# Double tapping keys on a laptop keyboard

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815 "2010-03-26T00:05:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815/1 "2010-03-26T00:05:37Z")

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I’ve been using a new laptop a bit lately and whenever I type on it I hit a bunch of keys twice in quick succession when I’m trying to type quickly. It leaads to a llot of sentences that look like thiis. It’s a Sony Vaio with a chicklet style keyboard.

I’m curious if anyone else has dealt with this issue and if there’s a setting that cann be tweaked to lessen the frequency of it. Also, anyone know what causes it? Too short a travel on the keys? To heavy or light of a typing stroke? Funky drivers? When I buy a new laptop I’m wondering what to look for to avoid the headache.

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**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815/2 "2010-03-26T00:21:18Z")

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Go to the Control Panel and open the Keyboard Properties and adjust the Repeat Delay to long and see if that fixes the problem.

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**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815/3 "2010-03-26T16:42:35Z")

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I think \*\*JoelUpchurch \*\*hit the nail with his solution, but I wanted to say that this:

> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> chicklet style keyboard

is the most awesome yet instantly-recognizable descriptions of one of those laptop keyboards I’ve ever seen.

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**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-tapping-keys-on-a-laptop-keyboard/533815/4 "2010-03-26T16:52:53Z")

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> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#):
>
> I think \*\*JoelUpchurch \*\*hit the nail with his solution, but I wanted to say that this:
> 
> is the most awesome yet instantly-recognizable descriptions of one of those laptop keyboards I’ve ever seen.

It’s a bit of slang that’s been around in computing for a few decades; here’s a [1984 review of the IBM PCjr](http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n3/74_IBM_PCjr.php) from Creative Computing magazine that uses the phrase. Similarly, a [1983 review of the Mattel Aquarius](http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n8/49_Mattel_Aquarius_home_comp.php), also from Creative Computing.