Setting default multimedia keyboard hotkeys/shortcuts/launch

[Mike Pepe]

I have a Dell multimedia keyboard on an ABIT-based Athlon64x2 system.

The keyboard has a bunch of multimedia control keys, which work fine
(volume knob, playlist advance, mute, etc) in Winamp.

However when I push the "music" button, WMP launches. In XP it used to
launch Winamp, which is my preferred application to launch when I push
that keyboard shortcut.

Where in Vista is this defined, and how can I change it? I ran through
the registry and didn't see anything obvious.

Thanks

(Mike)

 

[Guest]

Mike,

Try options in Start > All Programs > Default Programs.

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Control Panel > Keyboard > Buttons tab

Also, have you checked Dell for Vista keyboard updates?

 

[Mike Pepe]

Mike,

Try options in Start > All Programs > Default Programs.

That's a good suggestion, but unfortunately Winamp doesn't appear in the
list of programs to select default options for.

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Try double clicking on the button entry you want to change, on mine a dialog
opens, in the first entry from the drop down list I chose Simple local file with
label, the second entry type what you want to appear on the screen when the
button is pressed, and in the third browse to the executable for the program I
want to open.

 

[Mike Pepe]

Try double clicking on the button entry you want to change, on mine a dialog
opens, in the first entry from the drop down list I chose Simple local file with
label, the second entry type what you want to appear on the screen when the
button is pressed, and in the third browse to the executable for the program I
want to open.

There is no button entry. In doing more research, particularly in the
Dell support forums, I've come to the conclusion that the only way to
make that tab appear would be to install Dell's keyboard driver.
Unforutnately the SK-8135 driver is "included" with the CD that ships
with a new Dell PC, so there's apparently no way to get this driver,
other than buying a new Dell.

Now, the bizarre thing about this is, I've got another, identical
keyboard on the wife's pc, a non-Dell PC we built from scratch... and on
her PC, pushing the music key launches Winamp.

There's a setting somewhere that controls this. I guess nobody knows
where it is.

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Have you tried to contact Dell?

 

[Mike Pepe]

Have you tried to contact Dell?

Yeah. They're clueless. Quite a few people on their support forums are
bitching about the same issue.

 

[Mike Pepe]

Problem solved thanks to Mark Russinovich and Process Monitor!

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\AppKey\16\Association


By default, pressing "Button 16" on this keyboard launches the default
application associated with .cda files.

Even though winamp and wmp were set to play .cda files, only wmp shows
up in the default programs list in control panel, so it's settings "stuck".

I changed the value in that registry entry to .flac, which winamp plays
but wmp does not. Success! the keyboard shortcut now launches winamp.