I've a program (*.exe) which gets started just after the Windows logon
and which functionality I use. This program unfortunately uses the key
combination 'Ctrl + F5' to display an info message box. That's very
bad because I have another program where I really need the key
combination 'Ctrl + F5' and unfortunately the first program "wins" so
that if I use 'Ctrl + F5' the info message box appears.
Because the programmer of the first program doesn't offer any
possibility to change the key combination I'm trying to find a way to
change it by myself.

Here's my approach:
Somewhere in the program (*.exe) there must be some commands which
tell Windows what to do if someone uses the key combination 'Ctrl +
F5'. I'd like to edit that commands directly in the *.exe file (with
debug, hexedit, ...) so that not the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' is
used but e.g. 'Ctrl + F12'.
I think that should work but the problem is how to find the commands
which define this key combination.
In DOS it was the interrupt INT 9 (keyboard interrupt) so that I could
search for INT 9. However, I've no idea for what I have to search in
Windows XP.

Any help or idea how I could change the key comination 'Ctrl + F5' to
e.g. 'Ctrl + F12' is very appreciated.

Stefan

Try this:

Create keyboard shortcuts to open program
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...-open-programs

--
Rey


"Stefan Mueller" wrote:

> I've a program (*.exe) which gets started just after the Windows logon
> and which functionality I use. This program unfortunately uses the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' to display an info message box. That's very
> bad because I have another program where I really need the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' and unfortunately the first program "wins" so
> that if I use 'Ctrl + F5' the info message box appears.
> Because the programmer of the first program doesn't offer any
> possibility to change the key combination I'm trying to find a way to
> change it by myself.
>
> Here's my approach:
> Somewhere in the program (*.exe) there must be some commands which
> tell Windows what to do if someone uses the key combination 'Ctrl +
> F5'. I'd like to edit that commands directly in the *.exe file (with
> debug, hexedit, ...) so that not the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' is
> used but e.g. 'Ctrl + F12'.
> I think that should work but the problem is how to find the commands
> which define this key combination.
> In DOS it was the interrupt INT 9 (keyboard interrupt) so that I could
> search for INT 9. However, I've no idea for what I have to search in
> Windows XP.
>
> Any help or idea how I could change the key comination 'Ctrl + F5' to
> e.g. 'Ctrl + F12' is very appreciated.
>
> Stefan
> .
>

"Stefan Mueller" <(E-Mail Removed)> said this in news item
news:4a385252-9f80-4d53-b522-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've a program (*.exe) which gets started just after the Windows logon
> and which functionality I use. This program unfortunately uses the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' to display an info message box. That's very
> bad because I have another program where I really need the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' and unfortunately the first program "wins" so
> that if I use 'Ctrl + F5' the info message box appears.
> Because the programmer of the first program doesn't offer any
> possibility to change the key combination I'm trying to find a way to
> change it by myself.
>
> Here's my approach:
> Somewhere in the program (*.exe) there must be some commands which
> tell Windows what to do if someone uses the key combination 'Ctrl +
> F5'. I'd like to edit that commands directly in the *.exe file (with
> debug, hexedit, ...) so that not the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' is
> used but e.g. 'Ctrl + F12'.
> I think that should work but the problem is how to find the commands
> which define this key combination.
> In DOS it was the interrupt INT 9 (keyboard interrupt) so that I could
> search for INT 9. However, I've no idea for what I have to search in
> Windows XP.
>
> Any help or idea how I could change the key comination 'Ctrl + F5' to
> e.g. 'Ctrl + F12' is very appreciated.
>
> Stefan

Things have moved a long way since the "good old" DOS days where you could
cut into interrupts 9 or 21 to modify the actions taken when someone pressed
a certain key. Your chances of achieving the same with a 32-bit program are
very small indeed. I can see two possibilities for you:

a) Beg the manufacturer of one or both of your programs to give you a
customised version that uses a different keystroke.

b) Test a number of macro-programs (e.g. AutoIt) to see whether their
actions might affect your two applications differently. As an example: I use
Microsoft's "Keyboard Layout Creator" in order to remap certain keys such as
Ctrl+7. The program works perfectly in most cases except under MS Office
Applications. MS Office overrides my own definition of any Ctrl+whatever
key. It is conceivable that a similar thing happens with one of your two
apps when you redefine Ctrl+F12. By the way, the above keyboard creator is
unsuitable for you - it won't touch function keys.

