I leave my machine running while not in use sometimes and I keep getting things like this:

C:\> ]\=74

showing up at the prompt. sometimes its that with a long line of more jibberish, what could this be? sometimes it goes for several trys whatever its doing. and some days it never does it at all. this computer is not connected to any others nor is it on the internet. Ive tried different Hard Drives without any change. could the memory possibly be infected with something? I am at a loss and I dont want to infect any more of my hadware by R&Ring hard parts. I have run F-prot and it finds no viruses. anyone else have a experience like this that knows what is happening? thank you in advance for any help you may give me.

Train your cat to stay off your desk.

umm sir I own no cat, I was under the impression that this was a informative and professional forum, maybe I was in error.

I have been sitting near it or have watched it do this all on its own without help from me or any other object or animal.

it appears to attempt to write to the drive, but it looks like as you would call it "a cat on keboard" situation. but it is not.

"it appears to attempt to write to the drive"

What makes you say that? A line of gibberish isn't likely to have much of a chance of performing any action. I take it that the output is random in nature?

A more reasonable guess might be a poorly behaved TSR or else a problem with the keyboard controller.

Try booting 'clean' (F5) and see if that changes anything

Give me ambiguity or give me something else

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The grouping and spacing of your sample were consistant with a cat. I've also seen this sort of symptom caused by absent mindedly placing a book/magazine on the keyboard. I guess this isn't the case either.

I don't think this is likely to be a virus or other form of malware. These usually like to work in secret, else they display something amusing (to the author) or boastful.

Have you tried another keyboard? This would be the first place I would look. The keyboard controller chip could also be at fault, but that requires a motherboard replacement.

'Virus' is always the root cause of inexplicable phenomenon (didn't you know?)

Give me ambiguity or give me something else

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okay, Ive tried two other keyboards, 3 different hard drives various brands and sizes, and I just tried a different set of memory and am waiting to see or catch it in the act.

the keyboards I tried several weeks ago and I still cought it doing it once.

its a odd thing as it doesnt always do it and sometimes it does it as soon as it boots up.

the reason for the "]\=74" is because it will start off with those most of the time but not always, and I have seen that group of carichters within alot of the "jiberish".

the reason I think its writing to the disk... or rather trying to is that it will forgive the expression... "like a ghost is typing random keys" but its not always random. sometimes it repeats.. for example the "]\=74"

Forgive me for my lack of termanolgy or spelling, as I am not a real techie but I do apreciate your help!

RimFire: I see what you mean about the spacing, I didnt think about that. sorry if I was to strong, this is just getting to me a bit.

Since you've tried other keyboards with the same result, it is likely that you have a problem with the controller chip. As I mentioned earlier, this is part of the motherboard.

Another possibility, albeit a long shot, is radio frequency interference. If you are located in close proximity of a high powered transmitter, wires can pick up signals and cause random behavior.

Afternoon jboy, you're right, virus infected keyboards do seem to pop up fairly frequently!

hmm, frequency interference...

I just moved my dish network reciever to the same shelf as my 486, I wonder if its remote is affecting it somehow...

if it is something on the motherboard dieing, I think its time to retire the old gal...

thanx.

I remember from my very first computer class (don't ask) - *everything* "was a virus" - - except not really. That trend continues here @Computing.Net - some folks are just plain unshakeable in the belief too, as a visit to the S&V forum will show.

Sure, there are stealth programs and all that, but on a DOS system? Not so much.

A bad kbd chip can cause all sorts of grief, especially if soldered in. A TSR 'might' be sending the odd bit of screen output too, but typically that kind of thing is a character or two, and not random.

Give me ambiguity or give me something else

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You also have to consider the possibility of a bad power supply (old machine) and noise on the +5v to the keyboard.

There is also the possibility of a bad AC ground wire. Computers need a good third wire ground. Going through a cheap extension cord will cause problems like that.

If you have a PS/2 mouse also plugged in, try unplugging it. They share the same power source (+5v) and it might make the problem go away. If it does, it does not mean there is a problem with the mouse.

UL requirements are that there be some sort of fuse or over current protection in the +5v that goes to the keyboard and/or mouse. I have seen films of very interesting fires that occur when you stick a small steal pin though a keyboard cable to simulate a short in the keyboard.

Cheap system board vendors just use a land pattern on the system board as a fuse. It just blows before a fire gets started. However "quality" vendors use a thermistor in the +5v line to the keyboard and mouse connectors (shared). This protects from over current when there is a short. And recovers to protect the next time it happens. (Cables get frayed and short out, it gets shorted plugging in a device with power on.) However, shorts tend to damage the thermistor and it becomes more of a resistor, that drops the voltage slightly to the keyboard as more current is drawn.

There is one very common symptom of low voltage to the keyboard. The system board controller "sees" random noise input that looks like data characters. The problem is worse when the mouse is also connected as it is drawing additional current through the damaged thermistor.

It takes a good volt meter and a device you can open up to probe the +5v levels. If it drops much and drops more when the second device is plugged in, you know what the problem is.

Normal solution, is to replace the system board. Difficult to find the correct type of thermistor. Some "techs" will connect a thin wire across the thermistor and "sell" it to you as a used replacement board.

I'd think it's the keyboard bios as has already been mentioned. On a 486 motherboard that chip may be socketed so you could remove it. They're fairly generic. I may still have a few around here somewhere.

Hey! I found it!!!

JackG was correct, it was the power supply.

I robbed one out of another old parts box and its working fine now for almost 24 hrs. with no sign of the problem.

I am not sure if this had anything to do with it or not but I did find after I removed the old power supply the fan wires were so hard and crunchie like they were getting hot... I know they are on the 12v side but maybe the power supply was not putting out the right amout of juice to anything.

Thanx again to all who helped me, y'all are great!

Hey, thats great to hear!

Failing power supplies can cause all sorts of wierd and wonderful symptoms in digital devices such as computers.

Maybe some other time we will find the proof the spectral kittens exist! ;-)