Change of focus from RDP session inserts a character

Question

This is a pretty obscure issue that started a couple of weeks ago, it is really interfering with my work, and so far I'm unable to come up with a solution. When I have an RDP session open, and am working on something text-based on the remote host, i.e. a powershell script, when I change focus from that session by clicking on something like a browser on my local desktop, a character is inserted in the RDP session, specifically, a "5". Every time I click on the RDP session, then away from it, another "5" is inserted. As you can imagine this causes havoc with the script I was editing on the RDP session. This happens when my session originates on either my Windows 10 or 11 desktops, and happens regardless of whether I use the standard mstsc client or another RDC manager. I've run a full AV scan on both hosts and nothing came up. I'm willing to format these systems and start clean if necessary, but I don't like the idea of not knowing the cause, so any thoughts on where to look or what to try next would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

So an update, I think? I noticed today that this issue ONLY happens when I click out of my RDP session and into a chrome-based web browser. Both Chrome and Edge are causing this. Firefox is not.

And when I click in to any other program, including the desktop, taskbar or start menu, it is not happening either.

I did some basic testing once noticing this. I tried an incognito window and it still happened. I removed all my extensions in Edge and it still happened. I tried a portable install of Chrome that has zero extensions or history and it still happened.

I have not had any time to do more research into it, but maybe it will give those others having this issue something to start looking at. It will be interesting if this is a common thread that holds between all of us experiencing this.

Answer 2

I made an interesting observation that if you turn off num lock, the issue doesn't occur. So the '5' key that it thinks is pressed is numpad 5.

Answer 3

MY SOLUTION:

Update or disable the AutoControl Chrome extension. For some reason, it was not updated automatically. Disabling it immediately solved the issue.

It's possible that other extensions could cause the same behaviour, so try out disabling your extensions in all your browsers.

Answer 4

Hi

I would try to connect from another computer with different hardware (kvm/mouse/keyboard), as it can be a drivers interfering with your input.

Answer 5

Thats one of the confounds. This happens on both of my workstations, one is Win 11 on a new Dell with a wireless KB and mouse, the other is Win 10 on an older Dell with a USB KB and mouse. I'm willing to believe that some software I use on both machines is the common factor, but I don't use anything non-standard on them. And this is just so weird a problem.