Stefan Mueller wrote:
> I've a program (*.exe) which gets started just after the Windows logon
> and which functionality I use. This program unfortunately uses the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' to display an info message box. That's very
> bad because I have another program where I really need the key
> combination 'Ctrl + F5' and unfortunately the first program "wins" so
> that if I use 'Ctrl + F5' the info message box appears.
> Because the programmer of the first program doesn't offer any
> possibility to change the key combination I'm trying to find a way to
> change it by myself.
>
> Here's my approach:
> Somewhere in the program (*.exe) there must be some commands which
> tell Windows what to do if someone uses the key combination 'Ctrl +
> F5'. I'd like to edit that commands directly in the *.exe file (with
> debug, hexedit, ...) so that not the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' is
> used but e.g. 'Ctrl + F12'.
> I think that should work but the problem is how to find the commands
> which define this key combination.

I doubt you'd have much luck. Even if the program were disassembled it
would be difficult without comments for the code.

You might be able to disable Ctrl + F5 by using another program to define
that combo. Pegasus mentioned AutoIt, Hot Key Plus is another...
http://www.brianapps.net/hotkeyplus/

The problem is that if your misbehaving program is started after the program
used to define the combo it will likely grab it back. If it doesn't, there
is also the problem of defining what you want the combo to do...opening a
program is easy, doing something *within* a program is not.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Stefan Mueller <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:4a385252-9f80-4d53-b522-(E-Mail Removed)
oups.com:

<SNIP>

> Any help or idea how I could change the key comination
> 'Ctrl + F5' to e.g. 'Ctrl + F12' is very appreciated.

Look for a desktop utility with "F keys" or "keys" in the name.
I have several old ones, one is called TrayKeys IIRC, it lets
you set the 12 F keys (with Alt/Ctl/Shift modifiers, so a total
of 48 to do various things. Of course, SOME are system wide
presets, but there is enough left to work with.

Keymap and key remap are two others. I used key remap when I had
a great old clicky kbd without a windows key.


--
There are only two classifications of disk drives: Broken drives
and those that will break later.
- Chuck Armstrong (This one I think, http://www.cleanreg.com/,
not the ball player. But who knows. I can't remember where I got
the quote. But it's true.)

Yea, the "good old" DOS days where we could cut into interrupts to
change something are gone.
However, because the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' (set by this
software) works from everywhere within Windows (Desktop, Excel, self
written programs,,,) there must be a "place" within Windows (e.g.
Registry) where this key combination is stored. Actually I've several
programs which use such key combinations and I guess that Windows
stores these key combinations somewhere because if you press such a
key combination Windows has to know if it's used by a program (do
what's written in that program code) or if it has to do the Windows
default function.
My question is now where these key combinations are stored?
Or am I totally wrong?

Stefan

Stefan Mueller wrote:
> Yea, the "good old" DOS days where we could cut into interrupts to
> change something are gone.
> However, because the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' (set by this
> software) works from everywhere within Windows (Desktop, Excel, self
> written programs,,,) there must be a "place" within Windows (e.g.
> Registry) where this key combination is stored. Actually I've several
> programs which use such key combinations and I guess that Windows
> stores these key combinations somewhere because if you press such a
> key combination Windows has to know if it's used by a program (do
> what's written in that program code) or if it has to do the Windows
> default function.
> My question is now where these key combinations are stored?
> Or am I totally wrong?
>
> Stefan

I suspect that if you try to edit any executable or system file, Windows
is going to detect the CRC change, at which time Windows will try to
replace yours with the original file, or simply refuse to run the program.

