bojolais ([info]bojolais) wrote,
@ 2009-01-17 18:29:00
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Get Windows key on an old keyboard
http://bojordan.com/log/?p=647

I have a particular love of IBM keyboards, both the clicky Model M (compact) as well as scissor-key ThinkPad keyboards. Neither of these, however, has a Windows key. This key is good for much more than popping up the Start menu, so I’d like to get it back. Also, I never use Caps Lock, and have always preferred having Control in that location. So, I remapped Left Control to the Caps Lock key, and then reassigned Left Control to work as Left Windows. Works like a charm.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,1d,00,3a,00,5b,e0,1d,00,\
  00,00,00,00

Explanation of the code to put into the registry can be found here, or you can just use KeyTweak to reassign.


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[info]drakedw
2009-01-17 11:52 pm UTC (link)
Interestingly enough, the Lenovo ThinkPad's we're looking at for the office now have the Windows key (in the usual location). A couple years back, we actually visited the IBM hardware guys in RTP, and listen to one of them rant about how they (IBM) would never put a Windows key on a machine because it wasn't ergonomic. I had to bite my tongue to keep from pointing out that ergonomic and laptop keyboard are somewhat contradictory, but.... *chuckle*

I could never get used to the Control key being where CapsLock is, even though I never use the key. I guess old habits are just hard to break.

D

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[info]bojolais
2009-01-18 12:14 am UTC (link)
Yeah, as soon as ThinkPads moved out of RTP they almost immediately slapped the Win key on there. You know it had to be some particular high-level manager's pet peeve. Not that I ever complained; I loved not having the logo on my keyboards, especially since I ran Linux almost exclusively before the current gig.

When I use the non-WinKey TP keyboards on my Macs, I often remap CapsLock to Command (which is the same key as Win). On my current laptop it's set to control. Talk about major finger confusion. Back when I used Emacs as my editor-of-choice, my tendons appreciated having control on the home line, but these days it's just the illusion of having one less unused key on my keyboard.

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[info]bojolais
2009-01-18 12:16 am UTC (link)
BTW, you guys don't have one of those dual monitor Lenovos? Muhaha, major stupid nerd lust on those.

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[info]drakedw
2009-01-20 02:13 pm UTC (link)
Not yet, though all it takes is a shareholder that wants one, and...

We peons wouldn't get something like that, though. *laugh*

D

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[info]lsmithmier
2009-01-20 03:34 am UTC (link)
Sweet low level fun with winders. I can't think of any reasons I would want to use it now, but I will file away the knowledge that you know how to do it, just in case. I am guessing that you could use the same type thing to re-map your QWERTY to a DVORAK.

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