Keyboard typing weird letters and symbols

Tried all the previous pls answers with no avail. Added Canadian English as a new keyboard like you said and it fixed it!

Tried this suggestion, but same problem! Common Apple support, give us some suggestion what to try to solve it! To reinstall OS, or whatever!? Even i can't reinstall OS, cause can't enter apple id, when it asks for apple id!

ludilo wrote:

Common Apple support

These are user/user help forums, so you are not going to get any advice from Apple here.

Have you tried a separate usb or wireless keyboard? If it works, you need to have your internal keyboard repaired or replaced, there isn't any software fix.

I know that Tom, but at all Apple Support need to post artice about this specific case, and to publish it and make it accesible to all of us, not all of us live in USA to be able call Apple support, cause in my case, Apple support in my country is horrible, immediately when i contacted them they asked only for money, didn't try to suggest me some alternative solution, than replacing keyboard, even it's too expensive!

No suggestion, like hyer get from Apple support for combination keys for some reset, etc. , so i speak about this type of support, for publising some "tricks, magic keys combinations" etc. that other people can find them on Apple support page, if google didn't find this page, i'll never find about that trick with keys.

I don't have usb or wireless KB, it's bad if i have to buy usb or wireless kb for testing this problem, i'll try to find some at my friends maybe...

I'll test it, and post here results, i doubt it's damaged Keyboard, cause it's just replaced, and it's new, its something like alt button is constantly down, and when i type letters it write some strange characters, when i selected virtual kb on screen, these strange characters are marked with orange color, something like to show us, that these symbols are in use... Hope someone will suggest something different to try, in meantime will try to find usb or wireless kb.

ludilo wrote:

you sound like someone who works for Apple, cause most of answers by Apple support is like your, useless,

No, I don't work for Apple, and in general I have the same low opinion of the expertise of Apple support that you do. But I've seen your problem posted in these forums many, many times and just want you to have what in my experience is the best advice about how to quickly isolate it and the most likely required fix, so you can get back to work with your machine.

It's good that we are on same side 🙂 ... Unfortunately that's really true, cause it's not my 1st time to experience problem with their support, where main answer is "we'll have to replace it", rarely try some other things, instead prompt replacing 🙂....

Yeah, you are right, i googled, and found on other forums same situations like mine, will try your suggestion about testing external KB, to see is KB fault or not, if external KB works, i'll try reinstalling OS to see will that fix my problem...

However, thank you for your advices and good will!

ludilo wrote:

if external KB works, i'll try reinstalling OS to see will that fix my problem...

No harm in doing that, but if external KB works, it normally indicates a hardware problem with the internal keyboard that reinstalling OS cannot fix.

It seems no way for software solution of this strange letters and symbols when i press keyboard keys... But one strange thing which lead me to doubt there is some software problem or some combination of keys that can solve this, like Apple support suggest some member here command+alt+p+r, cause when i choose virtual keyboard of OS, option "show visual keyboard", i see all letters a,b,c,d, etc. , and they work ok when i press virtual keys, but when i press some of keys on hardware keyboard, on virtual keyboard normal letters a,b,c,d change in that strange characters like - ^ˇ˘°˛°˛]€|\, etc. ! It smell like constantly down hol of alt button or some problem with OS, or whatever... You know when man has a problem, try all possible options to make less number of doubts...

Replying to prv/hyper to make sure people see their solution is noticeable

I noticed that swiping from the side on my touchpad seems to enable this mode.

Seems like a bug where a certain type of input traps the system in command or option mode. It might be worth paying attention to your touchpad, or checking if the buttons are working properly - not stuck depressed or something.

Last night I started to have a problem of symbols appearing and other odd things happening when I typed on my keyboard. I first changed the USB keyboard, to no avail. Then I went to my wife's MAC BOOK PRO, same problem. I tried all of the suggestions I could find on forums like this.. Then my wife came in and she typed on both computers with no problems. My wife who is not all that computer savvy said it was my hands. I was skeptical but pursued it further. I found out that it only happened when I typed characters with my left hand.

She was right. Come to find out I had had surgery on my left hand earlier in the day and the bulky bandage was hitting the option and control keys inadvertently. She had had the same problem in the past when when she let her hands relax and rest on the keyboard.

Needless to say I sighed a great sigh of relief and gave my intuitive wife a humble thanks. Sometimes intuitiveness trumps technical savvy.

my keyboard does it and before a 20 hrs travel with the battery on and works perfect11111111111 (until some time like this), may be i'm using charger from another model. Gretings to the mac world1111111

Did anyone find something that works? My new MacbookAir (7 months old) has been typing in symbols for a few weeks. I tried updating to Yosemite, reinstalling, pressing Cmd+Opt+PR and Cmd+Opt+P... I got it to go back to normal once, but I closed the computer (not shut it down) and when I opened it back up it returned to symbols. When I look at the system preferences, it says it's in English. I am currently traveling in Mexico and Central America with no plans on returning to the US any time soon (not to mention the inconsistent internet connection)- I really need this computer to work! I appreciate all of your suggestions..

Your question about the "asdf" and "åß∂ƒ" correctly identified my problem. In my case the problem was with a USB keyboard that I use at my desk with a big monitor hooked up to my laptop. The Macbook keyboard worked fine but the USB keyboard was doing the åß∂ƒ thing. I tried cleaning and shaking etc without luck. Finally I just typed asdf with the option/alt key down, one at a time on both sides, then tried asdf again without the option/alt key and that did it. I don't know if I was lucky or not, but it seems to be working fine now. I suspect it wasn't software since the built in keyboard on the laptop worked fine. Thanks.

Now it happens as well to my Macbook Air: I type "asdf" and I get instead åß∂ƒ. Pressing alt-+cmd+P+R does not work. I am not able to fix this, the language of the keyboard is correct. I noticed also that three-finger gestures do not work anymore.

After having the same problem with my Macbook Air were the keyboard would only type in symbols, I opened the screen keyboard and noticed that both option/alt keys where both being pressed down changing the keyboard to the symbols. I tuck the keys off and cleaned underneath but that did not work. I did notice that if I hold the 0 button down the letters appeared on the keyboard and I could type normally again. Which is a bit of a pain but you can still type when trying to search for things.

After searching on-line for hours i come across this program that allows you to customise your keyboard so I thought i'd give it a try. I installed it and everything works fine now. I don't know if this will work for everyone but hopefully it will help other and has fixed my problem for good. Here is the link to the program - https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/

Was go close to replacing the keyboard.