Backward Typing Issue in Apple Mail...

Question

Level 2

242 points

Backward Typing Issue in Apple Mail...

Hello,

I have been having some odd behavior with Apple Mail after the upgrade to Mac OS 10.8. Occasionally when I am typing a message, I suddenly don't recognize any of the wording and begin to wonder if one of my multiple personalities is taking over. HA!

Closer inspection finds that the words are exactly what I pounded out on the keyboard, but exactly backwards! An example is "Apple" comes out "elppA". I have to jump down with the Return key two or more lines and start a whole new sentence before everything works as designed. Here are a few troubleshooting actions I have taken:

- Checked all keyboard settings/languages.

- Copied the text, opened up a new Apple Mail message, and pasted the text only to find that the behavior reappears

- Closed/reopened Apple Mail and returned to the saved message, only to find the same issue.

- Confirmed that the issue is present on both the keyboard of my MacBook Pro and wireless Apple keyboard with new batteries.

- Confirmed that this problem does not happen in any other program when keyboard input is involved.

What DOES work to correct the issue is reformatting the text from Rich to Plain text or visa versa. Since I go back and forth allot with Apple Notes in copy/pasting text and there is somewhat restrictive text formatting there, I wonder if this could be some of the problem.

Anyhow, has anyone else experienced this issue or do I have to increase my psych medication?

More microchips than sense,

Dr. Z.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), Just one soldier in my Army of Macs

Posted on Aug 24, 2012 10:53 AM

Reply

Answer 1

thomas_r.

Level 7

32,001 points

Aug 24, 2012 12:01 PM in response to Dr. Z.

Try opening Font Book (in the Applications folder), select All Fonts in the Collection list, then select all fonts in the Fonts list. Then choose File -> Validate Fonts. Deactivate any fonts that have problems.

Reply

Answer 2

Dr. Z. Author

Level 2

242 points

Aug 24, 2012 12:57 PM in response to thomas_r.

I did do that just before writing this post, but the issue had already been resolved via the change of text format first. Only major errors were found in the Serif family and I deleted them. Some minor errors were found in several other fonts, including the Arial family which I use often, but only a duplicate warning. It was easily corrected. So, I guess that I will just keep pounding away on my keyboard and see if the issue arises again.

In the meantime, I wanted to post this problem for others so that they would not think that they were going crazy...

Reply

Answer 3

etresoft

Level 9

50,752 points

Aug 24, 2012 1:04 PM in response to Dr. Z.

I haven't heard of anyone else reporting this. Were these e-mail messages in reply to other people's e-mail? Is there a chance these other people used a right-to-left language? There could be some leftover, but empty formatted sections using right-to-left order and when you composed your reply, it started using that. That is the only explanation I can think of, and it seems very unlikely.

Reply

Answer 4

Dr. Z. Author

Level 2

242 points

Aug 24, 2012 1:23 PM in response to etresoft

It has been happening so infrequently and with long lapses that it is hard for me to track what leads up to it at this time. I do know that the last instance just prior to posting was when I was composing a new Apple Mail message, written some text, and then pasted text from Apple notes into it. The problem started only a few charactes after that action.

Hey, if the letters would have actually been backwards instead of just sequenced backwards, my dyslexia could have read them fine! Wow, what a great idea for a new font for the reading disabled...

Reply

Answer 5

etresoft

Level 9

50,752 points

Aug 24, 2012 1:31 PM in response to Dr. Z.

Perhaps it was the pasting of the note content that triggered your "reversal of fortune". Again, that doesn't sound likely, but it is place where those right-to-left tags could, in theory, get inserted by accident.

Reply

Answer 6

davemyb

Level 1

4 points

Feb 6, 2013 6:18 AM in response to etresoft

I just had the same problem: I suddenly started typing backwards in Adium (it had been fine 4 minutes before). I then went to my browser window to type my message and copy/paste it into Adium. I did that for two messages, then it started working again. No reboot or hammering all the keys required. So weird. I'm using an external USB Mac keyboard plugged into my Macbook Pro.

Reply

Answer 7

etresoft

Level 9

50,752 points

Aug 24, 2012 10:56 AM in response to Dr. Z.

That's a new one.

Is the text being types right to left? Or are the individual characters backwards? Do you get the same behaviour if you create a new user account and login to that?

Reply

Answer 8

Dr. Z. Author

Level 2

242 points

Aug 24, 2012 11:00 AM in response to etresoft

The example of what I am seeing is "Apple" comes out "elppA" and no, the issue does not happen on a new user test account. A system restart also corrects the issue.

Reply