Is there a problem?

Hey gessiegal, I'm one of the ones losing whole posts I've typed. They disappear into thin air. I'm beginning to suspect some sort of a wild card virus out there. I guess in lieu of any plausible explanation of a glitch on this end, some sort of a virus makes sense. The people affected are all gardeners and they all come here. Chances are we go to other sites that are the same and the USDA Plants Database comes to mind as do others. We could have all visited the same site and picked up the same bug. I looked back in my history and found nothing but nurseries and such and you really have to admit those experiencing problems could very well have all visited a site that had some sort of code or something. Who knows. I've started typing my replies on word so that when I'm done, I can reduce that screen and cut and paste into the reply area. Naturally, I don't want to do this forever but I'm just not smart enough to figure it out on my own and it is an intermittent problem which makes it all the worse for anyone who does know what they are doing to try to help us.

If your post disappears and you're using Windows, IMMEDIATELY press CTRL plus the letter Z. That undoes the last action you did. If you did accidentally hit CTRL+A and then hit your space bar, CTRL+Z will undo that action and your post will re-appear.

CTRL+Z is your buddy! :)

CTRL+Z
CTRL+Z
CTRL+Z
CTRL+Z
CTRL+Z

I gotta remember that. I'll try it the next time it happens and see if that works. Does that work in Mozilla too?

Yes, it's a Windows function that pretty much works across the board.

Equil, you may be on to something there. A couple years ago I was trying to help my DB find free downloadable tools for his new cell phone...well, I found them for him allright...and both of our computers ended up with the same viruses. I was able to contact the place that was offering the free tools and they filtered out the bugs on their end, but we were still left with a bit of a mess to clean up. So your idea makes lots of sense to me.

I dunno, just makes sense at this point in time. And, the anti virus folk don't create a fix until presumably there are a bunch of people infected.

Equilibrium, I will be very curious to know if the Ctrl-Z trick restores your post. That's a "Undo" shortcut. You can also do a "Edit - Undo".

When I was having trouble with my d-mail replies disappearing last week, I had tried the "Edit - Undo", but it didn't work. But thankfully, I sent a d-mail reply a couple of days ago & had no problems at all. Hopefully, it won't happen again (it sure was frustrating!). I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

It hasn't happened to me again either. (knock on wood!) :-)

CTRL+F5 is a shortcut to do a screen refresh, so it is also possible people are trying to type a capital letter or punctuation mark and are accidentally refreshing their screens. This doesn't sound like any virus I've heard of.

I'll let you know. I had started getting into the habit of typing into a word document and then cutting and pasting into the post to avoid sitting here wanting to scream. I type pretty much the way I have for years and can't imagine that I'm activating short cuts or accidentally refreshing my screen but anything is possible and I am now on IE7 not IE6 and I know the Mozilla I am using is a new version from what I had on the last two computers.

So far it isn't happening and I made a few posts and added three photos.

Quick question, is that CTRL + Z or CTRL + a lower case z?

gardenwife,

I think just a plain F5 will do a screen refresh.

MM

Equilibrium,

I'm pretty sure it's CTRL and a lower case z. It would be awkward if you had to hold the Shift key down or invoke and de-invoke Caps Lock.

MM

OK, thank you. She had typed an upper case Z and I wanted to be sure.

Equilibrium,

Milan (Panamon Creel) addressed this issue once on the computer Forum. He seems to be the resident expert here on computers.

I had lost a whole Post on D-mail and I asked for help. He said that if you press "control + Z (z)"--unndo-- (accidentally) you will lose everything you have typed.

THEN--You CANNOT touch even one more key, or this will NOT work--press "control+Y (y) --redo--you can get it all back. The main thing is that you cannot press another key, or space bar, or anything--or it will not work.

This seems contradictory to what you posted above.
According to Milan, ctr+y will get it back for you, not ctr+z..

I am just passing this on. I have never used it and am NOT a computer expert and never use the key-shortcuts.

Gita

I'll try one then I'll try the other. I know nothing about these types of issues so I'm open to anything.

Which one of those works will depend on what exactly was done to make the text disappear--I think in most cases hitting ctrl-z to undo the last thing you did is probably the way to go, but if the last thing you did was accidentally hit ctrl-z, then using ctrl-y to redo will work to restore your text.

