Re: Problem with Apple IIe

[dalloff@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Dave Althoff)]

Eugene Frederick (frederick.fred@worldnet.att.net) wrote:
: I am having a problem with my IIe. It boots up OK, but when I go into a 
: program like Appleworks, it asks for the date.  I will push the 1 key, 
: but then the computer repeats the 1 over and over.  And when I use the 
: arrow key, it keeps scrolling w/o stoping.  It does this in all my 
: programs.  In fact, when I reboot using Control, Open Apple and Reset, it 
: keeps on rebooting.  It seems that the computer repeats the last 
: keystroke that I made. Could someone please help me, cause this is really 
: annoying.  Thanks.

It COULD be a serious problem, but just to make sure, examine your
keyboard VERY CAREFULLY and make sure that you don't have a stuck key.  In
particular, check your arrow keys, your delete key, and your tilde
key...in fact, anything around the outside edges.  Assuming this is a
beige ][e, be careful of the keys around the power light.  If the machine
has been disassembled (say, to replace a keyswitch) and you have the older
keyboard support design (with the keyboard attached to a pair of supports
on the base pan, rather than to the case), it is possible that your
keyboard is misaligned with the case, causing a key to become stuck.  

Oh, the problem is most definately *NOT* with your Apple keys (or Option
key if it is a newer box).

Try pulling out your Disk Controller card (with the power off!) and
turning on the machine.  See what kind of reaction you get at the
Applesoft prompt...for instance, a bunch of checkerboard characters means
your delete key is stuck.

If you have a stuck key, what will sometimes happen is that the next
keypress will get repeated instead of the key that is actually stuck,
which would give you the symptoms you described.

If it isn't a stuck key, then it is something more serious.  But check for
the keys first.  If you can figure out which one it is, pull the keycap
off of the offending key.  If it is an alignment problem, you can adjust
it with only a Phillips head screwdriver.  Let me/us know what you find
out; if it is a misalignment, I'll post instructions for stripping the
case and adjusting it.

Good luck!

--Dave Althoff, ][.
-- 
    /-\      Celebrating the International Year of the Roller Coaster
   /XXX\      /X\     /X\_      _     /XX\_      _     _        _____  
  /XXXXX\    /XXX\  _/XXXX\_   /X\   /XXXXX\    /X\   /X\      /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX