SP3 Disabled Multiple MS Calculator Windows :(

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lem
  • Start date Start date
L

Lem

Monica said:
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards). Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open. Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3. Does anyone know of a
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
Click to expand...

What happens if you start Calculator the old-fashioned way?

Start > All Programs > Accessories > Calculator
Start > Run type calc.exe and click OK

Both of these methods permit opening multiple Calculator windows on my
XP sp3 box.

Or are you using a 3rd-party calculator instead of the one that comes
with Windows?
--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
 
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards). Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open. Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3. Does anyone know of a
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
 
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards).  Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open.  Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3.  Does anyone know ofa
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
Click to expand...

Using the Calculator icons, I'm able to open multiple calcs. It seems
that your keyboard shortcut is to blame.
 
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards).  Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open.  Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3.  Does anyone know ofa
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
Click to expand...

I think I broke my Calculator button on my keyboard.

You should have heard it snap when I tried to press it. Same thing
for the My Computer button. I think I have never used them for other
than coffee collection since MS DOS 5.0. They do work though!

With my button, I can only open one Calc window at a time (XP Pro
SP3), if I minimize it and press the button again, it just maximizes
it or brings it to the front if it is not active.

It is inefficient to remove your hand from the mouse, reach up and
press that button and then return your hand to the mouse.

Create a quick launch icon and you can still open as many Calcs as you
want - or at least 5 in my case
(what Lem says works also).
 
Yes, I *can* go to Start/All Programs/Calculator or Start/Run/type calc.exe
and click OK.
That's a whole lot more time consuming than tapping the calc button on my
keyboard...the same keyboard that opened multiple calc windows before SP3.
I have a MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard.
Monica
 
I can open one calc window using the keyboard button. I'm just saying that
before SP3, I could open multiple calc windows with my Microsoft keyboard.
Was hoping someone knew of a solution (maybe a registry value that could be
changed). SP3 made a change, I'm wanting to reverse that change :)
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards).
Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open. Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3. Does anyone know of a
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
Click to expand...

Using the Calculator icons, I'm able to open multiple calcs. It seems
that your keyboard shortcut is to blame.
 
I've been doing it this way for so long that it's perfect natural and not at
all inefficient (for me). However, if a fix is not available, creating a
shortcut in the Quick Launch, I suppose, is the next best option.
Thanks!
Monica
Pre-SP3, I was able to open as many MS Calculator.exe windows as I needed
using the calculator button on my keyboard (two different keyboards).
Since
installing SP3, only one Calculator window will open. Tried it on two
different keyboards on the same computer with SP3. Does anyone know of a
way to force multiple Cal. windows?
Thanks,
Monica
Click to expand...

I think I broke my Calculator button on my keyboard.

You should have heard it snap when I tried to press it. Same thing
for the My Computer button. I think I have never used them for other
than coffee collection since MS DOS 5.0. They do work though!

With my button, I can only open one Calc window at a time (XP Pro
SP3), if I minimize it and press the button again, it just maximizes
it or brings it to the front if it is not active.

It is inefficient to remove your hand from the mouse, reach up and
press that button and then return your hand to the mouse.

Create a quick launch icon and you can still open as many Calcs as you
want - or at least 5 in my case
(what Lem says works also).
 
Monica said:
Yes, I *can* go to Start/All Programs/Calculator or Start/Run/type calc.exe
and click OK.
That's a whole lot more time consuming than tapping the calc button on my
keyboard...the same keyboard that opened multiple calc windows before SP3.
I have a MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 keyboard.
Monica
Click to expand...

The point of asking the question was to demonstrate whether the issue
was sp3 (as you thought) or not. If you can open multiple calc windows
by invoking calc.exe directly (Start>Run) or by using a shortcut (e.g.,
Start>All Programs>Accessories>Calculator) then it seems pretty certain
that the problem is *not* with sp3 but with your keyboard. Yes, I know
you tried two keyboards, but if they were both the same, the problem may
well be in the driver/software for the keyboard hotbuttons.

I don't have your particular keyboard, but there almost always is some
way to reconfigure the hotbuttons. If you can't actually see the
shortcut that's invoked by the hotbutton press, first try configuring
the Calc button to do something else; reboot (just in case); then
reconfigure back to Calc.

