Windows 10: Typing issues with thunderbird mail composition

Dell inspiron special edition laptop, 1 year old with 250GB SSD and 8GB ram. Intel 6500u. Win 10 Home OEM, now 1703 15063.483. All updates/upgrades thru Windows Update. Since the Anniversary Update I have intermittant typing issues when composing email in Thunderbird 45.8. My cursor(and typing) will relocate back in the previously typed message while typing another sentence. This has cleared up a couple of times after patch Tuesday updates but is back again. It has also done it while using Dreamweaver to update/edit text in websites so it is not Thunderbird but a Windows issue I think. I am to the point that I may just format and do a clean install of CU. I have a WIM ISO of CU I made using Heidoc to do this with. I have yet to download the latest cummulative update just issued. Only have 12 GB data cap per month via Exede satellite. Need to do a late night download during my freezone. Any ideas how to fix this. It is a sporadic thing that comes and goes. When it is acting up I use my desktop unit with 10 pro 15063.483 and Thunderbird and it has never had any issues like this. Thanks!

:)

 

Import Thunderbird email in Windows 10 mail

How can I easily import my mail from Thunderbird mail to Windows 10 Mail (preferably POP3). I currently have 2 users with mail in Thunderbird.

 

Windows 10 / Microsoft Word / Windosw Mail

I personally use Mozilla Thunderbird. You might want to look into that as an alternative to Mail. Or you can type your report in Mail, save it, close the document, then drag and drop the Word document file into the Mail reply window to attach it.

A chore, I know, but your issue is shared about many about the bundled apps in Windows 10. Hopefully, with more feedback it will improve.

 

Hi gcwizard.

Are you using external mouse on laptop? You will notice that is most situations you can disable touchpad when external mouse connected. Not that you would necessarily want to run this way but it would isolate the touchpad as a cause.

I would also check is Touchpad settings. In V1703, Start => settings => Devices => Touchpad => on right hand side click on "Additional Settings"

If this does not fix then I would uninstall touchpad driver and let windows re-detect. Use keyboard to restart (Alt + F4, menu appears, arrow keys to restart).

In device manager I would show hidden devices for mice, touchpads and keyboards. Also confirm it has detected correct Touchpad make. (Synaptics, Dell, Alps, etc). You can always get correct driver at Dell.

Create a restore point before trying and it might be an idea to have an Image in your back pocket created with a tool like Macrium Reflect. You said you were looking at clean install and this would be worse case.


Ken

 

Thanks for the help. I use a microsoft cordless mouse. I just went to devices and unticked the "leave touchpad connected when using a mouse" and will try that at first. I have Macrium reflect but did not when I loaded all software etc. when I purchased the laptop. Kind of want to do a clean install and then image before and after re-installing my software and app data so I have clean images for restores/repairs if ever needed. Used Heidoc to download CU/1703 as it is a mountable WIM ISO rather than ESD. I auto-back everything up to the cloud, a stand alone HDD, and then all files to a large flash drive as well periodically. I run my home businesses on my desktop PC and likewise back it up multiple ways. I used to use mirrored dual internal HDDs but now back up externally in multiple ways. I do not totally trust cloud storage(especially since I have satellite internet or any kind of storage for that matter short of images and then DVD's have a limited lifespan and flash can be corrupted. Now if I can get my desktop network card to stop having to be reset. 1703(Pro) in it too. Read elsewhere in the forums about Windows updates and their generic driver issues but my driver is not generic and is up to date. Dell wireless adapter 1506(Qualcomm Atheros). Does not have issues with every boot. Window troubleshooting fixes it by resetting the adapter to get WiFi. All my computers are networked and a home group. Asus router 1750AC.

 

Will be interested to hear results when you disable touchpad.

Love the backups.

As to network there are things to try for it. Go to advance power options and look up wireless, set it to maximum for both battery and plugged in. Open properties for the adapter in Device Manager, click on Power tab, check status of line,"Allow this computer to shut off to save power". What ever state it is in try the opposite.

Disable IPv6 as a test.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...nts-in-windows

In Network & internet (Start => Settings) click on Wi-Fi I disabled all the stuff about auto connecting to open Hotspots on my behalf.

You may even want to try a different channel on your router. If you have dual band router 2.4 Ghz for connection strength (distance), 5 Ghz for speed


Ken

 

Last night in settings/devices/touchpad I "disabled touchpad when mouse is connected". Did not fix the issue. I, just now, thru device mangaer disabled the HID-compliant touchpad(only touchpad found). It has a microsoft driver 10.0.15063.0 dated 6/21/2006. Option to roll back driver is greyed out. When I clicked on driver details it stated that no driver files needed or installed. An hour ago I tried to type a reply to you with non-stop typing issues. I went to dell support and found a bios update 2 months old(not a new bios) and installed it. No issues typing this reply. Maybe the bios update or disabling the touchpad has fixed the issue. Since it was intermittant to some degree time will tell. Thanks Ken!

 

Great, glad it is working and you found, hopefully, the cause.

 

The typing issues are back in Thunderbird emails and in forum messaging including this message. Cursor jumps back into previous sentences while typing a message. Tonight during my freezone for downloading I will get the latest cumulative update for Windows. Currently I have Windows 10(1703) Home version 15063.483. The Dell 7353 laptop came with Win 10 Home OEM(RTM). I disabled the only touchpad listed (which is not listed as a Dell touchpad) even though view hidden is ticked. Dell does not list a driver for this and their auto-check/update drivers utility says I am up to date. Zero option to roll back the driver and device manager says the current driver is the latest. It is a microsoft driver(version 10.0.15063.0). Only option I know would be to uninstall this driver and let windows auto detect and install again.

