Updated to 20.0.4 on Winbook and ONSCREEN keyboard pops up on every browser text field while EXTERNAL keyboard attached.

[FollowsTheWay]

Slimjet was working fine on a Winbook touchpad computer (Windows 8.1 OS), with a USB-attached external keyboard, and I was prompted to update to the new Slimjet version 20.0.4 (32-bit). (I do not know what the prior version was).

Ran update and started Slimjet just like always (including the USB-attached keyboard), and now the ONSCREEN keyboard pops up on any and every text field that I click my mouse into from within the browser. This happened immediately upon updating Slimjet; it has never happened before.

E.g., click into the URL address bar, and the onscreen keyboard pops up. Click into a login username field and the onscreen keyboard pops up, etc., etc. Happens on every text field type that I have tried. NOTE: it does not do this in any other program I have tried. They seem to all recognize the external keyboard.

What I have done: just re-started the computer. No difference.

Help appreciated. Browser is basically unusable like this. If a downgrade is easy to do, I would even do that if it would get around this.

[sleeper10]

Try it in incognito mode. If it works there, an extension or something else is the problem. You can also go to Advanced Settings & enable/disable 'hardware acceleration' & see if that makes any difference.

[sleeper10]

Seems to be a bug, maybe something here will help you:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/ ... TQ4oGpFtfY

[FollowsTheWay]

That google bug report is EXACTLY what I am experiencing. Thank you, thank you.

It is rather lengthy, so I will go through it today, Lord willing, and see what they are saying. Someone did mention a Windows "touchpad" service that can be disabled. Since I have never used the touchpad, that is what I have done (and it seems to be a good workaround).

In case it might help someone else, this is what I have done (remember that I am running Windows 8.1):

1. ctrl-alt-del into Task Manager, click Services tab, sorted on Name and found: "TabletInputService" ("Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service")
2. Right-clicked on it and selected "Open Services"
3. Found "Touch Keyboard..." in the Name list and right-clicked on it.
4. First "Stopped" it from currently running; AND then went to Properties and changed the Startup Type to "Disabled" (or it will restart itself).
5. Note: the change took affect immediately. Neither the computer nor the browser needed to be re-started.
6. Of course, reverse the above to re-activate the feature.

If I come across a permanent/better solution I hope to post it. For now I will run with this.

Thank you again. Much appreciated.

[FollowsTheWay]

Another option that I have NOT tried (a comment in the previously-mentioned Google bug link):

"Minimizing the onscreen keyboard seems to be the best work around right now. If anyone learns of a permanent fix, please do share! This is extremely annoying. Thanks."

[FollowsTheWay]

After wading through more comments, came across another bug link that pinpoints the problem to Windows 8.1 systems:

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/is ... ?id=871756

My current (just-updated) Slimjet version is: "Slimjet 68.0.3440.75 (Official Build) (32-bit)"

This is, indeed, the version (68.x) with the Windows 8.1 touchpad bug.

According to the link above, the problem has been fixed and should be out in version 70.x (it was a little unclear if 70.x or 71.x), so I await an update to Slimjet based upon this fixed version 70/71. In the meantime, will live with the disabled touchpad service.

Thank you again for pointing me in the right direction and for the very timely response.

[FollowsTheWay]

Addendums:

1. Re: that mention above about "minimizing the onscreen keyboard," I came across this:

"Those of you suggesting that we minimize the on-screen keyboard are not having the same problem as the rest of us; that 'workaround' doesn't work, because every time we move to a text-entry field it pops up again--minimized or not."

BUT, then someone else posts that "minimizing" DOES work. Perhaps the above person just "closed" it rather than minimized it? God knows...

2. Another workaround was:

"If I disable my Touch screen in Human Interface Devices (Device Manager) Windows 8.1 Pro -- It stops the keyboard from popping up in Chrome. Only way I can get it to stop. Only Chrome 68 affected on my system." [a second user confirmed that this works].

So, I await an updated-Slimjet with an updated version 70/71 engine.

[sleeper10]

Ok, glad you found a workaround you can live with until a future update. Hopefully, it will be fixed then.