Delete key "stuck"

Question

Hi there! For the past two days, while I'm typing my document, the delete key will suddenly "switch on" and start deleting all the text after the cursor. I try clicking on the screen, typing on my keyboard, and closing Word but the software is unresponsive save for continuing to delete at a fast rate. I have to manually go to Task Manager to close Word and restart it.

During this time, all my other programs are working fine, I can go anywhere else and the delete key is off, but you can still see Word deleting my text in the background.  I've run a full updated anti-virus scan with Microsoft Essentials and nothing's picked up. I don't have macros either, and when I start typing the same line again when it reboots, the issue doesn't happen again. My keyboard is only a year old and the delete key doesn't seem stuck.

I've been using Office 2010 for nearly a year, and Office 2003 prior to that for almost a decade, and I've never seen this happen. I searched around the Internet and could only find one other person who experienced the same thing here: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Microsoft-Word-1058/2011/3/Word-2010-deletes-end.htm

I'm using Word 2010 in Windows 7. Anyway, if anyone can give me some insight to fixing this, let me know. I'm working on a really long document (58 pages, 52712 words!) and suddenly seeing it suddenly get eaten up is pretty scary!

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Since this issue seems to be very unusual, it would be difficult to suggest a direct solution.

Does this happen only when you work on one particular Word document?

Check if the issue occurs when you work on other Word documents, and also check if it happens in a new Word document.

If it happens in all Word documents, open Word in safe mode and check if the issue reoccurs.

a.       On the keyboard, press the Windows key + R.

b.      Type winword /safe in the Open box, and then hit OK.

If it works fine in safe mode, then the issue may be caused due to a damaged add-in. You may disable the add-ins and check if it works fine in normal mode.

a.       In Word, click on File, and then click on Options.

b.      Click on Add-Ins, then select Manage - COM Add-ins at the bottom, and click on Go.

c.       Uncheck all the listed add-ins and click on OK. Then close and restart Word normally.

Answer 2

I have this problem also. The only way I've found to stop it is to press (sometimes hold) the escape key. It will even start deleting files out of folders when I select them or delete text when I select it.

When it gets stuck and I hold down the escape key, I get the error, "COM Surrogate has stopped working".

Answer 3

It happens in all programs. So if I'm in windows explorer, as soon as I click on a file it prompts to delete It. If I'm writing code it will suddenly start deleting the code. It doesn't happen necessarily as soon as I go into a program, bit within a minute it will start happening.

I am using a laptop so I don't have another keyboard. I'll only be able to try source one in the week. I tried uninstalling the keyboard but it installs it again as soon as I start my computer again.

Answer 4

It does this in any program. I can select the text in my address bar in my web browser and it will get deleted. I can click on a file or folder in explorer (explorer.exe, not Internet Explorer) and I will get a window saying that the file cannot be deleted because it isn't found. The reason being that it was deleted the second I clicked it because for some reason my computer thought the delete key was being constantly pressed. It even interferes with scrolling using the touch screen. 

When this happens, the only way I can stop it is to press the escape key. Sometimes I have to hold the escape key down. When it gets that bad, I get an error message that "COM Surrogate Has Stopped Working".

Answer 5

So freaking annoying - I experience this often too...