How do I reprogram the keyboard Function keys?

[Guest]

How can I reprogram the keyboard Function keys when I am looking at the
desktop. I am aware that MS Powertools TweakUI will reprogram special
purpose keys and this works. But how can I reprogram the function keys (F1 -
F12) when I am looking at the desktop? I am also aware that when you right
click a desktop icon, then select Properties, then you can enter a Shortcut
key, but when I do this, nothing happens. I'm using Windows XP/SP2. Any
comments would be appreciated. Thanks !!!

 

[Guest]

Keys F7, F9 and F12 do not have a specific function. You can get more at
the below website about Function Keys.
How to Work with Function Key
http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/howto/Articles/a2003-03-28-functionkeys.html

 

[Guest]

Thanks "Byte" for your reply. The website you mentioned is indeed a very
helpful description of the function keys. However, there is no mention of
how to reprogram the function keys when looking at the desktop. If you have
any information about that, I would very much like to know what it is.
Thanks again.

 

[george]

Not quite sure what you mean by "when I do this nothing happens".
Do you mean, that when you click the Shortcut box you cannot type in that
box?
You're not supposed to type in the box.
Just click in the box and then hit the keyboard key you want to use as a
shortcut.
If it ia a-z then you'll automatically get Ctrl-Alt as a prefix assigned to
it.
So when you hit the J-key your shortcut becomes Ctrl-Alt-J
If you don't want a shortcus anymore, click in the field and hit Backspace.

If you meant that once you've assigned a shortcut, hitting the shortcut
combination does not produce the desired result, I'm at a loss.
Just tried it and it works fine for me.

hth
george

 

[Guest]

Problem solved (mostly)!!

Silly me - I thought all the function keys would behave the same way. In
fact, when I right click a desktop icon, then click on Properties, then
select Shortcut Key, then press ANY FUNCTION KEY OTHER THAN F12, the system
works properly: the Function Key takes me to the shortcut when I press it
while the desktop is being displayed. This works on all the function keys
EXCEPT for F12, which was the only function key that I tested previously. So
if I had tested any other function key, there would not have been any
problem. I still don’t know why Shortcut Keys will NOT work on F12, but I
can live with that. Thanks to all who responded or thought about this
question. Sorry I didn’t test further initially.