# Is It Possible To Have FoolProof Spyware Installed on Someone\`s PC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-foolproof-spyware-installed-on-someone-s-pc/535010 "2010-04-05T13:01:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gus\_Handsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Gus\_Handsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Handsome)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-foolproof-spyware-installed-on-someone-s-pc/535010/1 "2010-04-05T13:01:33Z")
Once in a while when using my PC, certain charactor`s will not enter from my keyboard as they should. For example, here is my question mark key: É Here is the key for quotations (to the left of the enter key): `` If I open up wordpad then I will get the correct charactors so what could be possibly be causing thisÉ (see what I mean) I can get the question mark key to work, but I`ll need to type it on a word file and cut and paste it in. Lets`s try this again… What could be causing this problem I am experiencing? If someone had planted some keylogger or software on my PC, could that be a reason? I am getting paranoid. I use Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, and I also run CCleaner Glary Uitilities & Spybot. Is it possible I could have some kind of virus and these programs wouldnt catch it? Thanks Gus ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-foolproof-spyware-installed-on-someone-s-pc/535010/2 "2010-04-05T13:15:16Z")
> [@Gus\_Handsome](#): > > Once in a while when using my PC, certain charactor`s will not enter from my keyboard as they should. > > For example, here is my question mark key: > É > > Here is the key for quotations (to the left of the enter key): > `` > > If I open up wordpad then I will get the correct charactors so what could be possibly be causing thisÉ (see what I mean) > > I can get the question mark key to work, but I`ll need to type it on a word file and cut and paste it in. > > Lets`s try this again… > > What could be causing this problem I am experiencing? > > If someone had planted some keylogger or software on my PC, could that be a reason? I am getting paranoid. > > I use Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, and I also run > CCleaner > Glary Uitilities & > Spybot. > > Is it possible I could have some kind of virus and these programs wouldnt catch it? > > Thanks > Gus You most likely remapped your keyboard by accident. Or you could have a stuck key. Get a new keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-foolproof-spyware-installed-on-someone-s-pc/535010/3 "2010-04-05T13:32:48Z")
By default Windows has the language tab enabled. Certain Ctrl-shift whatever combinations can change the keyboard language from, say, US English to German, without you noticing… Suddeny Y is the esset character that looks like a B with a tail. Etc. That \*might \*be a cause. Not real likely with you reporting that the same keystroke returns different characters in different programs. But no harm in eliminating it as a possibility. For XP, take a look under Control panel \>\> Regional Settings & langauges \>\> Languages Tab \>\> [Details]. Vista / Win7 is similar. If you have multiple langugages or keyboard mappings available and don’t need them, remove them. As suggested above, if you have a spare keyboard or can borrow one I’d also try swapping keyboards. It’ll at least eliminate either the KB hardware or the PC software as the source of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-have-foolproof-spyware-installed-on-someone-s-pc/535010/4 "2010-04-05T15:23:16Z")
If it’s your keyboard language, and you’re running Windows, there’s probably a little icon of a keyboard in your tray down in the corner. If you click it, it’ll show a list of choices, of which you probably want the “US” one. (Then uninstall the others as \*\* LSLGuy\*\* says)