jla@inuxd.UUCP (Joyce Andrews) (01/20/85)
Help for a sick C64! Does anyone know what to do for a perpetually moving cursor? We were using a cartridge game earlier today. Later, when we turned on the computer by itself, the cursor was moving constantly, left to right, down a line, left to right, etc. It appears that it will do this forever. We've tried every key combination we can think of to stop the cursor. The control key stops it while it's down, but the minute you let up on the control key, the cursor starts moving again. Some of the keys are doing strange things (the "h" works like the control key, stopping the cursor momentarily, the control Q prints it's bullet, etc.). Has anyone seen this before? Do we need a repairperson?
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (01/25/85)
> Does anyone know what to do for a perpetually moving cursor? > We were using a cartridge game earlier today. Later, when we > turned on the computer by itself, the cursor was moving > constantly, left to right, down a line, left to right, etc. Have you checked for a stuck key (especially the space bar)? The space bar is somewhat vulnerable. Because it is big, it is often used by games for a huge "fire" button. But because it is big, it requires unusual hardware to suspend it. Sometimes the hardware comes undone under heavy "repetitive fire" pounding. -- Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug
percus@acf4.UUCP (Allon G. Percus) (01/25/85)
> Help for a sick C64! > Does anyone know what to do for a perpetually moving cursor? > We were using a cartridge game earlier today. Later, when we > turned on the computer by itself, the cursor was moving > constantly, left to right, down a line, left to right, etc. > It appears that it will do this forever. We've tried every > key combination we can think of to stop the cursor. The > control key stops it while it's down, but the minute you let > up on the control key, the cursor starts moving again. Some of > the keys are doing strange things (the "h" works like the control > key, stopping the cursor momentarily, the control Q prints it's > bullet, etc.). Has anyone seen this before? Do we need a > repairperson? Sounds conspicuously like the joystick port. If you have anything plugged in there, like a joystick, remove it. If not, well, gee, I guess ya' got prob'ms.
devoz@zurton.UUCP (01/26/85)
1) Unplug your joysticks. 2) One of your keys is stuck. 3) You have a bad CIA, see repairman. Others? devoz decvax!cca!ima!hydravax!devoz
@RUTGERS.ARPA:prindle@nadc (01/28/85)
From: prindle@NADC Beware - if your 64 is in a room where you routinely (or even occasionally) use steel wool, little airborne wires will inevitably float into open joystick ports and short out the pins for all sorts of interesting effects related to the keyboard. Blow out the ports with compressed air and never, never use steel wool for anything.