Windows 7 Behaving as if Alt Key is Stuck

I have a Lenovo G570, running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.


I first discovered this problem a few weeks ago whilst playing Heroes Of Newerth, it was behaving like ALT was being held down, I couldn't type and it was unplayable, it happened many times and it seemed to only happen during or after I had played HoN. But it gradually became worse and started happening all the time and when I hadn't been playing at all. I clean re-installed Windows 7 Home Premium twice since then and it has gotten to the point of me being unable to type to login upon restarting the computer.


It seems to stop temporarily (for only a couple of minutes) after time but doesn't stay corrected for long. When it does happen I can't type, and when I do push keys it goes to the shortcut associated with the key as if I was holding ALT (e.g pushing F brings up FIND/SEARCH) and double clicking a folder brings up the folder's Properties menu.


Thanks to anyone who can help, I searched everywhere and couldn't find a solution anywhere.


Also I have taken my laptop apart as well as plugged in an external keyboard and have determined ALT is NOT being physically held down/stuck.

Check the "sticky" key settings in control panel:

Go to control panel, select "classic view" if not already selected, ease of access, make the keyboard easier to use, set up sticky keys.

Originally Posted by patcooke

Check the "sticky" key settings in control panel:

Go to control panel, select "classic view" if not already selected, ease of access, make the keyboard easier to use, set up sticky keys.

I am 100% sure it's not sticky keys sadly, thanks for trying anyway!

Originally Posted by upto

I searched everywhere and couldn't find a solution anywhere.

Wow! I see you have posted this on almost every Forum on the net! :-))

Let me ask you something... do you use any third party stuff that can control keyboard strokes like Autohotkeys?

Try this:
When you see the ALT is "stuck" give a quick double click to both ALT keys - one at a time and see if it gets un-stuck by trying to type stuff.
(Yes, I know your key isn't physically stuck. This is a programmatic solution).

Also, check out this: (Although it's an Autohotkey forum - his problem was not with Autohotkey key so check it out)
Left Ctrl / Right Alt key "stuck" - SOLVED • AutoHotkey Community

I don't seem to get a clear picture... does ALT work normally in Windows general, like Ctrl+Alt+Del?

I "hate" people who have the standard answer to everything, IT'S A VIRUS. Boy crying wolf, eh? But the fact is, we just saved a guy in another Forum, by him simply running Malwarebytes. And keyboard issues were precisely his problem.

You don't mention having done a thorough scan, but I suggest you do. If your computer is infected, a clean install of Windows won't heal it. You need to clean your system disk by zero format, or perhaps it can be done by the cleanse of an Antivirus program, ot Malwarebytes. Quite hard to tell.

Since you know when you first noticed it, playing Heroes Of Newerth a few weeks ago, you could look for installed programs at that time --- you may have picked something ugly in your cargo? Using a Windows Restoration Point or simply uninstalling something unwanted you may notice at that point of time​, you might be able to bypass the whole problem.

Ways of men are many, not all of them obvious. But you MUST make a thorough scan. That's obligatory.

Try using the program KeyTweak to disable the alt key altogether!