AltGr key failure

6 am on February 29th and I just had to finally find time to write! Leap year doesn't come every year! 

I have had some computer problems recently. All of a sudden the key on my laptop keyboard wouldn't let me do the "@" sign. I realised when trying to add my e-mail to something I was writing. 

I thought maybe it was just something temporary but then a few days later I discovered I couldn't do the square brackets either! I got a bit worried. On this computer for those symbols I need to press the AltGr key and the one where the symbol shows. It is an italian keyboard.

At first I thought it was the key itself not working, maybe dirty, but then found I could use it correctly while writing with my word program.

I talked to computer expert son who said he would take a look when he came over and that it would probably just correct itself.

 Short long story is he still hasn't had time to come over and as I know he is very busy I don't like to bother him by insisting or taking my computer to him. 

So my research online started: Nada. I also asked on Ravelry, my go to place for any and all problems not just knitting, but even there didn't find an answer. 

I did find that a lot of people seemed to have the same problem and couldn't resolve it! Someone said to check "hot keys". Sure if I knew what they are and how they work! I am always scared to make changes in case I do something wrong.
I did realise it was possibly the English keyboard being selected instead of my Italian one but even though it was now only in Italian the thing still didn't work!

Windows updates came and went and the problem continued. In the meantime I got by using copy and paste!

Then a light of genius hit me! (Lol) I was trying to work out what it was and decided to update my Google Chrome setting. That was the answer! Now the thing works again! 

In the middle of so many updates and reset and checking for virus it was only the Chrome refresh that was needed! Lol! Now I am happy.

In the midst of all this I have also finally learnt how to do those curly brackets on here: shift, AltGr and the key with the symbol. { }. 

Learn something new every day!