How to switch F-Lock on and off - Wireless Multimedia keyboard

[Orrie]

Hi,
[I posted a question about how to access a specific, traditional F-key
function, but received no reply. Maybe a more general question will get an
answer.]

The help files of the software that came with my new MS Natural Multimedia
Wireless keyboard say I can switch the F-Lock key on and off to switch
between the new F-key functions and the traditional ones. It also says that
pressing F-Lock will permit switching to the system functions Insert, Scroll
Lock on the marked keys. I've tried pressing the F-Lock key alone and in
combination with Ctrl, Alt, Shift, etc. and almost nothing happens. (Almost,
because pressing the "Insert" key, which is also the Prt Scn key, did a
screen capture, which was pasted into document I was working on!)

The keyboard is brand new and the driver is the one that came with it
IntelliType v. 5.0.174.0.

What's the trick to toggling between the new F-key functions and the
traditional ones?

Thank you.

Orrie

 

[Jim Macklin]

You press the F-Lock key and you should see a small led
light up (it has an F label) and then all the keys are
standard function keys. If the key is pressed again, the
light goes out and all the F-keys perform the task on the
key. It is not a press in combination, it is a toggle
on/off.


| Hi,
| [I posted a question about how to access a specific,
traditional F-key
| function, but received no reply. Maybe a more general
question will get an
| answer.]
|
| The help files of the software that came with my new MS
Natural Multimedia
| Wireless keyboard say I can switch the F-Lock key on and
off to switch
| between the new F-key functions and the traditional ones.
It also says that
| pressing F-Lock will permit switching to the system
functions Insert, Scroll
| Lock on the marked keys. I've tried pressing the F-Lock
key alone and in
| combination with Ctrl, Alt, Shift, etc. and almost nothing
happens. (Almost,
| because pressing the "Insert" key, which is also the Prt
Scn key, did a
| screen capture, which was pasted into document I was
working on!)
|
| The keyboard is brand new and the driver is the one that
came with it
| IntelliType v. 5.0.174.0.
|
| What's the trick to toggling between the new F-key
functions and the
| traditional ones?
|
| Thank you.
|
| Orrie
|
|
|
|
|
|

 

[Orrie]

Thanks Jim.

The problem is that toggling doesn't work, no matter how I push the F-Lock
key, alone or in combination with other keys. The new MS Natural Multimedia
Wireless keyboard doesn't have a light, but shows a little message on-screen
for toggled settings such as Caps Lock On/OFF. MS's information says it
should show such a message for F-Lock toggling, but it doesn't.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong mechanically with keyboard.

Orrie

 

[Jim Macklin]

Take it back, it is defective.


| Thanks Jim.
|
| The problem is that toggling doesn't work, no matter how I
push the F-Lock
| key, alone or in combination with other keys. The new MS
Natural Multimedia
| Wireless keyboard doesn't have a light, but shows a little
message on-screen
| for toggled settings such as Caps Lock On/OFF. MS's
information says it
| should show such a message for F-Lock toggling, but it
doesn't.
|
| There doesn't seem to be anything wrong mechanically with
keyboard.
|
| Orrie
|
|
in message
| | > You press the F-Lock key and you should see a small led
| > light up (it has an F label) and then all the keys are
| > standard function keys. If the key is pressed again,
the
| > light goes out and all the F-keys perform the task on
the
| > key. It is not a press in combination, it is a toggle
| > on/off.
| >
| >
| > | > | Hi,
| > | [I posted a question about how to access a specific,
| > traditional F-key
| > | function, but received no reply. Maybe a more general
| > question will get an
| > | answer.]
| > |
| > | The help files of the software that came with my new
MS
| > Natural Multimedia
| > | Wireless keyboard say I can switch the F-Lock key on
and
| > off to switch
| > | between the new F-key functions and the traditional
ones.
| > It also says that
| > | pressing F-Lock will permit switching to the system
| > functions Insert, Scroll
| > | Lock on the marked keys. I've tried pressing the
F-Lock
| > key alone and in
| > | combination with Ctrl, Alt, Shift, etc. and almost
nothing
| > happens. (Almost,
| > | because pressing the "Insert" key, which is also the
Prt
| > Scn key, did a
| > | screen capture, which was pasted into document I was
| > working on!)
| > |
| > | The keyboard is brand new and the driver is the one
that
| > came with it
| > | IntelliType v. 5.0.174.0.
| > |
| > | What's the trick to toggling between the new F-key
| > functions and the
| > | traditional ones?
| > |
| > | Thank you.
| > |
| > | Orrie
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|

 

[Sam]

Sometime on, or about Wed, 24 Mar 2004 07:15:12 -0500, Orrie scribbled:

Thanks Jim.

The problem is that toggling doesn't work, no matter how I push the F-Lock
key, alone or in combination with other keys. The new MS Natural Multimedia
Wireless keyboard doesn't have a light, but shows a little message on-screen
for toggled settings such as Caps Lock On/OFF. MS's information says it
should show such a message for F-Lock toggling, but it doesn't.

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong mechanically with keyboard.

Orrie

I have this same keyboard. There is no light on the keyboard itself, but
there's one on the wireless receiver. My receiver has 3 lights, one for the
F-Lock, Cap's Lock and Num-Lock keys. If the lights go on for the other two
keys but not the F-Lock key, then there is definitely something wrong
somewhere.

Sam

 

[Orrie]

Sam, You're the man!

My wireless base was hidden out of sight, and I never noticed the lights. I
found that when I pressed the F-Lock key too firmly or maybe just held it a
moment too long, it switched then switched back. In other words, since it
went back to the original setting, I didn't realize it had switched at all.
Now I watch the little light on the wirelss base and can see when the F-Lock
toggles.

Thanks a lot.

Orrie

 

[Sam]

Sometime on, or about Wed, 24 Mar 2004 16:01:11 -0500, Orrie scribbled:

Sam, You're the man!

My wireless base was hidden out of sight, and I never noticed the lights. I
found that when I pressed the F-Lock key too firmly or maybe just held it a
moment too long, it switched then switched back. In other words, since it
went back to the original setting, I didn't realize it had switched at all.
Now I watch the little light on the wirelss base and can see when the F-Lock
toggles.

Thanks a lot.

Orrie

I'm glad that solved the problem. I know that it took me a long time to get
used to the fact that the keyboard itself didn't have those lights.

Personally I hate the F-Lock key since it defaults to "on" and I prefer it
do be off. Fortunately I found a utility that fixes the problem by
reversing the key assignments, so that on is the same as off and
vice-versa.

See below for the URL:
http://www.mvps.org/jtsang/flock-e.html

Sam