Try this experiment to see how this works
1) type some text in the reply box, then highlight it and delete all of it. Hit ctrl-z, and your text will come back.
2) Repeat, but use ctrl-y, nothing will happen
3) type some text in the box, hit ctrl-z, and your text will disappear. Hit ctrl-y, and it'll appear again.

I tried an experiment here--I typed some text in the reply box, then highlighted it all and deleted it, hitting ctrl-z restored it. I did that again (the typing & deleting) but tried to use ctrl-y to restore it and nothing happened. Then I typed my text again, hit ctrl-z and the text disappeared, then ctrl-y restored it. So if you deleted your text by hitting ctrl-z by accident, then ctrl-y will restore it, but if you did it by .

Ctrl-z undoes the last thing you did (unless the last thing you did was hit ctrl-z!). That's why it's the best one to try first if you accidentally deleted a bunch of text. The computer considers pasting the quote as one action, and typing the text is the next action, so when you hit ctrl-z it only undoes the most recent thing you did so the text goes away but the quote stays. If you're in a program like Word, you can keep hitting ctrl-z several times to keep undoing things, I guess that would probably work here too.

Ah, so if I was able to undo a disappearing post that would mean I had accidentally hit one of those sticky keys or some sort of a command. I will try it as soon as an opportunity presents itself however I doubt seriously if my typing deteriorated to the extent I was accidentally hitting the wrong set of keys and in the past when I was running into lost posts, I did try to hit the Esc key and nothing happened but it will be worth it to try something else. Still no lost posts and they were happening one after the next in the not so distant past.

I think F5 refreshes the current page, but CTRL+F5 forces the browser to check for new content for that page.

From - http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut/windows.htm

Microsoft Windows shortcut keys

Below is a listing of all the major shortcut keys in Microsoft Windows as well as the versions of Microsoft Windows they're supported in. If you're looking for shortcut keys or information about how to navigate Microsoft Windows using your keyboard instead of the mouse see document CH000791. See our main shortcut page if you're looking for other shortcut keys used in other programs.

Shortcut Keys


3.x


95


98


ME


NT


2000


XP


Vista


Description
Alt + Tab X X X X X X X X Switch between open applications.
Alt + Shift + Tab X X X X X X X X Switch backwards between open applications.
Alt + double-click X X X X X X X Display the properties of the object you double-click on. For example, doing this on a file would display its properties.
Ctrl + Tab X X X X X X X X Switches between program groups or document windows in applications that support this feature.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab X X X X X X X X Same as above but backwards.
Alt + Print Screen X X X X X X X X Create a screen shot only for the program you are currently in.
Ctrl + Alt + Del X X X X X X X X Reboot the computer and/or bring up the Windows task manager.
Ctrl + Esc X X X X X X X X Bring up the Windows Start menu. In Windows 3.x this would bring up the Task Manager.
Alt + Esc X X X X X X X Switch Between open applications on taskbar.
F1 X X X X X X X X Activates help for current open application.
F2 X X X X X X X X Renames selected Icon.
F3 X X X X X X X Starts find from desktop.
F4 X X X X X X X Opens the drive selection when browsing.
F5 X X X X X X X Refresh Contents.
F10 X X X X X X X X Activates menu bar.
Shift + F10 X X X X X X X Simulates right-click on selected item.
F4 X X X X X X X Select a different location to browse in the Windows Explorer toolbar.
Alt + F4 X X X X X X X X Closes Current open program.
Ctrl + F4 X X X X X X X X Closes Window in Program.
F6 X X X X X X X Move cursor to different Windows Explorer pane.
Ctrl + Space bar X X X X X X X X Drops down the window control menu.
Ctrl + (the '+' key on the keypad) X X X X X X Automatically adjust the widths of all the columns in Windows explorer
Alt + Enter X X X X X X X Opens properties window of selected icon or program.
Shift + Del X X X X X X X Delete programs/files without throwing them into the recycle bin.
Holding Shift X X X X X X X X Boot safe mode or by pass system files as the computer is booting.
Holding Shift X X X X X X X When putting in an audio CD, will prevent CD Player from playing.
Enter X X X X X X X X Activates the highlighted program.
Alt + Down arrow X X X X X X X Display all available options on drop down menu.
* (on the keypad) X X X X X X X Expands all folders on the currently selected folder or drive in Windows Explorer.
+ (on the keypad) X X X X X X X Expands only the currently selected folder in Windows Explorer.
- (on the keypad) X X X X X X X Collapses the currently selected folder in Windows Explorer.

