CAPS/Ctrl key hack, why hasn't someone written this utility?

[Al Dykes]

I'm one of those people that uses keyboards that can swap Caps and Ctl
or I remap the keys in software. When I do this on a shared computer,
I get evil looks, or worse.

It just occured to me that a quiet beep tone whenever the CapsLock key
changes state wouldn't confuse the unwary and would warn me me
whenever I was using a shared machine. An upward tone would indicate
CAPS on and a downward beep would indicate CAPS going off.

Has anyone written this for any OS?

 

[Bob I]

Please see Control Panel, Accessibility Options, Keyboard.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I'm one of those people that uses keyboards that can swap Caps and Ctl
or I remap the keys in software. When I do this on a shared computer,
I get evil looks, or worse.

It just occured to me that a quiet beep tone whenever the CapsLock key
changes state wouldn't confuse the unwary and would warn me me
whenever I was using a shared machine. An upward tone would indicate
CAPS on and a downward beep would indicate CAPS going off.

Has anyone written this for any OS?

There are several programs that let you swap these keys. Some give you no
indication of the swap, some give you a floating reminder and some may even
beep at you. You did not say which program you use. Perhaps you can find one
on Google that does exactly what you want.

 

[Al Dykes]

Please see Control Panel, Accessibility Options, Keyboard.

Thanks. At this instant, I'm on a Vista machine and I can't find
anything like "Accessibility Options" in CP. Maybe it's because I'n
not privilaged.

Does this feature do someting like I want? I don't want to sawp keys.

 

[Al Dykes]

There are several programs that let you swap these keys. Some give you no
indication of the swap, some give you a floating reminder and some may even
beep at you. You did not say which program you use. Perhaps you can find one
on Google that does exactly what you want.

I don't want to swap keys. I want to make the state of the Caps key
audible.

SXSC

 

[Bob I]

Thanks. At this instant, I'm on a Vista machine and I can't find
anything like "Accessibility Options" in CP. Maybe it's because I'n
not privilaged.

Does this feature do someting like I want? I don't want to sawp keys.

maybe look up Accessibility in Windows Vista help?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I don't want to swap keys. I want to make the state of the Caps key
audible.

Strange, I thought that much of your post was about swapping keys. Anyway,
under WinXP I can see the "ToggleKeys" option under "Accessibility". It says
". . . if you want to hear tones when pressing CapsLock . . .". If you
cannot find this item under Vista then I strongly recommend that you repost
your question in a Vista newsgroup.

 

[Alan]

Hello Al,

For Vista, follow the steps at this link:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/74689-toggle-keys-beep-alert.html

Alan

 

[Al Dykes]

Hello Al,

For Vista, follow the steps at this link:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/74689-toggle-keys-beep-alert.html

thanks. That's one OS down.

 

[John]

Please see Control Panel, Accessibility Options, Keyboard.

Cool. Thank you. I've been using XP for years and never knew that
was there.

Reply-to address is real
John

 

[Jeff Johnson]

I'm one of those people that uses keyboards that can swap Caps and Ctl

I'm curious: why would anyone want to do this?

 

[Twayne]

I'm curious: why would anyone want to do this?

Keyboards used to be that way and it's actually more ergonomically
correct if you're a user that makes a lot of use of the CTRL key. The
old Northgate keyboards were like that, and still are but I forget who
makes them now.

 

[Ken Blake]

Keyboards used to be that way and it's actually more ergonomically correct
if you're a user that makes a lot of use of the CTRL key. The old
Northgate keyboards were like that, and still are but I forget who makes
them now.

No special keyboard is necessary to do this. any one can be configured that
way by using software, for example the program I use : the freeware
SharpKeys, which you can get at http://www.randyrants.com/sharpkeys/

Personally, I find that the Caps Lock key (and the Insert key) is annoying
since I sometimes hit it accidentally, so I use SharpKeys to configure the
key to do nothing when pressed.

