Keyboard hotkeys problem

[Lynn]

I have a laptop and recently got a cordless keyboard to use with it. However it has now caused my media keys on my laptop to stop working. I use these for controlling volume and play/stop functions when listening to music.

I tried uninstalling the software with the cordless keyboard but these laptop keys will still not work.

Help!

Anyone any idea how to turn them back on again? (I've had a trawl through control panel settings and can't find anything relevant.)

[frodo]

Originally Posted by Lynn

...

Before you had the cordless keyboard did the media keys work in media player when the media player wasn't the topmost application ?

If so, depending on your operating system, I'd assume the computer came with keyboard software which it might be worth trying to re-install.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by frodo

Before you had the cordless keyboard did the media keys work in media player when the media player wasn't the topmost application ?

If so, depending on your operating system, I'd assume the computer came with keyboard software which it might be worth trying to re-install.

The volume keys worked even when media player wasn't on - ie for general volume control.

Do laptops come with seperate keyboard software?

[DavidY]

I don't claim to know much about how it works... but my laptop has some "special" keys which, for instance, switch on the WiFi radio.

In the case of my laptop, these keys aren't part of the keyboard driver (which seems to be a bog-standard one), but as far as I can tell are extra applications that get run on startup. I discovered a command called msconfig (which you call using Start and then Run) which shows me (using Windows XP) which services and applications get run.

I reckon this is all pretty specific to each make of laptop though - yours may be totally different.

Have you tried the laptop manufacturer's website? What make of laptop are you using?

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by DavidY

I don't claim to know much about how it works... but my laptop has some "special" keys which, for instance, switch on the WiFi radio.

In the case of my laptop, these keys aren't part of the keyboard driver (which seems to be a bog-standard one), but as far as I can tell are extra applications that get run on startup. I discovered a command called msconfig (which you call using Start and then Run) which shows me (using Windows XP) which services and applications get run.

I reckon this is all pretty specific to each make of laptop though - yours may be totally different.

Have you tried the laptop manufacturer's website? What make of laptop are you using?

I can look at msconfig but I have no idea what I'm looking at or for.

I have an Acer. This was all working until I installed a Logitech cordless keyboard so presumably that has changed settings somewhere, surely I can reset them if I know where to look?

[DavidY]

I don't know much about msconfig either I'm afraid.

I suggest contacting Acer customer support and/or looking on their website. It may be a frequently asked question or some such?

[Lynn]

I'm going to ask on a computer forum, found one with an Acer laptop section, someone there has bound to have come across this problem before.

(Interesting to see the number of threads asking for advice on downgrading to XP having bought laptops with Vista already installed....)

[frodo]

Originally Posted by Lynn

The volume keys worked even when media player wasn't on - ie for general volume control.

Do laptops come with seperate keyboard software?

Yes for standard XP atleast. The keys won't work without the software unless the media player is in the foreqround.

It is a possibility the logitech software might be configured to support the laptop keys and/or third party software might be configured to support both.

[Tessalicious]

If it makes you feel any better, I used to have an Acer laptop with buttons on the side that were marked as controls for WMP (play, pause, skip etc). I could never get them to work, and when I took the laptop to be checked for a completely separate problem, I mentioned this to the computer guy. He said "you don't really expect those to work do you? They're just put there to look like the computer is cleverer than it is."

So, be grateful they even worked for a little while

(sorry, I can't make any constructive comments except agreeing with the thing about separate software)

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by Tessalicious

If it makes you feel any better, I used to have an Acer laptop with buttons on the side that were marked as controls for WMP (play, pause, skip etc). I could never get them to work, and when I took the laptop to be checked for a completely separate problem, I mentioned this to the computer guy. He said "you don't really expect those to work do you? They're just put there to look like the computer is cleverer than it is."

Oh dear!

They worked just fine till I installed another keyboard. I notice that the other 'extra' keys do not work now either (the email, Acer Empowering key etc) so its not just the Media Player keys.