 

Okay. Could you please check your Windows update history and see what has come in in the last few days, say five days.

Not right that is was working (keyboard okay) and then decided to stop (typing is a pain).

I do see they have mouse keyboard & Input devices driver. It doesn't mention touchpad.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/...ivers/advanced

Did anything else change. Did this activity start after a shutdown (wondering if Windows Fast Start Up is causing.)?


Ken

 

Started to send a message yesterday but typing issues were so bad I quit and decided to try a few more things. No updates for nearly a month installed. I did a google search for the typing issue with the cursor jumping around and found an article in the Dell Knowledge Base(https://www.dell.com/support/article...-guide?lang=en) about it. It said to use main.cpl in the seach box to access touchpad settings and then use the menu to change some settings. Just mouse settings to be had there. I did finally find I have a precision touchpad. Cannot find any driver from dell for this for my Inspiron 7353. Think is using a windows(MS) driver that apparently is from Creators update as the version is 10.0.15063.0 but there is no Dell touchpad listed in device manger just an HID touchpad. I did install the dell update for keyboards but it is a device unifying app from logitech. Tried to install a new chipset driver update but it failed to install. Yesterday I ran the MS tool for repairing windows update and KB4034674 installed correctly. I dislike the fact that my update history resets to the new cummulative update leaving out all of the rest. I supposed with a command prompt I might be able to view all installed packages. I ran sfc /scannow and dism(scanhealth) today and no issues found. I am typing this with the touchpad active again with no issues. Wierd that it has come and gone. Google searches shows this issue is happening a lot and for several years even before Windows 10 and on many brands. Suspect it is MS windows drivers doing this. Some say it is a static electricity issue requiring the battery to be removed and power then drained. Also found there has been a virus/malware causing similar issues in the past. Some say you should safe boot and then scan for a virus in boot sector. Not done that yet. I normally use Windows defender. I also periodically download malwarebytes to scan. Yesterday I downloaded Adaware and did a full scan with nothing found. Sorry for the length of this. It is OK now(for now at least). Time will tell.

 

Interesting that it would be static and it really isn't the season for it here in North America. (Heating.)

Did your machine by chance come with a CD / DVD of drivers and basic software?

I would see if Dell can't tell you what touchpad is being used. I really think Windows is just using what is has and it should be using a vendor specific.

When you go to Dell they have the option to detect drivers. Have you tried this?

http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/...laptop/drivers

 

Dell does not even include a flash drive(or DVD) any longer for repair or restore of the OS or drivers and software ioncluded in the original unit. Just the Exact copy of the OS on a recovery partition. I have an exact copy of the original operating system that I always make with brand new computers before I use them or load any software into them but have no idea what the driver name would be. 1: I have Dell auto update enabled and check it to be sure I am up to date. 2: Yes I have been to dell support several times since this started and their detection utility also says I am up to date with one exception. I also ran their complete diagnostics utility and every thing passed. I did install a bios update which was available(not rated vital). Auto update had not installed it even though it had been available for 2 months. No changes after the install. The issue was still there. An Intel chipset driver update is failing to install. I did some reading in their support forum and may need to extract the contents to another folder within that folder to get it to install. The package gives you two choices, extract and install. It was supposed to auto install. Tried both options. Even downloaded it a second time. There has not been a whole new bios update yet. I did not check the hash to verify it as a good download. Dell lists the values for all their downloads. I also tried their option to find the touchpad driver myself and found a lot of drivers for touchpads/keyboards but none for Inspiron Laptops. Tried a specific search for it as well as a search for all drivers for my specific model. I had a year of premium support which ran out two months ago. I contacted Dell about extending it so I can get phone support for this. Kind of thought thru their support forum or Tenforums/Tom's Hardware that I could find this out but no luck so far. Even if it is a dell driver it has to be approved/signed by microsoft for a vendor to use it with windows. I suspect it is the driver but their is no option to roll back the driver and with CU in place I doubt I can restore back far enough to see if their was a dell driver for the touchpad. There are a lot of touchpad issues out there in many brands of laptops and in Win 8.1 and Win 10. I have a touchscreen as well and some forums say it can cause issues too. Other companies say they have the driver I need but I prefer not to trust drivers other than manufacturers. My typing is perfect today and the touchpad is activated too just to tempt fate. One thing I did do was to disable taps and turned down sensitivity of the cursor as well as it's speed too. These were ideas I read in forums that worked for some people. I just read today that there are ground issues with some laptops and two in ones like mine. Lack of a good ground between the keyboad and the display section. More fuel for thought and more possibilities for what seems to be an intermittant issue.

 

Any chance there is a setting in the BIOS to enable or disable Touchpad. Then Windows wouldn't even see it.

I have a really old Dell and it will load the Microsoft touchpad driver. It works but no control or settings. Seems you have some and shut off Tap. I installed the touchpad driver for an Alps touchpad that I found on their site when I originally installed 8.1. I found it, like you by searching and searching and random tries.

If it is a grounding issue it would be nice if Dell stepped up and provided a fix, preferably free or a nominal cost.

Hopefully with Tapping off and sensitivity down it will stay usable.