 

[Jeff Johnson]

Keyboards used to be that way and it's actually more ergonomically correct
if you're a user that makes a lot of use of the CTRL key. The old
Northgate keyboards were like that, and still are but I forget who makes
them now.

What kind, mainframe? I'm trying to think back to the Apple ][s and TRS-80s
I used in junior high. I don't think that's where it was on them. (Heck, I
don't even think the TRS-80 HAD a Ctrl key.)

I find it odd that a keyboard would have its Ctrl key there (and clearly
I've simply never seen a keyboard like this), because most keyboards are
modeled after typewriters and that's where the caps (or rather, SHIFT) lock
key was on many typewriters.

One of the things I DO remember about the TRS-80 (and Apple?) that I had to
adjust to on IBM PCs was that the @ key used to be near Enter and the " was
over the 2.

 

[Ken Blake]

One of the things I DO remember about the TRS-80 (and Apple?) that I had
to adjust to on IBM PCs was that the @ key used to be near Enter and the "
was over the 2.

I know nothing about the TRS-80 or Apple, and can't remember the keyboard
layout of IBM PCs for sure, but I'm *almost* sure IBM PS2 keyboards put the
@ and " keys in the same place as most modern keyboards.

However an important factor in where these keys are located is the country
of the keyboard. In the US, the @ is normally over the 2, and the " is
normally over the '. However in the UK (and other countries), they are the
way you describe IBM PCs.

Also note that regardless of what kind of keyboard you have, what pressing
these keys does is the result of how you have it set in Windows.. Holding
down shift and pressing 2 can give you either a @ or a " regardless of the
physical keyboard, but depending on what country you choose for the Windows
settings.

 

[Jeff Johnson]

I know nothing about the TRS-80 or Apple, and can't remember the keyboard
layout of IBM PCs for sure, but I'm *almost* sure IBM PS2 keyboards put
the @ and " keys in the same place as most modern keyboards.

Apparently I phrased that badly. Let me try again, with emphasis:

One of the things I DO remember about the TRS-80 (and Apple?) that I had to
adjust to WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO USING IBM PCs was that the @ key ON THE
TRS-80 used to be near Enter and the " was over the 2, AS OPPOSED TO THE WAY
IT IS ON IBM PCS TO THIS DAY.

Terrible wording in the first draft, sorry.

 

[blank]

I'm one of those people that uses keyboards that can swap Caps and Ctl
or I remap the keys in software. When I do this on a shared computer,
I get evil looks, or worse.

It just occured to me that a quiet beep tone whenever the CapsLock key
changes state wouldn't confuse the unwary and would warn me me
whenever I was using a shared machine. An upward tone would indicate
CAPS on and a downward beep would indicate CAPS going off.

Has anyone written this for any OS?

In Windows: in Control Panel, open Accessibility Options.
Turn on ToggleKeys, which plays a sound when you press Caps, Num, or
Scroll lock keys.

I bet that you like Num lock normally set so you get cursor keys instead
of numbers, too. That also gets looks from the young folk.

I still use one of these keyboards that has Ctrl above the shift key and
the function keys on the left (at the top as well, but I rarely use
those), like the original IBM PC keyboards. It actually lets me remap
any key to any other position, or assign macros that enter a string of
keystrokes.

 

[Al Dykes]

Keyboards used to be that way and it's actually more ergonomically
correct if you're a user that makes a lot of use of the CTRL key. The
old Northgate keyboards were like that, and still are but I forget who
makes them now.

I have Northgate kbds on most of the machines I own. I want a "beep"
as a harmless feature on the machines I don't own but use on a regular
basis.

 

[Ken Blake]

Apparently I phrased that badly. Let me try again, with emphasis:

One of the things I DO remember about the TRS-80 (and Apple?) that I had
to adjust to WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO USING IBM PCs was that the @ key ON
THE TRS-80 used to be near Enter and the " was over the 2, AS OPPOSED TO
THE WAY IT IS ON IBM PCS TO THIS DAY.

Terrible wording in the first draft, sorry.

OK, no big deal, and thanks for the clarification.