Windows Takes Over Function Keys - Games Can't Use Them
Jan 19, 2013
I want to disable my function key abilities completely so games or other apps can use them normally. Windows seem to take over these functions with the stuff like brightness, sound, turn airplane mode on/off.. what i need is a registry hack or something to to fix this. There is a app in control panel that allows you to access some, not all of these functions.. Windows Mobility Center - but still you cannot turn them off at all. I do not need or want any of these features on my function keys.
These are shortcut keys manufactures started putting on keyboards a few years back.. They used to be called Multimedia keyboards - these functions were never standard for a keyboard. I feel like MS has some nerve taking over my function keys like this in a way where i cannot easily turn these off.
have a Registry hacks section. I used to use another forum - forgot it's name for use with XP.
Recently did a clean install of windows 8 on my Asus K53SV and the function keys work fine except for the brightness keys.Actually, at first i loaded the windows 7 atk package and the brightness keys worked but the volume ones didn't then i got the latest atk package and now the brightness ones don't work (the lower brightness one just dims my monitor a bit and the increase brightness just makes it brighter a bit but doesn't change the brightness value) and the volume ones do.
I built a very high-spec gaming PC last August and installed Windows 8. I upgraded to 8.1 later and did not experience any problems until I needed to reinstall Windows 8.1 in February in order for USB devices to function properly (restoring or refreshing Windows 8.1 wasn't an option because that function is currently broken (sort it out Microsoft!!))
Since then, a unique problem seems to have developed. My CPU is an Intel-4770k, so when I first boot up the PC from shut down, or when I press the hard restart button on my computer case, the computer boots up very quickly and with no problems. However, when I click 'Restart' from Windows, the interface shuts down, and my PC remains active, but nothing else happens for a good 2 or 3 minutes. After that time, I see two red LEDs on my motherboard flash (I guess that is the PC posting) and the computer starts up.
I am clueless as to why the Restart function has such a massive delay. I followed the steps on one thread which told me to go into msconfig and disable all start-up applications and to do the same in task manager, but after doing so and restarting my PC, the problem persisted. (The thread : [URL] .... )
I just switched from Mac OS to Windows 8, and one of my biggest problems have been the function keys (F1-F12). On a mac, you could have the OS features "hidden" behind Fn, which enabled me to use function keys as shortcuts when using a software or playing. With Windows 8, the OS function keys commands go above a software's shortcut commands. So you can't press F5 for refresh and so forth.
After a lot of googling, it seemed it's impossible to switch Windows 8's features such as second screen (f10) off, or have them behind a Fn+F10 type commands.
I've tried already to achieve this with autohotkey but even with administrative rights etc, Windows 8 won't let me bypass or override the OS function keys features.
This is actually the main reason in considering to sell my brand new Lenovo laptop (which I like) and switch back to Apple.
I have a Toshiba Satellite P75-A7200 with windows 8, and none of the function keys are working, although they used to work. Windows 8 does not have flash cards, nor is there a keyboard option on computer settings.
ALT-TAB is not working when I am playing online games (Crossfire -develop by SmileGate/Neowiz) and Steam-DOTA2. I just experience it when I upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. Is there a workaround on this? I don't want to go back to Windows 7 or 8
I recently upgraded to Windows 8.1 from Windows 7 and noticed my USB 3 WD Passport external hard drive stays powered on as well as my round LED's (Lock/Start/Reset). With Windows 7 I just enabled EuP in the bios and that powered everything down when I shut down including the LED's. Now with Windows 8.1 that function doesn't work. They all stay on. I tried disabling all the power functions in Power Management for the USB but still, the power stays on. For some reason the EuP enable function does not work like before. I believe its related to Windows 8.1 since it worked fine with Windows 7. For some reason they locked USB power after shutdown.
PS: I already tried resetting the bios to no effect.
I am looking to make some adjustments to my system and have been advised to use the "Change PC Settings" button on the charms bar. I do not have touch screen so all my taps are with a mouse. When I open the gear icon on the charms bar all is ok and all choices are shown. The only one that doesnt work is "Change PC Settings". When I click on it nothing happens except a small jump of the screen.
I know of two ways to search. Neither is working for me. Indexing service is active.
1) Using Modern UI (see screenshot)
Good : finds things including file contents
Bad : Searches cannot be saved. No advanced options like (type of data: file, outlook etc..), size, date...File types associated with Internet Explorer are opened in Modern UI IE not in Desktop IE. Every time a file is opened, the search results vanish.
2) Using Explorer (see screenshot)
Good : It has everything the Modern UI search lacks (advanced options, save searches etc.)
Bad : Doesn't find things (file content wise). For example the file in the screenshot is on my desktop. It takes minutes and then finds nothing.
Can I somehow copy the hidden activation files from Windows 8.0 Pro WMC to a Windows 8.1 Pro WMC installation and get it activated?! I have legit keys for Pro 8.0 with WMC but I would like to make a fresh install on a different system but with 8.1... any workarounds or do I just have to wait for windows update to get 8.1 and then copy the activation files... ?