Have you tried Autohotkey?

Stefan Mueller <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:503fa7c2-216a-43c5-951f-(E-Mail Removed)
ups.com:

> Yea, the "good old" DOS days where we could cut into
> interrupts to change something are gone.
> However, because the key combination 'Ctrl + F5' (set by
> this software) works from everywhere within Windows
> (Desktop, Excel, self written programs,,,) there must be a
> "place" within Windows (e.g. Registry) where this key
> combination is stored. Actually I've several programs which
> use such key combinations and I guess that Windows stores
> these key combinations somewhere because if you press such
> a key combination Windows has to know if it's used by a
> program (do what's written in that program code) or if it
> has to do the Windows default function.
> My question is now where these key combinations are stored?
> Or am I totally wrong?

The BASIC system-wide OS hotkey commands are (I would /guess/)
hard-coded into an exe or dll somewhere in the win directory.

But I have used quite a few programs which can add functionality
or even change some of it.

Most of them, since in a sense they work "against" the OS, just
have cfg or ini files in their own directory and put nothing in
the accursed devil's dwelling known as the Windows Registry.

No one in the world knows /everything/ about any Windows OS. It
took me about ten years of searching and asking (not, not 24/7,
but still...) to find out where the ****ing Windows registry
stores icon desktop positions.


--
There are only two classifications of disk drives: Broken drives
and those that will break later.
- Chuck Armstrong (This one I think, http://www.cleanreg.com/,
not the ball player. But who knows. I can't remember where I got
the quote. But it's true.)

On Jan 14, 11:59*pm, Bob CP <ctcboa...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I suspect that if you try to edit any executable or system file, Windows
> is going to detect the CRC change, at which time Windows will try to
> replace yours with the original file, or simply refuse to run the program..

I don't intend to edit any system file. I just want to find the
position in the executable where the key comination 'Ctrl + F5' will
be activated and change it e.g. to 'Ctrl + F12'.
However, the big problem is how to find this postion in the executable
if I don't know how these key combinations are set within Windows.

Stefan

Stefan Mueller <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:624f84d6-9f45-423e-8dc1-(E-Mail Removed)
oups.com:

> On Jan 14, 11:59*pm, Bob CP <ctcboa...@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>> I suspect that if you try to edit any executable or system
>> file, Windows is going to detect the CRC change, at which
>> time Windows will try to replace yours with the original
>> file, or simply refuse to run the program
> .
>
> I don't intend to edit any system file. I just want to find
> the position in the executable where the key comination
> 'Ctrl + F5' will be activated and change it e.g. to 'Ctrl +
> F12'.

Guess what? That is called editing a system file.

> However, the big problem is how to find this postion
> in the executable if I don't know how these key
> combinations are set within Windows.

If you /think/ you can reverse engineer the exe and find where
this is coded, than you certainly should be able to figure out
how to "set these key combinations within Windows" as well, or
vice versa. You are making this SO complicated.

Basically, you are going about this the wrong way. Just get
FKeys or whatever like it (there are dozens if not more, many
will be free) or just the good old KeyRemap and get THAT to do
what you want.

It seems you just enjoy complicating yours and other's lives.

Most things can be done with a few hits of keys rather than
anything discussed above, and there are apps which will do
whatever you want (open something, print something, connect to a
specific web site, play a specific mp3 track etc) with a simple
key combo.

If you can't remember the 30+ combos available with most of
those apps, you can print them out and tape them to the side of
your monitor.

Google.


--
There are only two classifications of disk drives: Broken drives
and those that will break later.
- Chuck Armstrong (This one I think, http://www.cleanreg.com/,
not the ball player. But who knows. I can't remember where I got
the quote. But it's true.)