Formating HArd drive

[ErnieK]

Just been asked how to cancel keyboard shortcuts on a laptop. As I have never set-up or removed these in the past I am totally stumped. :confused:
So anyoe any ideas how to do this. No keyboard shortcuts ahve been setup by the owner and this is a recent problem. laptop is a couple of years old.

What is happening is that when typing in ANY program or just sitting on the desktop and the letter E is hit it brings up the start menu. So no words containing the letter E can be used :eek: The first thing I suggested was a sticking key (I know that is wrong but I was grasping at broken straws :rolleyes: )

Edit
Forgot to say the OS is WinXP Home and has been scannned and is free from viruses though I do not know about other malware.

[azzey]

What laptop is it? A brand name would be helpful, since they all have their own tricks... I know my laptop comes with a program for shotcuts.

[ErnieK]

I will ask when he gets home from work tonight

[ErnieK]

Have started new thread

[ErnieK]

Re my other thread about sticking key.
The laptop is an OMNIBOOK 6000 but not in its original state.
HD is 20GB and RAM is 348MB

The problem was just getting worse so have decided to format and reinstall windows instead. Click onto something and it would then dissapear never to be seen again (all items in device manager as an example)

Fdisked the drive and remade the primary partition (using complete drive) but when I try to format the drive to install the OS the HD (prim part) corrupts its self and will not allow OS installation. By running FDISK /MBR I can reset the primary partition but when-ever I try to install oS it corrupts again.

I have no idea as to the make of the HD. So I was wondering if someone can reccomend a way of formating the hard drive and enabling me to install the OS

EDIT
I have now got it fdisked. The volume lable is blank but when I try to format it prior to OS installation a lablel is inserted and htis is just gobledigook (a lot of weird letter and figures) I then recieve message staing the drive cannot be formated.

[mjc]

That sure sounds like a drive on the way to the Great Beyond...

[mjc]

See other thread...

[Paul Komski]

Have merged them here or should I have just put reciprocal links in both threads?

Agree that the drive doesnt look too healthy. Zeroing the drive would appear to be its best chance of living a little while longer.

If you want to troubleshoot it in a desktop then you can get cheap 2.5" - 3.5" IDE Adapters (http://www.mcsx.co.uk/shop/hardware.php) that will connect it to a normal IDE slot after removing its caddy from the Laptop (usually not too hard to do) and then remove the 2.5" drive from the caddy itself.

[ErnieK]

Been at this since 8.00am

Used DBAN (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) to format the had drive and eventually got windows installed after a wee bit of bother with Cyclic errors. The fault re-appeared after windoes was installed again. So definate hardware problem.

You can see the start button being highlighted (broken dotted line round it) and then depressing and opening up the start menu. It stays up for a few seconds and then closes. The start button returns to normal for a few seconds and then it starts again.

[ErnieK]

The above problem is solved.

It turned out to be a known fault with this model of HP laptops.

The keyboard has a habit of going wonky and needs to be replaced. One user onthe net has had three keyboards intalled and each has went the same way.

What he has done is disconnected the wiring from the keyboard and installed a USB keyboard and it now runs without any problems and ht ehard drive seems to be OK at the moment as well.