I have an asus laptop with windows 8.1 and am trying to reverse the function key but when I get into the BIOS area I can find no way to change it there. Is there another method with asus or windows 8.1?
What do I have to do to get the product keys for the installed operating system? What do I do to re-install in case of a failure. Where is my copy of the software so I can re-install it?
I have had this windows 8 laptop for half a year now. I didn't have any problems with it until AFTER the 30 day warranty expired. My issue is the right parenthesis key, the underscore key, and the question mark key stop working every now and then and it is getting more and more frequent. I haven't done anything to this laptop at all, It hasn't been dropped, hit, spilled upon or anything.
Few days ago a friend showed me a great OSx functionality - Smart Folders. Basically it is a "virtual" folder, does not really contains files but rather an active search folder.
Let say you want to have a place that will display only word/text documents created within last 5 days, or only doc files.... regardless of where they really are.
Can you get such functionality in Windows? I know "search" pretty good but using it instead of set folder, means we have to perform search every time we want to display files we look for.
Windows 8 moves to BIOS-based product keys Product keys for Windows 8 computers aren't printed on a sticker. They're encrypted in the BIOS. How might that affect you?
My question: is this possible..?? Can a OS write to BIOS..?
If it true you can NEVER switch to a other OS..!!! You need to buy a new PC...
Source: Windows 8 moves to BIOS-based product keys | Windows 8
I've recently made a Windows 8 and a Windows 8.1 installation disc from the ISO images on MSDN. Each image includes Core/Core VL and Pro/Pro VL, 32 and 64 bit editions of each. I have the installation keys for all of these installations, but I don't want to have to type an installation key every time I go to use this disc. I've tried adding an installation key using WinReducer8 (which I do not recommend), but it only adds one key, which means I cannot choose which edition I want to install.
When I made my AIO Windows 7 ISO, I had no issues, as Windows 7 doesn't force you to add an installation or product key; you select your desired edition and you're good to go. Attached Image 1 shows what I'm referring to.
Now, however, Windows 8 has to choose your edition by the product key you enter (well played, Microsoft), and I want to find a way around this.
I've been driven to post by an issue with the Refresh Windows option since the update to 8.1 I cannot find a viable solution.
It appears to me that the Refresh Windows function is broken for those of us who upgraded from 8 to 8.1 for free via the start screen Windows Store.
When I tried to run Refresh on two of my 8.1 machines it failed, responding with the error message "files are missing, insert your recovery drive or installation media" or similar.
However, if you have upgraded via the Store, neither your original Windows 8 installation disk NOR a newly created recovery drive will work. If you try to use either, windows will tell you the media is invalid.
Research and fault finding indicates that the refresh function won't work because of a product key conflict. From what I can tell this is because:
When you upgrade from 8 to 8.1 through the store you don't create an ISO or receive an updated product key.
If you have upgraded via the store, Refresh will tell you files are missing, as above. If you use your original 8 installation media as windows directs you to, it will fail because the product key is no longer valid.
If you create a new recovery drive on your updated 8.1 machine, again this will not work - Refresh will say the disk is invalid. Again I suspect this is a product key issue.
Trying to find and use a Windows product key on my machines since the upgrade is also a dead end. Control Panel/System and Security/System no longer displays a product key. Using a third party product key finder app may find another product key, however again this will be invalid.
I have MSI CX480 and i just upgraded to windows 8 from 7.. my function keys are working before but now that i'm in 8 its not working. i already install my drivers but still, its not working..
I bought my Dell desktop about 3 years ago. Since then I replaced the HDD with a new Samsung SSD and reinstalled Windows 8 on it. After that it started running really fast.
I usually don't reboot it too often, I do it maybe once a month after installing updates. What I've been noticing lately is that it takes progressively longer to boot this desktop up. I initially thought that the SSD was going bad, so I cloned it 1-to-1 to the original HDD that the desktop came with and that I never used, but the boot time didn't change. I timed it today and it took about 5 minutes to boot up while showing this window:
I have an old laptop from 2007. I bought windows 8 license (was using W7) and it was working great for the few months. After that it stopped. Now if I want to boot it, or restart it or shut it down it takes at least 30 minutes which huge sound coming from it.
I got a new laptop today, but I still want to use my old one. As I think a laptop is a girl, it has to be perfect
It takes 1 minute to enter the windows 8. And 29 minutes to enter the metro layout (it keeps loading).
Windows 8 which I installed recently (from factory recovery image) suddenly now takes too long to shutdown.
Around 2 minutes and 20 seconds. I tried disabling and enabling "Fast Startup" but that didn't affect the shutdown time.
Also reduced the "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" from 5000ms to 3000ms but also there is no effect.
Also the "ClearPageFileAtShutdown" is set to 0.
I even tried hibernating instead of shutdown and it took 2:20 minutes too !Also disabled hibernate with "powercfg -h off" and tried to shutdown , and took 2:20 minutes too.
my problem is that this new pc , that i got for 2 days , y50-70 , boots so slowly. It is literally 65 seconds. Cant i enable somewhere some fast boot setting ?