Windows key keyboard shortcuts

Below is a listing of Windows keys that can be used on computers running a Microsoft Windows operating system and using a keyboard with a Windows key. In the below list of shortcuts, the Windows key is represented by "WINKEY".
Shortcut Keys

Description
WINKEY Pressing the Windows key alone will open Start.
WINKEY + F1 Opens the Microsoft Windows help and support center.
WINKEY + F3 Opens the Advanced find window in Microsoft Outlook.
WINKEY + D Brings the desktop to the top of all other windows.
WINKEY + M Minimizes all windows.
WINKEY + SHIFT + M Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.
WINKEY + E Open Microsoft Explorer.
WINKEY + Tab Cycle through open programs through the taskbar.
WINKEY + F Display the Windows Search / Find feature.
WINKEY + CTRL + F Display the search for computers window.
WINKEY + F1 Display the Microsoft Windows help.
WINKEY + R Open the run window.
WINKEY + Pause / Break key Open the system properties window.
WINKEY + U Open Utility Manager.
WINKEY + L Lock the computer (Windows XP and above only).

Back to shortcut keys main page

That's a great resource, Dyson - thanks for posting it! Here's a screenprint (spliced) of the whole chart:

I was wondering what all the Xs in his post meant.

Hate to sound really stupid but what does the Win key look like and where is it on my keyboard?

Ok, just lost a post over in Wildlife Gardening and just lost the post where I was trying to type that I lost a post here in this thread.

When I lost the post over in WildLife Gardening (I mention where I was in the event dave can track where I was and what I was doing), I immediately clicked CTRL + z. Nothing happened.

When I lost the post here in this thread just a few minutes ago, I clicked CTRL + y and nothing happened.

Does this help?

The Winkey is the Windows key. It is usually next to the ALT key on the left side. On most Windows PC's it has the Windows logo. Here's a graphic from http://www.maxpatch.com/kbscuts.html :

If neither ctrl-z or ctrl-y worked, that tells me it's not some key combination that you're accidentally hitting that's deleting your posts. If it was something you did, then you'd be able to undo it.

Eq, are you're using IE, right? And it did this in IE6 and in IE7, correct? Have you used another computer to see if it happens on it? I know it's frustrating trying to diagnose something that happens so sporadically.

Ah ha! Always wondered what that key was hanging out on the bottom of my keyboard for. I never touch it, didn't know what it did and best to leave keys like that alone.

This new newest computer has never had IE6, just IE7. The last new computer is no more. It had a hardware issue and a bunch of other problems after one hard drive blew. This has been happening in both IE7 and Mozilla and unfortunately it is an intermittent problem only occurring here at DG. Not that I really post anywhere else but I did go to two other sites where I am registered and posted when it was acting up here trying to see if I could get it to happen over at those sites. Didn't happen over at the recipe or the scout sites. And, I tried to get it to do it in both IE7 and Mozilla. I can go to another computer but didn't feel the need to do so with other people having the exact same problems as me.

Man, what a mystery! I'm so curious about what's causing it. We have a term for this occurance: Poof the dragon got it. It went "poof". At least that's what we dubbed it in the Nightowls threads. :)

Equil, this may seem like a really stupid question, but being that it's a new computer and all....have you set up/installed any software for the keyboard?

I did some searching on viruses with the type of symptoms you're having and mostly what came back was keyboard problems. I know it sounds crazy to think this many people would be having problems with their keyboards...but maybe it could be something that simple.

Also, is it possible that you'd have another keyboard just sitting around that you could try using instead of the one you're using now? In my search I read that a lot of folks were having tons of problems with their left shift button in particular doing all kinds of weird things, from just not working to every time they pushed it it would send a shortcut key command to the pc.

I still haven't been able to find any type of virus info with the listed symptoms that you're experiencing...but I'm still looking when I have time.

New keyboard is fine. All the proper drivers are installed. Funny you should mention that but I already went and checked because this has been driving me bonkers.

