Wierd key on keyboard crashes Win2K

[Richard Muller]

Hi All,

I've got a Win2000SP1 system with up-to-date patches and a fairly modern
"101 key" style keyboard with a "Microsoft" key that brings up the Start
menu. In particular, there's a group of three keys that used to be labeled
Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause on older keyboards. On my keyboard
they're label with graphics: a crossed-out circle, a crescent moon, and an
alarm clock.

When I (accidentally) press the crescent moon key, Win 2K crashes. There
must be a way I can intercept the signal that causes the crash and nullify
it, but I don't have a clue. I'm a C++/Win-API programmer, so I could
probably implement a solution if I get a good hint.

TIA,
Richard

There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
Julius Caesar (IV,iii) , Wm. Shakespeare

 

[Vance Green]

Ummmm....

obvious solution, get rid of that keyboard.

Certainly you have better uses for your
programming skills ;-)

 

[Rick]

Hi All,

I've got a Win2000SP1 system with up-to-date patches and a fairly modern
"101 key" style keyboard with a "Microsoft" key that brings up the Start
menu. In particular, there's a group of three keys that used to be labeled
Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause on older keyboards. On my keyboard
they're label with graphics: a crossed-out circle, a crescent moon, and an
alarm clock.

When I (accidentally) press the crescent moon key, Win 2K crashes. There
must be a way I can intercept the signal that causes the crash and nullify
it, but I don't have a clue. I'm a C++/Win-API programmer, so I could
probably implement a solution if I get a good hint.

That's probably the hibernation key. The possible causes of
crashes when trying to hibernate is as long as your arm..
Outdated system bioses (esp. for AMD & Via boards),
poorly written device drivers, poorly designed cards,
background software, utilities, etc etc etc.

It might be easier to simply disable hibernation in your system
bios (if there's an option to do so), also check Control Panel/
Power/APM and disable that as well. If nothing else works,
disable ACPI and do a clean reinstallation of Win2K.

Rick

 

[Rob Stow]

Ummmm....

obvious solution, get rid of that keyboard.

Certainly you have better uses for your
programming skills ;-)

On my keyboard the "crossed out circle" key (Power button) is
right below the Delete key and I used to accidentally turn the
computer off by just accidentally brushing that button when moving
my finger to the Delete key.

The solution was simple: cheap keyboards like mine and probably
also yours have most of the circuitry printed on a couple of pieces
of flexible clear plastic. On such keyboards there is a small rubbery
cup between each key and the underlying plastic circuit board. Just
get rid of the rubbery cup for any keys you want to disable. On some
keyboards you can just pop out the key and use a pair of tweezers or
needle nose pliers to pull out the cup, but on most keyboards you will
need to under all the screws on the bottom of the keyboard and open up
thewhole thing. The first few times I did this, it was tricky to keep
all the remaining cups properly in place when closing the keyboard up
again, but it gets easier with practice.