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- HP Community
- Notebooks
- Notebook Video, Display and Touch
- Automatic forward slash problem

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01-16-2025 03:21 PM
My one-year old notebook PC just started automatically entering a continuous stream of forward slashes in every prompt.
I cannot do anything because of the automatic characters.
So far, I have tried rebooting, as well as uninstalling the keyboard driver.
The system is up to date (Windows Update).
Ideas?
Solved! Go to Solution.
Accepted Solutions
01-19-2025 01:49 AM
Hi @StMark53,
Welcome to the HP Support Community.
I'd be glad to help you!
I'm sorry to hear about the frustration this automatic forward slash issue must be causing—it can be incredibly disruptive when your device doesn’t work as expected. Let's try to pinpoint the issue and find a solution.
- Does the issue persist when an external keyboard is connected? This will help determine if the problem is with the built-in keyboard.
- Do the slashes appear in Safe Mode or when using a different user profile?
- Have you noticed any physical damage, spills, or debris in the keyboard that might be causing a stuck key?
Let's try these steps.
Test with an External Keyboard:
- Connect an external USB or wireless keyboard to your laptop.
- Check if the slashes still appear when typing with the external keyboard. If the issue doesn’t occur, the problem is likely with the built-in keyboard.
Boot into Safe Mode:
- Restart your PC and press F8 (or Shift + Restart) to access advanced boot options.
- Choose Safe Mode and see if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, a software conflict might be causing the problem.
Use the On-Screen Keyboard:
- Press Windows Key + R, type osk, and press Enter to open the on-screen keyboard.
- Use this keyboard to test typing functionality. If the issue doesn’t occur, the physical keyboard is likely the problem.
Disable the Internal Keyboard (Temporary Fix):
- Open Device Manager (Windows Key + X > Device Manager).
- Locate Keyboards, right-click the internal keyboard, and select Disable device.
- Use an external keyboard to work until the issue is resolved.
Perform a Clean Boot:
- Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Under the General tab, select Selective Startup and uncheck Load startup items.
- Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.
- Restart your PC and check if the issue persists.
If the issues persist the problem is likely hardware-related. A stuck or malfunctioning key could be causing the issue. In this case:
Inspect the keyboard for debris and clean it gently. or click here to test the keyboard.
Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.
I am an HP Employee
01-19-2025 01:49 AM
Hi @StMark53,
Welcome to the HP Support Community.
I'd be glad to help you!
I'm sorry to hear about the frustration this automatic forward slash issue must be causing—it can be incredibly disruptive when your device doesn’t work as expected. Let's try to pinpoint the issue and find a solution.
- Does the issue persist when an external keyboard is connected? This will help determine if the problem is with the built-in keyboard.
- Do the slashes appear in Safe Mode or when using a different user profile?
- Have you noticed any physical damage, spills, or debris in the keyboard that might be causing a stuck key?
Let's try these steps.
Test with an External Keyboard:
- Connect an external USB or wireless keyboard to your laptop.
- Check if the slashes still appear when typing with the external keyboard. If the issue doesn’t occur, the problem is likely with the built-in keyboard.
Boot into Safe Mode:
- Restart your PC and press F8 (or Shift + Restart) to access advanced boot options.
- Choose Safe Mode and see if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, a software conflict might be causing the problem.
Use the On-Screen Keyboard:
- Press Windows Key + R, type osk, and press Enter to open the on-screen keyboard.
- Use this keyboard to test typing functionality. If the issue doesn’t occur, the physical keyboard is likely the problem.
Disable the Internal Keyboard (Temporary Fix):
- Open Device Manager (Windows Key + X > Device Manager).
- Locate Keyboards, right-click the internal keyboard, and select Disable device.
- Use an external keyboard to work until the issue is resolved.
Perform a Clean Boot:
- Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Under the General tab, select Selective Startup and uncheck Load startup items.
- Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.
- Restart your PC and check if the issue persists.
If the issues persist the problem is likely hardware-related. A stuck or malfunctioning key could be causing the issue. In this case:
Inspect the keyboard for debris and clean it gently. or click here to test the keyboard.
Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.
I am an HP Employee
01-19-2025 03:53 PM
For Elohi_NR:
Thank you for the suggestions. I tried the basic tests that I could, but eventually had to do a full clean install to resolve the problem after chatting with HP support. It is working now.
Thanks...