If that doesn't work, see if there's an updated driver or Intellitype
software for your keyboard. Even if you have the current version, you
might try uninstalling and reinstalling a freshly-downloaded copy.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
 
I've been doing it this way for so long that it's perfect natural and notat
all inefficient (for me).  However, if a fix is not available, creatinga
shortcut in the Quick Launch, I suppose, is the next best option.
Thanks!



I think I broke my Calculator button on my keyboard.

You should have heard it snap when I tried to press it.  Same thing
for the My Computer button.  I think I have never used them for other
than coffee collection since MS DOS 5.0.  They do work though!

With my button, I can only open one Calc window at a time (XP Pro
SP3), if I minimize it and press the button again, it just maximizes
it or brings it to the front if it is not active.

It is inefficient to remove your hand from the mouse, reach up and
press that button and then return your hand to the mouse.

Create a quick launch icon and you can still open as many Calcs as you
want - or at least 5 in my case
(what Lem says works also).
Click to expand...

Okay - I used the Microsoft Keyboard program to reprogram the
Calculator button on my keyboard to run CMD and was able to run
multple CMD windows, so lets try it with CALC.

In Microsoft Keyboard, under key Settings, choose Calculator, Edit.
It is set to Starts Calculator by default. Change it to start a
program, web page or file. I typed in CMD for the path of the program
and saved it. I could start multiple CMD windows by pressing my
reprogrammed Calculator button.

I then changed the path of the program to CALC and saved it. I did
not stick with the Starts Calculator option - I told it to run the
CALC program.

Now I can run multiple calcs by pressing the Calculator button on my
keyboard. I could not before.

There is a secret here somewhere, but give that a whirl.
 
I can open one calc window using the keyboard button.  I'm just saying that
before SP3, I could open multiple calc windows with my Microsoft keyboard..
Was hoping someone knew of a solution (maybe a registry value that could be



Using the Calculator icons, I'm able to open multiple calcs.  It seems
that your keyboard shortcut is to blame.
Click to expand...

Since you are use a Microsoft keyboard product, are you using the
Intellitype enhanced drivers? MS tends often submit an update that
may break the Intelli enhanced drivers (Intellipoint for mice /
Intellitype for keyboards.) You might need to re-install the current
ones or consider upgrading the Intelli software.
 
Thank You, THANK YOU! This is exactly what I wanted :) Works perfectly :)
Monica


In Microsoft Keyboard, under key Settings, choose Calculator, Edit.
It is set to Starts Calculator by default. Change it to start a
program, web page or file. I typed in CMD for the path of the program
and saved it. I could start multiple CMD windows by pressing my
reprogrammed Calculator button.

I then changed the path of the program to CALC and saved it. I did
not stick with the Starts Calculator option - I told it to run the
CALC program.

Now I can run multiple calcs by pressing the Calculator button on my
keyboard. I could not before.

There is a secret here somewhere, but give that a whirl.
 
I'm using the drivers that the keyboard's CD installed. I've not checked
for updates of any kind. The multiple calc windows worked on this computer
till I installed SP 3 a couple of days ago.
It's once again working thanks to Jose's instructions :)
Monica
I can open one calc window using the keyboard button. I'm just saying that
before SP3, I could open multiple calc windows with my Microsoft keyboard.
Was hoping someone knew of a solution (maybe a registry value that could
be
changed). SP3 made a change, I'm wanting to reverse that change



Using the Calculator icons, I'm able to open multiple calcs. It seems
that your keyboard shortcut is to blame.
Click to expand...

Since you are use a Microsoft keyboard product, are you using the
Intellitype enhanced drivers? MS tends often submit an update that
may break the Intelli enhanced drivers (Intellipoint for mice /
Intellitype for keyboards.) You might need to re-install the current
ones or consider upgrading the Intelli software.
 
I had the same problem. Also my games were gone. What happed is XP3 moved
them. They use to be at c:\windows\system32. Now they are at
c:\windows\system32\dllcache. simply copy them back to where they use to be
and all is well.
 
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