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Author Topic: Weird Characters showing up  (Read 7544 times)

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Vicki

  • Guest
Weird Characters showing up
« on: July 15, 2004, 09:32:52 AM »
When I go to a dos prompt whether it be from the run or directly booting up to one I get these wierd characters at the prompt.  At first it looks normal, but as soon as I type something it turns into this:
C:\>.
and when I type a file name in as soon as I type the dot (.) it jumps back to this and tells me bad file name.
If I hit backspace to clear the . I get this:
C:\>^@
Can someone please help me!!!!!!
Can you email me as well as post it.
Thanks,
Vicki

2k dummy

  • Guest
Re: Weird Characters showing up
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2004, 10:17:29 AM »
Sounds like a good old fashioned DOS virus, probably picked up from a floppy. Do a virus scan and make sure options are set to all files. Check your config.sys DEVICE = statements for references to ansi.sys. If you don't use it or don't know what it is, rem it out or delete it.

vicki530

  • Guest
Re: Weird Characters showing up
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2004, 01:23:48 PM »
Ran the scan disk with newest dats and engine-->nothing came up.
I checked the config.sys under Device = and there was nothing to reference a ansi.sys.
Do you have anything else that I can try?

vicki530

  • Guest
Re: Weird Characters showing up
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2004, 01:41:01 PM »
Never mind, it wasn't DOS at all, it is the keyboard on the laptop, it is acting all screwy.  Thanks for your help. ;)

MalikTous

  • Guest
Re: Weird Characters showing up
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2004, 05:51:51 PM »
Either disassemble and clean the laptop keyboard, get a standard keyboard and a keyboard/mouse splitter plug so you can run both a standard keyboard and standard pointing device from the single PS2 port on the back of the unit, or add a USB keyboard and/or pointing device to restore normal operation.