When I hold down the shift key on my computer at home, I am unable to enter capital letters and I'm unable to enter the symbols above the numbers that would ordinarily be entered by holding down the shift key. How do I straighten out whatever is messed up. I appreciate your help. lower case letters and numbers enter OK. This happens if I'm using programs loike microsoft word and when i'm on the internet trying to enter passwords.

Is there any case where the Shift key works?

Is it both left and right Shift keys?

Do you have another keyboard you can try?

thanks for your rresponse. no, it does not work at all, neither the left nor the right. everything worked fine until earlier this evening, i don't know what i could have done.

Do you have another computer to try this keyboard on or another keyboard to try on this computer?

That would be the easiest test as to whether or not the problem is with the keyboard or the computer.

I am not sure if this works in 2K but XP has two features for the Shift key that you might try: First tap it repeatedly at least five times and see if you get a window for Sticky Keys. Second just hold the Shift key for like ten seconds and see if anything happens.

Any new software coinciding with this problem? Were you by chance running any type of CAD program?

i'm afraid i dont have access to another keyboard at the moment. i tried the two suggestions, but nothing happened. i haven't added any programs that coincided with the problem. i was using my computer this afternoon and all was well and then a bit later on i went back to use it and then the shift keys were no longer working. i am totally puzzled and was wondering if there was something in the settings menu of the computer that controls the function of the shift key and if something could have been activated/deactivated by mistake. i appreciate you helping me. thank you for your time.

Does your Caps Lock work?

it is strange that when i hit the caps lockkey, it takes me to my internet homepage. this happened when i was in this window and also when i was in microsoft word testing it out

That is strange. If you close your browser will Caps Lock start it?

Do you run an anti-virus? Do you use Spybot S&D?

Appearing more likely to be a computer error.

yes, when i closed all my browser windows and then hit caps lock, my internet explorer home page popped up. i don't have the spy-bot software you mentioned. all i have is avg anti-virus. this all has worked for a long time, it was only this evening this freak occurrance happened. very frustrating because i didn't do anything different that would seem to trigger this

You might want to run Spybot S&D and Adaware SE as seen in this thread:

http://www.d-a-l.com/help/showthread.php?t=32403

You could also post a HijackThis log in that section for our pros there to review.

This might be a malware infection. Hard to say without running some scans as seen above.

Windows Keyboard settings (if it were just a setting) are in Control Panel > Keyboard as well as Control Panel > Accessibility.