Both alt keys type gibberish when connected to wifi

[JacobG256]

On my laptop, if I hit either alt key, it types a bunch of gibberish (like "13428709"). This only happens for the keys on the built-in laptop keyboard and not when I plug in an external keyboard. Additionally, this only happens when wifi is enabled (when I disable all wireless transmission, the alt keys work fine) and when I boot to Linux (my laptop is set up to dual-boot). So, clearly this is a software/driver issue, not a hardware issue with my keyboard. However, I was not able to fix this with any amount of working with the device manager. Are there any solutions that do not involve reinstalling Windows? For example, a new keyboard driver.

[The_Fossette]

@JacobG256,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

I recommend you make sure that the keyboard layout is selected correctly.

Here is how it is done.

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Time & Language.
3. Click on Language.
4. Select your default language from the list.
5. Click the Options button.
6. Under the "Keyboards" section, click the Add a keyboard button.
7. Select the new keyboard layout that you want to add.

Once you complete the steps, the new layout will installed on your device, and you can start using it with the steps below.

Also, the keyboard uses the Windows drivers so I recommend you make sure you have installed all the Windows updates.

Here is how it is done.

1. Select the Start (Windows) button from the bottom-left corner.
2. Go to settings (gear icon).
3. Select the Update and Security icon.
4. Choose Windows Update tab in the sidebar (Circular arrows)
5. Select Check for updates. If there is an available update, it will begin downloading automatically.

Let me know how it goes and you have a great day!

If you wish to show appreciation for my efforts, mark my post as Accept as Solution. Your feedback counts!

Cheers!

[JacobG256]

Thanks for your advice, but that didn't solve the problem. I tried booting into safe mode and the alt keys worked as expected there, but when I booted into safe mode with networking, the problem started again. Also, when I disable all networking it works normally even when not booted in safe mode. Somehow this is linked with networking, but I can't figure out how. It's not that one wrong key comes up, but a series of numbers comes rapidly for one quick keystroke.

[Echo_Lake]

@JacobG256

Thank you for posting back. 

There are two common keyboard issues that can occur during normal operation. The first is the Num Lock key gets accidentally pressed, turning a portion of the keyboard into a number pad. The other is the keyboard language gets inadvertently switched from its original language to another, resulting in some letters and numbers appearing different on the screen than how they are typed.

You can manually test which mode the keyboard is set to and change its configuration by following the steps below.

1. Open a word processing program and type the word jump on the keyboard.

   If the word displays as jump, then the keyboard is set to its default mode. If the word displays as 140*, then the keyboard has been set to a number pad configuration.

2. To switch modes, press the Num Lock key (on some models, you may have to press Fn + Num Lock).

3. Type jump again to confirm that the keyboard configuration has been reset.

The configuration of the keyboard has been successfully reset. Click here: https://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Keyboard-That-Has-the-Wrong-Characters to know more about How to Fix a Keyboard That Has the Wrong Characters ( this is from wiki how, not by HP) 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.