Sony Vaio Z "sticky", squeaky keys & doubled type

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same problems I've been having with the Z's keyboard.

Squeaky Space Bar:
I've noticed after using the machine for a few weeks that the space bar has become extremely squeaky when pressed on the right side during typing. It's become very annoying and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I'm guessing a little wax or grease of some sort in the spot that squeaks will fix it, but I've never taken the thing apart (yet).

Double Type:
One of the really big annoyances I've been having is that a lot of the keys often double up while I type. It seems to happen quite often, as though each key is typing an additional letter on the up stroke as well as the down stroke. I've tried modifying the key repeat rate, but that doesn't help. It's primarily on the left side, but I do type differently on both my left and right hands, and it happens more often on the left side.

EDIT: This YouTube video shows what happens with the double type issue (thanks Human668):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWv1AXnNLl8

Sticky "S" Key:
One of the more common keys I use on a daily basis is the "S" key. In Softimage|XSI (3D modeling application, for those who don't know of it), it's used as the primary navigation key, and it's held down more than any other letter. On top of this, it's also part of the WASD configuration for FPS games. Since this area of the keyboard gets very hot under stress, could it be possible that something under this key has started to deteriorate? It sounds like the way your shoes sound when you walk around in a dirty theater, where someone had spilled soda or something, and only on the up stroke.

Anyone else having these problems?

 

nope, maybe there is humidity on where ur using ur computer =\

 

I am aware of one person before you complained about the double type issue or something similar.

 

Same here, my Space Bar is sqeaky too, I thought it was only me with this problem, it's surprisingly irritating ...

if anyone finds a solution please post

 

There is some humidity, yes, but all of the above happen every day, no matter what the humidity level is.

PhilFlow: That wasn't me who mentioned it in the Z Owners' Thread, was it? 'Cause if it was, it probably just means I need more time to get used to this puppy... (but surely a month of constant, daily use should suffice)

 

No it was someone who started a separate thread if I remember correctly, he was a fast typer who had similar problems.

 

I noticed my backspace key squeaked the other night but it only seemed to do it when I hit it on the leftmost edge...

I haven't experienced either double type or sticky keys, though (thankfully!).

 

Ok. In that case I'm sort of glad I'm not alone. I'm a pretty fast typist as well, so having to double back on what I typed just because the keyboard typed two of the same letter is really hindering. I tried to look for that thread but couldn't find it, so hopefully that person will chime in regarding this situation.

I'll leave all the doubled letters typed by the keyboard by mmistake in further posts so evveryone can see how often it occurs, and also as a gauge to see which letters occur most often (haven't checked on it before, but in this post it seems to happen most often on V and M).

My space bar is pretty mmuch the only one that does it, but it seems like it only does it when I hit it on a certain point, near the center/right area of the key, like if you were to divide it into 4 parts, it'd be 3/4 from the left. On yours is it an area that you hit often, or just evvery now and again? I'm pretty much hitting the space bar in the same spot every time.

 

My cursor was jumping causing me to type in different areas and also double type because I was touching the touchpad - I installed touchfreeze - if you search it you will find the driver. I installed it on my Z and type away without errors..

 

There's an option in the mouse properties under the Tapping tab that turns off taps when typing, which I have on (works well). For the most part, my hannds have gotten used to the location of the touch pad, so I know that's not the source of my double type problems. I also tried turning down the repeat rate, which I like to have sset at maxximum, but even that didn't help.

It's really weird, 'cause I'll be typing normally, then when I stop to type just one key, ssometimes it'll double the letter up for no apparent reason, like the "S" in "sometimes" in this sentence. It's enough to drive one mad, I tell you! lol

 

I also use the tapping tab set in the middle. but with touch freeze, I can blaze away at typing and never have to look back..I do not have the double letter problem.. good luck, hope you don't have to reinstall. lol.

 

I type relatively fast (~95 wpm) and I haven't had any of the problems you mention. I wonder if it has to do with 1) CTO vs Non-CTO (I have a non-CTO) and/or 2) being in various humidity/temperature environments (My Z has been at normal humidity and between 14-21° C during the entire time I've had it). I could see expanding/contracting plastic contributing to this type of issue, something that Sony hopefully tested before shipping.

But hopefully it's just a software problem!