I'm sure all the little instructions to tell these keys to work is still in there somewhere but they have been disabled by me installing the other keyboard. So surely I just have to figure out how to enable them again? (I know nothing about computers, I'm just trying to think logically about this, but maybe with computers that's the wrong approach to take!)

[DavidY]

When looking around the Acer site I did notice that some Acer PCs have an application called "Launch Manager" which seems to have something to do with the "Empowerment" () key.

Does your PC have Launch Manager? If so, what happens if you run it?

Also, I don't suppose the Manual says anything helpful? Have you looked? *(Ducks and runs)*

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by DavidY

When looking around the Acer site I did notice that some Acer PCs have an application called "Launch Manager" which seems to have something to do with the "Empowerment" () key.

Does your PC have Launch Manager? If so, what happens if you run it?

I know, 'Empowering Technology'. Oh look, I can just push a button and feel all empowered...

Originally Posted by DavidY

Also, I don't suppose the Manual says anything helpful? Have you looked? *(Ducks and runs)*

There's a manual? I'll dig it out and have a look...

I have discovered some sound control features - most of which are totally useless (like I really want my music to sound like its being played in a bathroom...) but one marginally useful feature of being able to control the speed of a track. Handy if I ever wanted to learn a routine to a song and wanted to slow it down a bit first.

[frodo]

Originally Posted by Lynn

I'm sure all the little instructions to tell these keys to work is still in there somewhere but they have been disabled by me installing the other keyboard. So surely I just have to figure out how to enable them again? (I know nothing about computers, I'm just trying to think logically about this, but maybe with computers that's the wrong approach to take!)

It is not so much disabled as out of the loop - so the program may not actually know it is disabled.


What happens is a hotkey driver intercepts keystrokes before normal applications see them and either passes them on to the normal application or diverts them elsewhere (such as to a background media player).

If you have multiple hotkey drivers installed generally the last one installed will see the keystrokes first and have the first opportunity to divert them. Any it doesn't divert will be passed onto the last but one installed hotkey driver and so on - so the last hotkey driver can easily mess up earlier ones.

Either the logitech drivers hasn't been fully uninstalled (may need a reboot), and is still eating the keystrokes, or more likely the logitech driver install or uninstall cut the orginal driver out of the loop.


Generally the driver will add itself into the loop when installed. If you have a driver CD I would expect it to be on t here. There may or may not be other methods.


It is possible that the hotkey program has the possibility to repair itself. If you have a look in 'Add/Remove' programs for likely programs 'acer' or 'hotkey' in the name and see if they have a repair option.

One other possibility may be if you've only recently installed the Logitech driver and haven't done other important installations in the mean time is to use the Windows System Restore.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by frodo

Either the logitech drivers hasn't been fully uninstalled (may need a reboot), and is still eating the keystrokes, or more likely the logitech driver install or uninstall cut the orginal driver out of the loop.

I may not have uninstalled it properly (used the add/remove programs).

I'll check what discs I have but not sure which one the drivers would be on.

Originally Posted by frodo

One other possibility may be if you've only recently installed the Logitech driver and haven't done other important installations in the mean time is to use the Windows System Restore.

Haven't done anything else except create some Word files, emails and added some music. How would I do a system restore and what else might it affect?

[frodo]

Originally Posted by Lynn

I may not have uninstalled it properly (used the add/remove programs).

I'll check what discs I have but not sure which one the drivers would be on.

Haven't done anything else except create some Word files, emails and added some music. How would I do a system restore and what else might it affect?

It isn't that you haven't done anything properly (except possibly if you haven't rebooted) - it is just the software is likely badly written.


System restore is on the Start Menu at - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore.

System restore should only affect programs you've installed or settings you've changed since the restore point - it shouldn't do anything to your Word files / emails / music (except I'd be slightly wary if it was 'protected' music). This sort of situation is what it was designed for. There is no absolute guarantee though - as you might have observed, software doesn't always work correctly.

Restore points are automatically created when you run an install program so there should be a restore point just before you installed the logitech software you can revert to.


I'm not an expert on system restore as I usually turn it off on my systems in favour other methods. Google and/or more expert people here can tell you more.