sources. Select “Show Input menu in menu bar.” Open the Input menu and make sure the correct keyboard layout is selected. To see the keyboard layout, click Keyboard, then choose “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in menu bar.”


Thanks

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 21, 2020 8:09 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 22, 2020 2:14 AM

Thanks. It is fully dry now. I think it is probably the case that during cleaning I have pressed some combination of keys that have produced this result. But I don't know how to undo this.

Similar questions

4 replies

Keyboard typing random characters

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.