# Dell Inspiron 1525 Keyboard Erratic



## bkford (Dec 13, 2008)

I've already contacted Dell, and they tried some things, but nothing worked to resolve the issue. The keyboard is acting crazy. I can be typing along just fine (any software that allows me to type), and suddenly the letters I am typing will insert themselves somewhere else on the screen--either in the middle of a previous line of text, or even in a box such as the font size; and/or the window in which I am typing will suddenly disappear (minimized, as if I had clicked on the minimize icon). Any ideas what this could even be related to?


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## TriggerFinger (Jan 30, 2008)

Try disabling the touchpad (use mouse instead) and observe if it still happens.


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## DZman (Feb 18, 2009)

I have had a similar issue with several Dell laptops with touchscreens. While this solution may sound a bit "low" tech it has worked for me. I searched far and wide for a "control panel" or bios soultion....nada. Anyway I put a one layer square of a napkin over the touch screen. That seems to insulate it from my thumbs activating it and depositing my typing somewhere else on the screen. When I really want to use the touchpad I can either press hard enough on the napkin and move it that way or move the napkin aside. Pretty pathetic to spend close to $1100 on a laptop and have thin piece of paper reduce the sensitivity of the touchpad so that I can even use the laptop without an external keyboard.....but it seems to work. Try it.


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## rbalaji (Dec 12, 2008)

Some touchpad drivers have a setting called touchcheck that varies the sensitivity of the touchpad to inadvertent touches so that this problem does not occur. Check in the touchpad settings if this option is present.


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## bkford (Dec 13, 2008)

Actually, I was able to pretty much solve the problem by lowering the touch sensitivity of the touchpad, down to about the third mark of LIGHT Touch. However, although that stopped the erratic typing, sometimes it does not "take" my tapping, and I have to re-tap. I now notice that my setting does include a TouchCheck, and it is enabled and currently the indicator is right in the middle (between Minimum and Maximum). If I want to try that, I'm not even sure whether I should move the slider to the left or to the right?


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## rbalaji (Dec 12, 2008)

You are supposed to move it to the right to make the touchpad less sensitive to inadvertent brushing by the palm or thumb.


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## bkford (Dec 13, 2008)

Thank you.


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## rbalaji (Dec 12, 2008)

You are welcome, and good luck!


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## JoeDellLaptop (Feb 21, 2009)

DZman said:


> I have had a similar issue with several Dell laptops with touchscreens. While this solution may sound a bit "low" tech it has worked for me. I searched far and wide for a "control panel" or bios soultion....nada. Anyway I put a one layer square of a napkin over the touch screen. That seems to insulate it from my thumbs activating it and depositing my typing somewhere else on the screen. When I really want to use the touchpad I can either press hard enough on the napkin and move it that way or move the napkin aside. Pretty pathetic to spend close to $1100 on a laptop and have thin piece of paper reduce the sensitivity of the touchpad so that I can even use the laptop without an external keyboard.....but it seems to work. Try it.



this is the only solution as the Dell 1525 Ispiron doesn't have any settings for sensitivity on the touchpad. Personally I will call Dell on their support lines as the typing is often time intolerable.

It will open and close programs.

I came from a Sony Laptop which was quite a bit more money and darn well worth it--this Dell 1525 is good looking but the components are cheap. The Touchpad by Alps Electric doesn't have the software to work properly.

I guess it comes down to the old adage you get what you pay for.


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