 

Well the night I noticed it, it seemed to be the most often hit spot as I got a squeak almost every time I used the backspace key. But I hadn't noticed it again until I saw your post, so maybe it was a one-off for me? I'll keep an eye on it and report back if it starts squeaking again.

Still no issues with double typing though. Are you using XP or Vista, by the way?

 

Are you sure you or somebody in your family didn't spill something into the keyboard.

I have no problems with sticky or squeaky keys with my Z.

 

I can't talk for Tj but I'm 100% sure nothing got spilt into my Z's keyboard before I got the squeaky backspace key. But it's not squeaking at the moment either (I just tried tapping it on all sides many times and not a hint of a squeak!)...

 

I had the squeaking problem with a brand new desktop keyboard before - not with this Z though. May be a mildly defective keyboard..

 

I'm sure nothing got spilled on it. I'm the only one who uses this computer and I baby it.

"S" is the only key I have the sticky problem with, since that's the one key that's constantly held down while the machine iss under full stress. Also, the space bar is the only key that squeaks, and ssincce it'ss one of the most oft pressed keys (and in the same spot, most of the time) it makes it feel like the squeak is attributed to wear and tear before its time.

Does anyone know what the proper proccedure is to separate the keys from the board? I saw one post a while by someone who had a couple of keys popping off their keyboard involuntarily... I don't want that to happen to me if I start taking the keys off the wrong way.

>_< I hope I don't have to reinstall the OS lol. I'm neck deep in work and can't afford to take the time to reinsstall all my software and everything...

 

I'm getting the repeating key problem. I thought it was just my typing style, but it's happening far too often. I do not have any sticking or squeaking keys. When I first started noticing this, I tried to tell myself that it was me as I don't have time to send in the computer tto be fixed. However, it's really annoying when you are filling outt a form with your name, or entering in an activation key that must be exact. Spell check catches most errors, but this is a bit disappointing.

(note that I left a few of the double characters in this message mostly t's here as an example of the frequency.) Ugh.

 

this is not good... i've only had it for a week or two, and i haven't had any of the problems mentioned here. but it sounds like people who have had the laptop for a while are noticing it more.

sign of things to come?

 

I don't know if it's a "sign of things to come," but you might want to watch for some of them. The squeaky key didn't start happening till a while after I had it, maybe a couple weeks or so, but the doubled letters were happening from the very start.

Like jkwireless I thought it was just me not used to the keyboard, but it kept happening, and still keeps happening.

The weird thing is it doesn't happen all the time. Like today, while I'm typing this, I'm not getting any of those double letter problems. It almost makes it seem like a software problem when I say it that way, but I really don't know. On rare occasions, I'll even somehow manage to type three of the same letters in a row!

I don't think too many people will notice the sticky key either, since it mainly only happens on my most oft pressed key. My assumption is that some part under the key (those rubber-ish things) may have gotten worn out a bit from the heat and constant pressure.

 

My space bar is squeaky on and off. Depending on my usage.

 

CTO or preconfig?

 

CTO. Would be interesting to see how many others have this problem on what config.

 

Exact same probblem with the doubled sticky keys. It's really getting into my writing. No problem with squeeky spacebar (yet). Brand new Sony Z (6 days old), no spilling, etc. Tried lowering the key repeat rate and it doesn't fix anything. In fact, the rate is much faster than the repeat rate, so it must be detectingg a key up and then key down. (all doubled keys left in this post).

Oh, I'm also having a problem with the shift key not catching (i.e., getting lowercase letters when I want uppercase). Anyone else with this issue?

 

I have a non-CTO, that I've had for about three weeks.

I use it with regularity, but probably not a heavy typer when compared to some of those who have mentioned problems.

That said, I've had ZERO of the problems that have been noted. NO squeeky space bar and NO double characters. (hopefully I didn't jinx myself)

 

FWIW, mine is nnot a CTO either (just a Z590 out of the box), and it happens in speed and stamina mode, (ruling out one thing unlikely to make a difference). Has anyone upgraded to the new BIOS and can confirm that that doesn't solve the problem? I haven't tried yet. Pressing hard on a key doesn't seem to either solve or exacerbate the problem.

Two repeats in this post (nnot and two spaces after CCTO; oops, 3 repeats now). Pretty common per paragraph.

First thing (after getting rid of all the bloatware) that has marred this wonderful machine.

