When typing, if the clock hits 56 seconds, it will input a ~ in my textbox

[antony.b]

This is such as strange bug but it keeps happening and can't imagine it being a feature. I've been doing some testing with it, and when my computer's clock hits 56 seconds, it will input the character ~ into whatever text box I'm typing in.  This only happens in Adobe Illustrator. I have two keyboards but to input the character, it needs the Shift key and the # key at the same time, and these are not being touched at the same time every minute. If I don't have a textbox selected, nothing will happen. If I have a textbox on, or have selected text at 56 seconds on the clock, it will occur. 

Has anything like this happened to anyone else or does anyone know of a fix or a way I can reset Illustrator. I don't really want to reinstall but I could try it. It's just such a strange bug, I don't really know why it's happening.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @antony.b,

I’m sorry to hear you're having trouble. Could you please share more details, like your operating system and Illustrator version? Also, did this issue begin after a recent update? I’d like to help you resolve this as soon as possible.

Regards,

Srishti

[antony.b]

Edition Windows 10 Enterprise
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎15/‎08/‎2022
OS build 19045.4780
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.19060.1000.0

Illustrator Version 28.7.1

I don't know when this started happening because I don't use Illustrator as often but it's been happening for a few months, I just didn't realise it was just illustrator because it was happening rarely. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @antony.b,

Thanks for sharing the details. Would you mind trying to run Illustrator under Safe Mode (Windows / macOS) and checking if it helps?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[antony.b]

It's still happening

[Anubhav M]

Hello @antony.b,

Would you mind checking if you have any keyboard macros assigned/ settings in the keyboard software? Also, try disconnecting the keyboards to check if it helps.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[antony.b]

I don't know how to setup macros so I doubt I have any assigned. The keyboard is part of a laptop..

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @antony.b,

Thanks for your patience and for providing more information. It sounds like a very unusual issue, and I understand how frustrating this must be. Since you’ve ruled out keyboard macros and are using a laptop keyboard, let’s try a couple more steps to troubleshoot:

1. Sometimes, unexpected behavior like this can be caused by corrupted preferences. You can reset Illustrator preferences by holding down Ctrl + Alt + Shift while launching Illustrator and selecting “Yes” when prompted to reset preferences. Please note that this will reset your settings to default, so you might want to back them up first.

2. Ensure no background applications or scripts are running that could be interacting with Illustrator. Sometimes, third-party apps or utilities can cause odd behavior with input fields.

3. Perform a full system scan to check for malware or unwanted software that might be causing keyboard input anomalies.

4. If none of the above steps help, a clean reinstall of Illustrator might be necessary. You can uninstall the app via the Creative Cloud app, restart your system, and then reinstall it.

If the issue persists, please let us know, and we can explore further options. Also, if you have access to another device, try running Illustrator there to see if the issue replicates, which could help narrow down whether it’s system-specific or related to your Adobe environment.

Let us know how it goes, and we’ll be here to assist further!

Best,

Anshul Saini

[antony.b · Accepted solution]

I believe the problem was coming from the Caffiene app I have running. I've since change the keypress it uses and it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore.