# keyboard will not tpe capital k without using caps lock
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 17, 2020, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837 "2020-06-17T08:59:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/1 "2020-06-17T08:59:27Z")
This is driving me crazy because I actually am an excellent typist and having to hit the Caps Lock key to type one capital letter slows me down. This issue just occurred about two hours ago. I took the computer over to my school’s IT section (it’s a school-issued computer) and they couldn’t figure it out yet. I’ll have to use the Caps Lock workaround tonight and tomorrow morning until after my one class for the day finishes. Then I’m taking the computer back to IT for them to try more of their magic.
Unless, of course, the Teeming Millions[sup]tm[/sup] can come to my rescue before then. What can I do that does not involve reprogramming the computer?
Tanks in advance!
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/2 "2020-06-17T09:37:26Z")
Just the letter K?
Both shift keys?
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/3 "2020-06-17T09:57:13Z")
Was also going to say: reboot, and also check whether at least one of the shift keys is still working. Also double-check that the keyboard character mapping is English and not something weird, and no Sticky Keys, Filter Keys, etc are activated.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/4 "2020-06-17T10:00:32Z")
Sounds like you got the KKK virus. Very nasty.
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### Author:  [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/5 "2020-06-17T11:20:26Z")
ky btwn W and R brokn, plas snd nw typwritr ASAP
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/6 "2020-06-17T11:41:39Z")
Yes, it’s just the letter K. As it turns out, late today the municipal government ordered a complete shutdown of the schools, so I will not be taking the computer into IT tomorrow. Oh, drat.
I did try all of those suggestions, and the IT folks tried those and a few others. Oh, well. I’m guessing it’s actually hardware, but since it’s not my property, I’m not mucking with it. Luckily, this is a touch-screen and there are plenty of online keyboard sites which I can use to type stuff out and then cut and paste if I get too peeved at using the Caps Lock key.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/7 "2020-06-17T11:49:12Z")
How often do you really _need_ a capital k? The lowercase k looks pretty similar to a capital K.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/8 "2020-06-17T14:07:55Z")
That’s a very good point, **Kayaker** , er **kayaker**. 😃
No, really. That is a good point. Thanks for mentioning it.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/9 "2020-06-17T14:20:28Z")
Is this a laptop or a standalone keyboard? Type every key with the shift button pressed and see if any others have a problem. There may be some other keys along the same circuit path which are messed up.
It could be that there’s some short in the keyboard and when the contact for the shift key is made that it messes up some other circuit of the keyboard. The reason that caps locks works is that the signal is only sent when you tap the caps lock key. The caps lock just toggles a setting within the computer. It’s not like the circuits within the keyboard are changed because caps lock was hit. But holding down the shift key is causing a circuit to be changed as long as the key is pressed.
If it’s a standalone keyboard, you might be able to wash it out. Sometimes gunk gets in the keyboard and causes problems. I’ve done this many times with my keyboards when I’ve spilled coffee on them. Use _distilled_ water since tap water will leave mineral deposits. Rinse it a few times with distilled water and then let it dry out. This probably won’t help you now, though, unless you have another keyboard you can use in the meantime.
Until you get this fixed, here’s some extra K’s you can use:
K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K
I can get you more if you need. Just let me know.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/10 "2020-06-17T15:04:36Z")
I’d be curious to see if an external (or second if not a laptop) keyboard behaves the same.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/11 "2020-06-17T15:58:36Z")
Man, I sure think that there is a Monty Python joke lurking in here somewhere…
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### Author:  [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/12 "2020-06-17T16:25:38Z")
When was the last time the keyboard was CLEANED?
You need to pop the key caps off, then using Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, get over and under and around EVERYTHING.
When I worked for the State of Confusion, I was known as the “Crazy Keyboard Cleaner,” among other things. I’d kick people off their computers and have at it with the alcohol-and-Q-tips routine.
Oh, the crud I found!
~VOW
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/13 "2020-06-17T16:37:04Z")
> [@VOW](#):
>
> When was the last time the keyboard was CLEANED?
>
> You need to pop the key caps off, then using Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, get over and under and around EVERYTHING.
[This keyboard is nine dollars.](https://www.target.com/p/logitech-k120-ergonomic-desktop-usb-keyboard-black-920-002478/-/A-21502870?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google&fndsrc=tmnv&DFA=71700000068320184&CPNG=PLA_DVM+0060H00000rHM1bQAG-Logitech-June-2020-Search-Flight&adgroup=PLA_Logitech&LID=700000001393753pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9006330&gclid=CjwKCAjw_qb3BRAVEiwAvwq6VptxFxQpk0sx6DnMCPzT8CH3sb2sGLZfZQynqcaIvgDdsI08P2VAwBoCb3cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Pop off and clean every cap and you’ll spend more time than it is worth.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/14 "2020-06-17T21:38:35Z")
> [@VOW](#):
>
> When was the last time the keyboard was CLEANED?
>
> You need to pop the key caps off, then using Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, get over and under and around EVERYTHING.
I’m assuming the OP has a laptop, in which case, ignore all that. Some laptop keyboards react very poorly to having their caps pulled off unless you know how to remove them. (Some Apple keyboards are a combo of lift an edge and rotate, for example, and watch where the small inner bits jump away.) Moral to the story is to do a bit of googling with your specific laptop model.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/15 "2020-06-17T22:06:56Z")
Yes, it’s a laptop. A Dell.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/16 "2020-06-17T22:25:18Z")
> [@VOW](#):
>
> When was the last time the keyboard was CLEANED?
>
> You need to pop the key caps off, then using Q-tips and rubbing alcohol, get over and under and around EVERYTHING.
>
> When I worked for the State of Confusion, I was known as the “Crazy Keyboard Cleaner,” among other things. I’d kick people off their computers and have at it with the alcohol-and-Q-tips routine.
>
> Oh, the crud I found!
> ~VOW
Of course, that couldn’t possibly solve the problem.
The lower case K works, which means the key works. The Shift key works for other keys, which means the shift key works. So, it must be a software problem.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/17 "2020-06-17T22:32:54Z")
What specifically happens when you press shift-k? Do you get a lowercase ‘k’ or do you get nothing?
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2020, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/18 "2020-06-18T05:30:22Z")
I get nothing.
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/19 "2020-06-18T05:34:56Z")
Try activating the on-screen keyboard, but keep typing using the manual keyboard, and look to see what happens when you hold Shift. Also check whether the K shows up when you click on shift and k using the on-screen keyboard.
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### Author:  [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2020, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keyboard-will-not-tpe-capital-k-without-using-caps-lock/855837/20 "2020-06-18T06:57:20Z")
i just tried that. Even with the onscreen keyboard, I get the same situation.
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