 

i just realized my Z has a squeaky spacebar, its usually when i use the right thumb to press it..

other than that, havent noticed the other problems

i have Z590

 

Mine is CTO no problems whatsoever. Z590

 

Off topic, how would you guys rate the hinge on the Z. Does it seem like the hinge strength will give out over time, say 2 years. Will it start to wobble? The LCD is lightweight so i dunno if this will be come a problem after some time.

 

I am very upset. I waaited for ever to get this nottebook and I am having the sticckey key problem. i didnt notice it at first but now its getting worse. I hope this thread continues and we can find out what sony is going to do about it. Please call and complain! Let me know if you send it back and/or if they fix it. I purchased the onsite warranty so I will be on the phone tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes. Now that this post has confirmmed I am not crazy and that I dont have typping issues its gonna drive me nuts.

 

Oh by the way no squeaky spacce bar yet...dammn stickey keys tho. I like the weight of the noteboook but I am not quite happy with the build quality of the exterior. Feels a little flimsy and cheap to me but I LOVE the screen and power.

 

The video from Sony's Singapore site seemed to show them testing the hinge many thousands of times, and it seems solid to me. On most notebooks, you can tighten up the hinges if they get loose over time, but hopefully that won't be necessary on the Z.

I disagree it feels cheap. I agree there's some flex, but I think that's all part of the trade-off necessary to get such a ridiculous amount of power in such a small and light package. Everywhere that it's important, it doesn't feel flimsy: the keyboard doesn't flex, the wristpads don't noticeably flex and the base of the notebook feels very solid. For the weight, I think Sony have done a really good job.
It's been discussed many times before why the screen was designed to flex as it does, but I don't find that a problem either personally.

 

I haven't noticed my shift key not catching, but I'll remember to keep a look out for this problem. If it's there, it's not happening to me enough for me to notice it.

Same, right thumb causes the squeak. I could try using my left thumb but I'm so used to using my right thumb that I have to consciously remember to press it with my left thumb all the time. lol

Let's try to keep this thread on-topic, please. A good place to post that question would be in the Z owner's thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=272690

 

I dont know if the hinge itself is cheap, its almost like I want to call it that but it does seem pretty solid. I agree that sony did a good job of getting so much in to a little package and that it isnt cheaap feeling in the traditional sense. What I have noticed is that there have been a few times that I have had to actually snap the pieces back together. For instance, where the sccreen clips together in top pieces I have acctually squeezed it to push it bacck together. Or where the battery meets the case on the top half the plastic already started to come apart and I pushed it back in place. also, if I push with my thumb just to the right of the HDD led on the front blow the fingerprint sesor where the bottom half meets the hand rest I can EASILY push that piece in, I noticce it when pick it up sometimes when its open. You decide if this is a cheap issue. If you pick up a Thinkpad or a Macbook pro, it feels "true", I worry that if I drop this thing its gonna come apart about 8 different ways. Is it just me or does it seem like the C key is sticcking more than the rest this morning. hehehehehe Cmon people I paid over $3k for this thing.

 

BTW I bought the docking replicator and it works VERY WELL but , there is one very dissapointing problemm. NO SOUND PORT. I mean can you believe it? No sound? Cmon Sony. Also, if you do get the port replicator DO NOT dock it in stamina mode, you will be sorry if you didnt save your work because it locks up on me after telling me that the graphics card doesnt work with the dock in stamina.

 

It would be really great if we could isolate whether the key problem is specific to the individual or to the VAIO -- that is, if someone who doesn't have the problem could try a problem VAIO and see if it comes from the way I type or the way my laptop was constructed. I will go to the local store (MicroCenter) that has the Z in stock and type there for a bit and see if I have any problems.

Another two days of typing and I think I'm seeing the problem a bit less, but we'll see. My c key is the worst culprit.

Other posters -- please stick to the topic of keyboard problems. There are many other Sony Z threads for other praise/problems.

 

That's a great idea. I'm unfortunately out of that option since the local BestBuy does not have that model, or at least not a model on display (so far as I know). Do let us know if this happens on any other Z's there tho.

