Print Screen Problem

[David Kelsey]

I have XP SP2 with a Cherry keyboard. PrintScreen works, but Alt
Printscreen just gives the full screen again. The ALT key on its own works
as it should, but not with Printscreen. A keyboard on a brand new machine
works as it should on the old machine, ALT Printscreen giving the active
window. I have spoken to Cherry, who think there is nothing wrong with the
keyboard, and I agree, so what is happening? Each key alone gives the right
response, but together, the wrong response.

David Kelsey

 

[Bob I]

I have exactly the same issue with a PS2/USB keyboard adaptor.
Alt-Printscreen works when PS2 keyboard is plugged into PS2 port.
Alt-Printscreen works when USB keyboard is plugged into USB port. Alt
Printscreen works like plain Printscreen when PS2 KB is run thru adapter
into USB port. Is cherry a USB keyboard or PS2 and what is it plugged
into?

 

[David Kelsey]

It's a PS2, plugged into a PS2 port. I do remember in the 98SE/ME era that
Cherry had a Problem with one particular kind of keyboard in PS2, which
meant that to get the keyboard recognised at all, you had to hot plug in the
PS2 - not ideal, but the only way to get it to work until either Cherry or
MS issued a fix. My cable does have an adapter inline to reduce the plug to
PS2 size, as I originally used it on a W95/486 machine. Maybe this is the
trouble. I don't know what I can do about it, though.

David

 

[Bill Sharpe]

A possible workaround would be to use a PrintScreen utility like
PrintKey 2000. This doesn't solve your keyboard problem, but the program
offers more capture options like rectangular areas of the screen. You
can also customize the shortcut keys that the program uses.

Bill

It's a PS2, plugged into a PS2 port. I do remember in the 98SE/ME era
that
Cherry had a Problem with one particular kind of keyboard in PS2, which
meant that to get the keyboard recognised at all, you had to hot plug in
the
PS2 - not ideal, but the only way to get it to work until either Cherry
or
MS issued a fix. My cable does have an adapter inline to reduce the
plug to
PS2 size, as I originally used it on a W95/486 machine. Maybe this is
the
trouble. I don't know what I can do about it, though.

David

 

[Guest]

I have had the same problem with screen printing with different keyboards and
finally did what Bill has suggested, by getting a small program that allows
printing any portion of a screen. I have used a free download program that
PCMAGAZINE has, written by one of their real sharp technical editors named
Neil Rubenking. It's called "screenseize". It will print anything that you
see on your monitor including any portion and has other options that Bill
also eluded to. Go to www.pcmag.com and search on a utility program named
"screenseize". Your troubles will be over.

Redwagon

 

[David Kelsey]

Thanks Bill and Redwagon - both good ideas. In fact, I have just set up a
macro using EZMacros ALT+s to do the business, provided I can remember it.
But I'll try the others for anything else they can do.

David

 

[Bob I]

I would not be surprised that the adapter was the issue. Going from a
DIN 5 to the PS/2. Is there an emulator selector switch on the underside
of the keyboard? Those old ones would have XT/AT or similar.

 

[David Kelsey]

No, there is no emulator switch - not on the outside anyway. The adaptor
goes from six pins to five pins, so perhaps the missing pin is the problem.
However, my macro does the job without problems, and helps me to remember
whether I want ALT for the active window or not. It is simple now for my
tired old brain - Prt Sc alone for the full screen, and ALT-s for the active
window.

Thanks for giving it some thought, everyone.

David