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Screwed up function keys...

post #1 of 16
1/19/03 at 8:11pm
Thread Starter 
Something is randomly wrong with my funcion keys. Maybe someone can give me a hand! For whatever reason...whenever I go Fn+F3 the system goes into hibernate just like Fn+F4. It should mute/unmute. Fn+F4 works as advertised...but the rest are messed up too. If I try to delete something in a folder using the delete key...it won't ask to delete the specified item. Instead it will highlight the first item in the folder (or the My Computer icon if it's on the desktop) and ask to delete that. I've searched for a way to remap the function keys without having to use an application external to Windows...but haven't found anything. Any ideas?
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post #2 of 16
1/19/03 at 8:37pm
I remember a link I was looking at a while ago that allows a person to remap keys by way of keycodes - but it seemed pretty complicated - I'll go look for the link later to see if I can dig it out again.

In the mean time, there're keyboard remapping software around - and if all else still fails, you may want to consider them. The one I've found the best - is surprisingly also the free one, courtesy of PC Magazine.

http://sagerforums.com/forums/showth...ighlight=remap


Rob
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post #3 of 16
1/19/03 at 8:45pm
Thread Starter 
I was just horsing around...and realized that Fn+F1 and Fn+F2 both mute/unmute instead of Fn+F3. I downloaded the tradekey program...so I'll give that a shot. I still don't know why the whole top row of keys isn't working right...

Thanks for the link...I'll let you know if I have any luck with that.

Brett
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post #4 of 16
1/19/03 at 8:52pm
OK - here is it; on how to remap keys without 3rd party programs. It basically involves changing key scancodes in the registry:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/n1014389848

The person has a web page that explains how to do it too:

http://www.pitt.edu/~kconover/keithbet.htm

Now, although his reference point is changing the positioning of the CAPS, CTRL, ALT keys, I imagine it should be possible to change it for normal keys too.


Rob
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post #5 of 16
1/19/03 at 10:07pm
Thread Starter 
I just checked out the tradekeys program. It's cool...but I don't think it'll fix whatever is wrong. For example, I want to make my Fn+F3 to mute/unmute (like it's supposed to) but that program can't do that. That pretty much goes for the whole top row of keys. I don't know what the deal is...
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post #6 of 16
1/19/03 at 10:13pm
I'm not sure, I've only used the fuction keys for brightness. I quoted the manual in another post what each one does, but never tried them to verify. Are you referencing the manual or another Sager that it works like that with? When in doubt and dealing with a possible software glitch, I always reinstall.
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post #7 of 16
1/19/03 at 10:29pm
Thread Starter 
I've tried adjusting the brightness with the function keys too...but they don't seem to work. According to the manual (and the little icons on the keys), Fn+

F3 - mute/unmute
F4 - suspend/resume system
F5 - decrease volume
F6 - increase volume
F7 - toggle between CRT/LCD/LCD and CRT
F8 - decrease brightness
F9 - increase brightness

None of these work correctly except for the F4 combo. For whatever reason, Fn+F1 and Fn+F2 mutes/unmutes.

I think I might just go ahead and reinstall everything...unless someone has a better idea!
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post #8 of 16
1/19/03 at 10:34pm
Sounds pretty serious. If I'd had the same issue, I could possibly do without the mute/unmute, suspend, and volume adjustment FN keys. But the F7 - switching between LCD and CRT - would be absolutely critical for me, since I use my notebooks to do work presentations.

IMO, if using Tradekeys verifies that the keys themselves work - e.g. assigning say F3 to do a CAPS toggle - then it seems to be a severe key assignment problem then; a software anomaly.


Rob
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post #9 of 16
1/19/03 at 10:45pm
Yeah, I would play around in the control panel, maybe uninstall the KB in the device manager, reset default settings and see what it does on boot up (sucks not havinga demo model in to help answer questions by trying things out).
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post #10 of 16
1/20/03 at 6:46pm
(You don't have the 5660 demo model either?)

That's a wierd problem... I agree with PCTorque's suggestion, and if that doesn't work, I'd try a format and reinstall. Is it random as in it changes? Or random as in they are just scrambled and they stay that way all the time? Best of luck to you!
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post #11 of 16
1/20/03 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 
Well...I tried a reinstall...but the keys still don't work as advertised. I think my next course of action will be to do a full format/reinstall. As for the keys...it's not random. They operate the same everytime...just not as they should...ie when the delete key is pressed...the cursor goes to the beginning of the line and then deletes the first letter on the line...even if the cursor was originally further down the line. Strange! For the most part, though...everything that doesn't work right is located on the top line of they keyboard.

Thanks for the help!
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post #12 of 16
1/20/03 at 8:03pm
When you reload the OS, only do the OS and check it. Then install one thing at a time and check it to verify it's not a program re-assigning them.
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post #13 of 16
1/20/03 at 8:24pm
Say; will it helped if you tried loading up a simple DOS program by way of DOS bootup disk and see if the same anomalies still appear? E.g. say create a Win 98 bootup disk and have the EDIT program on it, or any other DOS program that uses FUNCTION keys. If these programs show that that the FN keys work properly there, then it's almost certainly that there's some program in WinXP interferring with your keyboard layout.


Rob
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post #14 of 16
1/20/03 at 8:40pm
Thread Starter 
Well...here's the thing. The function keys by themselves work fine. But when I try to use the shortcuts (Fn+F3 for example)...that's where things are screwed up. I'm not pressing the F3 key by itself...I'm pressing it along with the Fn key. Thanks for the idea...sorry if I wasn't clear!
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post #15 of 16
1/21/03 at 12:10am
But the delete key is having trouble... You should try unplugging the keyboard completely and plugging it back in... If it's just the first like there might be something like a spec of dust in then somewhere... ??
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post #16 of 16
1/21/03 at 12:47am
Thread Starter 
I don't know what the deal is. With the delete key...it acts like the home key is pressed and then the delete key is pressed...the cursor moves all the way to the left and then the delete happens. It's really strange.

Anyway...I think I'll just go ahead and do a whole new format and install and see if that fixes it. Otherwise I would venture to say there is something wrong with the keyboard. We'll see!
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