I've got one more brand new keyboard here but that one is a bluetooth wireless and it would be too much to deal with right now. I do plan on using it sooner or later. The only thing really different about the keyboard I'm using now and the last new one is that this one has a smart card in it. I don't think that should make a difference.

Hey heatherjoy, thanks for trying. I really appreciate it. I don't want to be dealing with an ongoing "Poof the dragon got it" issue like the people over in the nightowls threads.

I just find this such a strange occurrence, and I've had it happen to me a few times. It was a very rare happening for me and it's completely stopped since we got a new pc a month or so ago. When it did happen to me I always chalked it up to me hitting a combo of keys accidentally. I just can't believe that DG is the only place that this is happening...I think it's the only place that we visit that it's happening...the www is just too huge!

From what I read, if it is a virus it may need another site that is set up exactly like DG is to react the same way...and being that it doesn't wipe out your text every single time you post it makes it even harder to pin down.

I just love a good "who done it"...in this case "what done it"...and the info has got to be out there somewhere. The folks in this thread and DG can't be the only ones with these weird things going on.

It also happened quite often to me that I lost my text.
Last time was a D-mail. I had typed a long text and suddenly just after I had corrected a word with the 'backward' or 'erase' key, (don't know for sure what's the English term for it but it is the one you erase a letter with) and then hit the shift key to start a new line I was thrown back to the main D-mail page and lost my whole text. The other times it happened I do not remember exactly what has happened. Difficult to find out when the text is gone and you cannot trace back the steps you did. I don't know if its only happening in DG as I very rarely post in other sites.

CTRL+Backspace deletes a whole word at a time. If held down, it would just keep deleting whole words. But it doesn't sound like you would have held it down that long of a time. If your cursor somehow goes outside the text box in which you're typing, Backspace will take you to the previous page, same as the Back arrow would.

A. invest in the BEST anti-virus software you can buy (even then you are not completely safe from new ones before the new definitions are out).

B. Keep the definitions as up to date as possible, If you leave town for a week, remember to update as soon as you return, etc.

C. Pay attention to your equipment and the environment in which it is operated. There are no electronic devices that are impervious to extreme heat, internal heat caused by dirt build up or moisture (yes it is all lactose (dairy products) and high fructose corn syrup (soda) intolerant.

D. Remember that anything (more so with moving parts, i.e. fans, hard drives etc.) Will wear out and fail. If not I would still be driving that '63 Nash Rambler that I bought in 1976.

E. Most important of all, especially if you ignore the above - BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP! I picked up a nasty virus from some downloaded music files and because I had a recent back up was able to restore my entire system quickly, without any data loss.

This message was edited Sep 20, 2007 12:07 PM

Gardenwife, I didn't use the Ctrl key, I never do to erase something, I even didn't know you could use that key together with the Backspace key to erase a whole word and in this case I only had to erase one single letter.

Another weird thing happened, also in D-mail. I had copied my whole text in a Microsoft Word document, because of being afraid to lose my text again.
I had just found out in FAQ how to make bold, italics etc.. and I had used that in my first sentence of the text. When I then copied the whole text from that word-document into my D-mail text-box it looked all fine and I have hit send. But after a check-up I found that only the first line (bold) had been copied to the D-mail text box. Then I tried again, but without the first line in bold and then it went.

If you accidentally mess up the html tags for bold, etc by forgetting one of the little brackets, that can mess up your post and make part of it not show up (I discovered this when I was trying to use the greater than or less than symbol in a post, the computer thought I was trying to do an html tag but it wasn't done right, and half the post didn't show up). So when I'm using those tags I always preview first, and if part of the post is missing then I go back and make sure I did all the tags properly. So that problem at least is not related to the other problems people are having.

I just had a d-mail disappear. My husband is very vigilant about our security programs, and nothing else is wrong....just thought I would post this so one more data point is added. Luckily I hadn't got too far in the text, only a paragraph or so. Neither Ctrl +z nor Crtrl+Y brought it back. I also tried "undo" and "back" neither worked. All I had done was hit the enter key to give myself an extra line, and poof - gone. As far as I am concerned, if it is just an occasional poof - I'm not gonna sweat the program....but I just wanted to give you "mystery buffs" another little tidbit. Oh, and nothing has spilled near the computer.