Windows 10 Very strange behavior

[bvgordon]

Usually my system (windows 10 desktop) is extremely reliable and fast. Every once in a while I mis-type something (probably involving a special key such as control or alt) And things go crazy. Certain keys stop working (e.g. backspace). after a little frustration and banging of keys a voice pops up and as best I can tell says "Exiting Meredith". It seems that I have put the system into some special mode involving windows or some software I know nothing about. Signing out an then signing back in always clears up the problem until I mess up typing again. Has anybody else seen this behavior? Does anybody know what it is and how to either permanently stop or remove it.

 

[bochane]

You may have changed your keyboard layout by pressing Alt + Shift key simultaneously.
If so you can remove the not used keyboard thru Settings > Language and Time.

 

[Neemobeer]

You might be triggering the Narrator it will speak any text it sees on the screen.

The key combo to start and stop Narrator is [Windows key + Ctrl + Enter]

FYI when it exits it says "Exiting narrator"

 

[bvgordon]

Bochane, I have no alternate keyboards. ALT-Shift does nothing on my system. I could not find "Settings" I am not sure Windows 10 has a "Settings", option just control panel or "God Mode"

Neemobeer, I do not believe the Narrator is installed. pressing (Windows key+control+Enter) does nothing. I am pretty sure the spoken phrase is "Exiting Meredith".

 

[Neemobeer]

Narrator is on every Windows 10 install.

 

[bochane]

....I have no alternate keyboards. ALT-Shift does nothing on my system. I could not find "Settings" I am not sure Windows 10 has a "Settings", option just control panel or "God Mode"....

'Alternate keyboards' is just software which makes a keyboard with a different lay-out usable. This software is installed on almost every system.
'All Settings' is accessible thru the 'notification' icon on the far right side on the task bar. Just left of it you will find the Date and Time icon and just left of that you will find your installed keyboard lay-out icon, it will change if you press Alt + Shift key simultaneously.
Hope this explains it.

 

[bvgordon]

I must sound like I know very little about computers/windows. Taint so. The problem is my age (80) causes me to periodically forget what I know.

bochane,

I must be awfully thick today. My task bar is on the bottom of my screen. The rightmost item is the date and time values, time above date. To the immediate left of that is the notification icon, to the left of that is the speaker icon and to the left of that are various icons relating to running programs (e.g VNC, CC4, . . .). If I open notifications there is an all settings choice. If I select that I get choices for: System, Devices, Network & Internet, Personalization, Accounts, Time & Language, Ease of Access, Update, Security. No Installed keyboard layout icon Anywhere.

Neemobeer,

On my system, Narrator is off, and the option for it to start automatically is also off. The voice says "Exiting Meredith". It happens very infrequently, but is a PITA when it does. It just bugs me that I can't figure it out and nobody seems to know what it is.


Thanks for the replies.

 

[bochane]

......If I open notifications there is an all settings choice. If I select that I get choices for: System, Devices, Network & Internet, Personalization, Accounts, Time & Language, Ease of Access, Update, Security. No Installed keyboard layout icon Anywhere.

Go to 'All Settings' > 'Time and Language' > click in the right panel on the Keyboard icon >look under 'Override for the default input method'

I did not say this, but I should have: Nice to have you here, and your age, I am only 75.....
Enjoy.

 

[bvgordon]

We must be looking at two different windows systems. I have attached a screen snapshot of settings>Time & Language a it appears in my system.
There is no keyboard icon.

.

 

[bochane]

I see, yes.
Try typing keyboard in the search area, and probably you will find an option Language and keyboard options - I hope

 

[bvgordon]

No cigar. Doesn't matter. I am pretty sure the problem is not keyboard related in the sense of an alternate keyboard. Some program gets control and becomes the focus of what I type. It, the problem, always ends by speaking "Exiting Meredith". I don't recall ever seeing it on any other Windows so it is very puzzling. I have been doing this a very long time (1960) So I do know my way around most issues. A google of "meredith" brings up all types of crap but nothing related to this.

 

[bochane]

Right.
What left is the narrator mentioned by Neenobeer.
Have you ever tried starting and stopping it (Windows + Ctrl + Enter ), than you know how that sounds thus if that is what you hear.

B.t.w. with computer did you use in the sixties (mine was Ferranti)?

 

[bvgordon]

In the 60s I was with the Defense industry (Sperry Rand Corporation) and writing programs for military systems used to navigate the boomers (Polaris class atomic submarines). I dealt with Celestial navigation, Loran, Draco, etc. I was a test engineer for a project called "Transit" which was the original GPS system for military use. The original GPS system was 2 cabinets each 2x2x5 feet not inches.

I later switched to" systems programming" and started writing software to develop the code and test it for the specialized military computers. I worked on an IBM 7090/7094 to develop and run the assemblers and emulators I wrote. I did almost all my coding in assembler for the IBM 7094, and wrote several assemblers for different military machines. When I had to do "Real computing" I generally used Fortran. It was interesting times. I was an Adjunct lecturer in Computer science at night for over 10 years. Eventually I went into IT management and worked for several fortune 100 companies at the director level. At heart I am a code bum

 

[bochane]

Where I was: TNO
These were the days my friend.....