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Function key (re)mapping problem
morf001
Member Posts: 4 Arc User
My preferred keyboard is an elderly Microsoft Natural Multimedia, connecting via PS/2 connector. This is one of those keyboards which have an "F-Lock" key to change the function keys from F1-12 to Help, Undo, Redo, etc. When Windows boots up, this F-Lock key is disabled, meaning that the F keys don't act as F keys by default. I find this annoying, so years ago I found a registry hack to remap the keys so that the default, non-locked state was for the F keys to act as F keys. This has not been a problem in any software I have ever used, except for STO.
STO reads most of the F keys correctly, but F2 is read as 7, F3 as 6 and F10 as H, rendering those three F keys unusable (or at least unusable as separate keys from the real 6, 7 and H keys). This has been the case for years: I have played on and off since the game's launch, and remember having this same problem years ago before taking a break from the game. I seem to remember reading around or posting in the forum (an old version of the forum? There's no record of me posting before in this version) before and determining/being told that the game reads keypresses in a way that ignores the remapping from the registry hack.
For reference, here is the single registry key that gets created by the hack:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,19,00,00,00,3b,00,3b,e0,3c,00,08,e0,\
3d,00,07,e0,3e,00,3e,e0,3f,00,3f,e0,40,00,40,e0,41,00,41,e0,42,00,42,e0,43,\
00,43,e0,44,00,23,e0,57,00,57,e0,58,00,58,e0,3b,e0,3b,00,08,e0,3c,00,07,e0,\
3d,00,3e,e0,3e,00,3f,e0,3f,00,40,e0,40,00,41,e0,41,00,42,e0,42,00,43,e0,43,\
00,23,e0,44,00,57,e0,57,00,58,e0,58,00,00,00,00,00
In here you see "3b,00,3b,e0" which equates to "F1,Help" and maps the F1 function to the Help key. There's a complementary "3b,e0,3b,00" which maps the Help function to the F1 key. I've double-checked this key and it's definitely not accidentally mapping anything to 6, 7 or H, and if it did, it would be evident every time I pressed one of those keys. This is definitely a problem in STO, not in Windows 10.
I think that this probably classes as a bug, rather than the unavoidable consequence of remapping the keys in the registry, given that no other game that I've played has experienced the same problem, to the best of my knowledge.
(Also, before anyone else suggests it, I have other keyboards, including a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which also have an F-Lock button. On the 4000, which is newer and connects via USB, the F-Lock key defaults to enabled when Windows boots, meaning that the F keys act as F keys by default and no remapping is required: the game reads the keypresses correctly. However, I prefer the older keyboard, so I would like to use it, hopefully with the game reading its inputs correctly.)
Assuming that this gets recorded as a bug and fixed in the future, I'd appreciate any suggestions for fixing it in the short term, if anyone has any.
Thanks in advance.
STO reads most of the F keys correctly, but F2 is read as 7, F3 as 6 and F10 as H, rendering those three F keys unusable (or at least unusable as separate keys from the real 6, 7 and H keys). This has been the case for years: I have played on and off since the game's launch, and remember having this same problem years ago before taking a break from the game. I seem to remember reading around or posting in the forum (an old version of the forum? There's no record of me posting before in this version) before and determining/being told that the game reads keypresses in a way that ignores the remapping from the registry hack.
For reference, here is the single registry key that gets created by the hack:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,19,00,00,00,3b,00,3b,e0,3c,00,08,e0,\
3d,00,07,e0,3e,00,3e,e0,3f,00,3f,e0,40,00,40,e0,41,00,41,e0,42,00,42,e0,43,\
00,43,e0,44,00,23,e0,57,00,57,e0,58,00,58,e0,3b,e0,3b,00,08,e0,3c,00,07,e0,\
3d,00,3e,e0,3e,00,3f,e0,3f,00,40,e0,40,00,41,e0,41,00,42,e0,42,00,43,e0,43,\
00,23,e0,44,00,57,e0,57,00,58,e0,58,00,00,00,00,00
In here you see "3b,00,3b,e0" which equates to "F1,Help" and maps the F1 function to the Help key. There's a complementary "3b,e0,3b,00" which maps the Help function to the F1 key. I've double-checked this key and it's definitely not accidentally mapping anything to 6, 7 or H, and if it did, it would be evident every time I pressed one of those keys. This is definitely a problem in STO, not in Windows 10.
I think that this probably classes as a bug, rather than the unavoidable consequence of remapping the keys in the registry, given that no other game that I've played has experienced the same problem, to the best of my knowledge.
(Also, before anyone else suggests it, I have other keyboards, including a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which also have an F-Lock button. On the 4000, which is newer and connects via USB, the F-Lock key defaults to enabled when Windows boots, meaning that the F keys act as F keys by default and no remapping is required: the game reads the keypresses correctly. However, I prefer the older keyboard, so I would like to use it, hopefully with the game reading its inputs correctly.)
Assuming that this gets recorded as a bug and fixed in the future, I'd appreciate any suggestions for fixing it in the short term, if anyone has any.
Thanks in advance.
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