Don’t You Hate Computer Problems?

Technology… is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ~C.P. Snow, English novelist and physical chemist

I like to think I’m somewhat tech-savvy.

I’ve been using a computer for decades, and I work in web design; however, recently an “issue” has cropped up that I’m helpless at resolving.

I asked Domer when he was home this last time, but he didn’t know — either what was causing it or how to fix it.

I’m hoping my colleagues online can come to the rescue.

You see, I use a laptop computer. It saves space and is easy to pack up in case I need to work away from my office.

But laptops are notoriously un-ergonomic. Did you know the human head typically weighs 11 pounds? All that weight hanging forward and down to peer at a laptop screen and keyboard can’t be good for one’s neck.

I’ve positioned my laptop approximately 8 inches up, making the screen practically perfect for eye-level viewing. And I invested in a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo that makes it possible for me to type and point/click at proper arm’s level.

So far, so good.

However — and this is where my problem comes in — sometimes, I’ll be typing away, working intently on my novel or a web project or a blog post, when all you-know-what breaks loose.

I’ll look up and notice there must be 5,000 identical specimens of the last letter I typed. And more keep coming!

It’s like gremlins have commandeered my keyboard.

And I can’t stop it. Pressing Escape, Delete, Back, or the Windows icon does nothing. Hitting any of the other keys does nothing. Typing keys on the actual laptop does nothing.

Identical letters quickly fill my screen, causing a rush of panic.

I’m a prisoner of this madness!

Eventually, I shut the entire system down — never mind the correct way — wait a bit while I reboot the Bluetooth devices, hold my breath, and try again. Sometimes it works; sometimes not.

Domer says it sounds like a Bluetooth issue, but I’ve checked everywhere, and that appears to be working just fine.

I’ve thought of going back to a desktop model but don’t want to. I’ve thought of scrapping the ergonomic keyboard/mouse and relying solely on the laptop; again, I don’t want to.

Help, please? What’s going on, and how do I fix it?