Keyboard gets 'stuck' after 5 seconds while playing games...

Hi,

Are you having overheating issue as well?  Battery drain issue?

Try the steps for troubleshooting listed by Sharief K.

Nope - the machine has gotten hot; but my only problem is the keyboard.

Did you try the steps listed by Sharief K?

Open Event Viewer > System and Application Logs

Look for errors related to the issue.  Be sure to check the details tab as well.

These problems are usually caused by dirt and debris within the keyboard, and can usually be fixed. On very old keyboards these symptoms can just generally be a sign of wearout of the internal mechanisms. There is also a possibility that the keyboard is just not comfortable for the way you type (if it is new and you are not used to it) so you might end up causing missed or bounced keys just on the basis of how you are typing.

How long have you had the laptop?  The keyboard may need cleaning which would mean having a professional perform the necessary steps.  It entails removing the sticky keys from the keyboard.

Clean the keyboard. If you are only having a problem with one key, you may want to try first just cleaning around that key cap.

If the problem is keys repeating, and this happens on many different keys on the keyboard, then this may not be a physical problem but rather the "typematic" setting.  You may actually find a switch or key on the keyboard itself that controls this.

Typematic Rate

Specifies the rate at which character output from a keyboard repeats, in characters per second, after a key is pressed and continuously held down.

Typematic Delay

Specifies the amount of time that must elapse, in milliseconds, after a key is pressed and continuously held down, before the character output from a keyboard begins to repeat.

Control Panel > Keyboard

Right click on keyboard icon and select Troubleshoot

In Settings test Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate > adjust the settings if necessary

I'm about to try them - but - it's not a dirty keyboard; I can do it on every key - and it requires to be held for 5 seconds (or more).  The keyboard (a cover2 I think it's called) is also only 3 days old.

Plus, if it were a dirty keyboard - hitting that same key, wouldn't turn it off instantly. It's definitely something specific to software (be it a software, a driver or some firmware) on the computer - or if there's anything in the keyboard...

I'm also going to plug in a USB keyboard - just to see if it does it with that.  I'll let you know shortly...

EDIT:  Plugged in a USB keyboard - and it won't do it no matter what I try; so it's something specific to the "Type Cover 2" keyboard.  I think I'll go down to best buy tomorrow morning and try other covers to see if it does it on those as well.  It might be a defective keyboard...

EDIT #2:  As a test, I open a word document and just held down a key (again, any key); not only did it not 'stick' - after about 5 seconds; it stopped accepting the key I was pressing (soon as I lifted my finger and pressed the key down again - it started working for a few seconds then would stop again.  It's something specific to this keyboard, so gonna take it back and try another keyboard.

Good luck and keep me updated. 

See this thread with similar issue - known bug