Perhaps if we could also keep tabs on which model and keyboard style those who are having problems have that may be of some help as well. I'll start:

Model: VGN-Z590 (CTO)
Keyboard style: English
Problems: Doubled type, "sticky" s key, squeaky space bar

 

My squeaky backspace key definitely tends to happen more late at night. That could be due to (a) ambient temperatures or (b) my level of tiredness meaning sloppy keypresses. I dunno which it is. If I 'carefully' press the backspace key, it doesn't happen. It's just if I jab it on the left hand side with my little finger (which is how I tend to correct mistakes if I'm typing quickly).

 

Mine is also a VGN-Z590, not CTO (I wanted to, but my university wouldn't allow it...)

Problems: Doubled type, shift key doesn't catch other keys

I think that i (= I but not caught) can reducce a bit the number of doubled type by typing really carefully. So I'm willing to believe that it can be something we can learn to solve if Sony doesn't release a new driver. But I don't think it would be too hard to write something that says "if time_to_last_KEY_UP(key) < 10ms: ignore_KEY_DOWN(key)" so even if it's a hardware problem, I'd like to think that there may be a software solution.

 

In case anyone else had the bright idea that taking the keyboard cover off, disconneccting the keyboard and then reconnecting would solve the problem: my experience suggests that that's not it.

There are several more connectors on the keyboard itself that could be played with, but it seemed beyond my limited exxpertise.

All doubled keys remain. MSC

 

Thanks for checking on that. As for typing really carefully, I've tried that but it seems almost as though the more careful I type the more it doubles up. Oddly enough, sometimes it'll double up when I'm typing at my slowest, sometimes even with one key.

I've been wanting to pull up one of the keys off the board to check the sticky key situation, but seeing as one person has problems with his keys not staying on the board I'm a bit hesitant to do that... o_o

 

Guys, I noticed te squeakiness of the key awhile back. It depends on mostly how your hands are placed while typing. Normally, your twist lay nicely on the plam rest then most of the time you should be okay. However, if your twist is not touch the plam rest then the issue become more noticeable. People with extended battery like me notice it even more.

 

Twist = wrist? I have mmy palms in the same spot almost all the time when I type, but the only key that causes squeak is my space bar, and it squeaks whhen the same spot is pressed no matter what angle it's pressed at. No other key squeaks.

 

As expected, the BIOS upgrade did not fix the issue for me (though the speed increase on bootup is real enough that there's probably little harm in doing it anyway. Buut I have managed to have the doubled text occur less often. Maybe once per paragraph of text instead of once per sentence. (Just that one "Buut" above) -- it's not much of a consolation but any improvement is helpful. It is probably entirely my learning how to type better on the computer.

At the moment, I'd recommend the laptop to people who surf the web and play games primarily. Or send emails that don't need to be error-free. For writers, this is a blocker to recommending.

(Just one error in this post) -- MSC

 

I did the BIOS upgrade as well, but more for speed enhancements than for a potential typing problem fixer. I suppose the whole double type thing isn't so big a deal if you're in Word (fixes most of them automatically anyway) but it's still an annoyance. I wish there was a display mmodel somewhere out here that I could mess with and see if the problem persists, but no such luck.

 

The keyboard get worse when using extended battery. It can be corrected if you know how to correctly locate your hand though.

 

im just about to order one so i'll stick a post in if I have a problem with sticky keys. Has worried me a bit though

 

What is the problem with having Sony fix this issue? It seems like something that can be covered with standard warranty (especially double typing).

 

Interesting. The extended battery elevates the back of the laptop, presumably making it more likely you hit the part of the keys that is closer to the back. Do you find this to be the case? It also might make it more likely that you don't strike the key with force that is perpendicular to the key top. Perhaps the greater the angle of your finger relative to the key top, the more likely the mechanism is to jam. I notice that when I type, my fingers are pretty curled, and I poke straight down in the middle of the key tops. If you type with fingers more extended, that might be more of a problem. Any thoughts?

My Z is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I guess I will know some more in a few days. Fingers crossed.

 

Hello all, wanted to give you an update. I did call sony and after a very irrelevent diagnostic they told me that I cold bite in to the onsite warrany I bought and have someone come look at it, or I could ship it back and they would evaluate it. Its drivng me crazy, why couldnt they learn from apple on the keyboard ergo stuff, macbook keyboard is a dream to type on..or at least look at the thinkpad?

Anyway, I am going to have someone come out and I will let you know how it goes. Nobody at sony would acknowledge a known problem.

If anyone else has any info or experience after calling please let me know.