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I am trying to figure out if there is some built in way to disable the built in hotkeys in windows 7 enterprise? For instance, when I hit F1 it pops up the help window in windows, or a new tab in firefox with firefox help, f3 opens search window etc. I use these keys for many other things, this is really a problem for me.
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IT' actually really simple if You have vista or windows 7. Just in start search bar write "mobility" and look in search results for " Windows mobility center". A window will open. find Fuction key in that and select "Function Key" instead of "multimedia"(or any thing else) and that's it.
THIS LOCKED MY F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 AND SO ON KEYS. I GOT THIS FROM ANOTHER WEBSITE FROM SOMEONE ELSE THIS SHOULD HELP YOU NIGTHER SMITTER
Shawn, you are wrong... it IS a windows thing. And our windows keys are not stuck.
I don't have a screensaver set so i went into preview and sure enough the F* keys won't wake it up, but it will still change volume brightness ect. as for keyboard settings it's useless, it tell me drivers are working, has options for repeated keys and cursor blink rate.
it's Toshiba, c855-s5214.
I'm positive it's a keyboard app (either running as a service or as a user application, typically down in the notification area by the clock but sometimes there are no icons for these). It's hard to be very specific because this is up to the PC manufacture to decide, but check your keyboard settings in control panel, even the mouse panel. But like I said, it could be a QuickSet (or a program like it).
Those special functions, like brightness and such, in most drivers are never sent to windows. For example, try adjusting brightness while your screensaver is on -- it likely won't even be seen as a keystroke.
Macs do this to, but they have an option to inverse that (so it would require holding the Fn key while typing the F button to adjust the brightness). Not all manufactures include this option (but usually you can still do it through a registry tweak).
I wouldn't mind helping research a little more. Can you tell me your system manufacturer and model number?
Windows only binds to the F1 (or any F key) if you're holding the Windows Logo button. For example right now I'm in Google Chrome browser. If I press F1, Google Support opens (Chrome is the program receiving all keystrokes) If I press Windows+F1, Windows Help opens.
My guess at this point is either the Windows Logo key is stuck, or (much more likely) there is a keyboard daemon program running that is intercepting the keystrokes. Dell's "QuickSet" program comes to mind, but other manufacturer's use other applications as well.
Unfortunately it'd be hard to narrow down unless I was at the computer. One thing I can recommend is opening up MSCONFIG, going to the startup tab, and disabling anything that either looks like it is a keyboard/hotkey application, or you don't recognize as another needed application.
it cannot be the windows key being stuck for me, as i hold down the windows key and all the f* keys do their usual change brightness turn off mousepad, change volume, when i release the windows key it pops open the start menu like normal.
