It's Eating My Text

[Ash]

Got a question for you guys...

Sometimes when I'm typing something, instead of adding the new text onto what I've already written, it'll start deleting it.

For example:  
Let's say I wrote the sentence, "I went the store". 
I realized I forgot to add the word "to". 
It should read, "I went to the store". 
I put the cursor in the middle of the sentence to add it.  Instead of adding it, it starts deleting each letter I already typed, replacing it with the new one I'm typing.

I don't know what key I hit to make it do that, but it's infuriating.
Why does it do that and is there a way to make it stop when it happens?

[WilliamWeird1313]

Yeah, that always p**ses me off somethin' fierce.

Dagblasted computers.

[Jack]

I think you accidentally hit the "insert" key, turning insertion off, and instead it's replacing what you previously typed with what you're typing now.

[ER]

I've had that happen in Word before. It usually seems to happen when I'm editing something old and changing things around. About the only thing I know to do is close the document and re-open it. I have no idea why that happens but that clears it up.

[Allhallowsday]

It's the "insert" key.  Hit it once and it will overwrite what you've already typed.  Hit it again and it will start bumping your text the way you expect.

[Rev. Powell]

Jack & HD are correct, it's the insert key.

[ghouck]

Yep, and in Word, at the bottom of the page are the letters "OVR" which are darkened when in "Overwrite" mode (not INSERTING the characters, but rather overwriting the following characters)

[Ash]

I think you accidentally hit the "insert" key, turning insertion off, and instead it's replacing what you previously typed with what you're typing now.

Is that what's happening?
It's funny.  I've been using a keyboard and computer since, oh, around 1983-84 when I was in 3rd grade and I never knew what the Insert key did.
Never bothered to learn the intricacies of the modern keyboard.  Who has time?  Or even notices?  Or cares?

I'd bet that if you took a poll, most Americans would not know what the Insert key does.
I didn't.  And I've typed well over a million words on various keyboards over the years.

Thanks guys!  

[WilliamWeird1313]

One has to question the wisdom inherent in the positioning of that particular key on the keyboard to begin with.