Option keys no longer working!

Thanks for the response. Option modifier key is set to Option.

Thinking back again to when this first occurred, it actually started about a week before updating to 10.6.8. The first time I noticed it was when I upgraded to Adobe CS5 from CS3 and in InDesign was not able to change text leading using the option key. I thought CS5 might have a different keyboard shortcut for that, but no. Still, at that point, I didn't realize it was the option key that wasn't functioning until these other issues occurred. Could CS5 could have caused this? Perhaps I should go to the Adobe forum with this issue.

I found something helpful - my wife has a wireless aluminum keyboard. I connected with my computer and.....the option key WORKS!!!! ••••••••••!!!!!!

So could it possibly be a hardware issue with my wired aluminum keyboard? I doubt it as how could both option keys fail to function at once?

With this info, any more suggestions? Thanks.

Tried my keyboard on my wife's Mac Mini. The option keys did not function. I have ordered a new keyboard. I find it bizarre that BOTH option keys lost their function at the same time, yet with the knowledge I have, I can only go with a hardware failure. Fortunately, I live in a state that has an e-waste law so the apparently defective keyboard will be recycled.