Figured out P1 and P2

I don't really like QLButton for controlling the P1 and P2 butons. So this afternoon I figured out a much more flexible way of assigning them to do pretty much anything. Such as launch any program without having QLButton running with that annoying finger icon on the screen. Or you can use them for turning up and down the volume (which I think was asked on here ages ago). Most importantly, this method uses no extra software on top of Windows, just a bit of registry tweaking.

Before I start writing a long thread explaining how to do it, is anyone actually interested?

 

jupp...

 

Jupp!

Otherwise I could upload a little program, what's made by a Dutch forum-user!
You can assign every program/ internetpage/ link and so on to the P1 en P2 button!

And I don't think that you have to start a topic with a question if the people want information :-s

 

We're very interested knowing how you do that

 

OK - I'll write up how to do it, or maybe record a video showing how.

 

Could you also assign the 'internet' and 'email' button?
I never use them and it would be nice to control the volume with them!

 

Yep, that's possible. I am writing a tutorial at the moment. First I'll show how to get the P1 and P2 how to function how they normally should, then I will move on to getting internet and email to control the volume. On my laptop I have also got the right windows key doing something more useful by launching an app instead. I'll show you how to do that.

 

Merci beacoup!

 

Can't wait!

 

Thanks cant wait

Can you change the FN key eith the ctrl

 

Unfortunately using this method it's not possible to swap the fn and ctrl keys, as the fn key isn't a real key as far as windows is concerened. Maybe there is a lower level way of doing it though? In any case, I should have the instructions up pretty soon this afternoon.

 

Sounds very interesting!

 

OK, here we go. Please forgive me if this isn't too understandable - I wrote it fairly quickly. If you get this working but don't know how to configure the keys to do different things, just send me a message and I'm happy to tell you what you'll need to put in the registry.

I was thinking that it would be nice to have a program that I could use to set up the keys without having to mess about in the registry, so if there is enough interest from the community I might get around to writing one.

Anyway, I'll get on with the instructions now.

NOTE: I did this on Vista, but it should work just as well on XP too.

Windows has built-in support for a lot of extra keyboard buttons, such as media control buttons and browser control buttons.
5 of these buttons can be customised through the Windows registry:

• Media - opens your CD player software by default
• Internet - opens your web browser by default
• Email - opens your email program by default
• Application 1 - opens My Computer by default
• Application 2 - opens the calculator by default

These 5 buttons can be made to run any program you want.
To customise them, you need to run regedit.exe and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\AppKey

WARNING: Needless to say, but be very careful when you're working in the registry!

It should look something like this:



You should see 5 numbered registry keys inside AppKey.
These correspond to the 5 customizable buttons. They are:

• 15 - Email
• 16 - Media
• 17 - Application 1
• 18 - Application 2
• 7 - Internet

We'll start by checking the settings of the Email and Internet buttons.
Go into Email, the 15 registry key.

You should see:



What you see is a string value called Association which contains the data mailto.
It means that when you press the Email button, Windows will run the program that handles mailto: links.
I changed this to open Gmail, so I renamed Association (by right-clicking it) to ShellExecute, and changed its data (by double-clicking it) to:

Code:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" https://mail.google.com/mail/

So that it looked like this:



This means that when I press the Email button, Windows will run Firefox and load up Gmail.

I ignored the 16 registry key, because there's no Media button on the Zeptos. You could now go into the 7 registry key (Internet) and check the settings for that. By default it's associated with the http protocol - which means that when you press it, it will run your default web browser. I just left it like that - but if you want to, you could change it in the same way I changed the Email button. Rename to ShellExecute, then enter the path of the program's exe.

So once you've done that you can test the Internet and Email buttons to check they do what you want them to do. Then you can go into the 17 and 18 registry keys and set them up in the same way with any programs you want to run, since these are the P1 and P2 buttons.
However, when you come to test P1 and P2, they won't work. This is because for some reason the Zepto keyboard doesn't map P1 and P2 to the standard Windows application launch buttons.

Luckily, Windows has a really great feature that lets you intercept key presses from the keyboard and change them to a completely different key before they are processed by anything else. If you're into web development, think of it kind of like mod_rewrite for your keyboard.

NOTE: If you want to understand what's going on in the next bit, you can read http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/input/w2kscan-map.mspx

OK, this is what we're going to set up next:

• When the P1 key is pressed, Windows will think it was the Application 1 key instead.
• When the P2 key is pressed, Windows will think it was the Application 2 key instead.

In regedit.exe, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

Create a new binary value, like this:



Call it Scancode Map then double-click it and enter this data:

Code:

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
03 00 00 00 6B E0 74 E0
21 E0 73 E0 00 00 00 00

Which should look like this:



Then click OK and reboot.
Once you've restarted, press P1 and P2, and they should load the programs you set up for Applications 1 and 2 earlier. Or if you didn't set any (and just left the defaults) they should load My Computer and the calculator.

Now for the fun!
This is what we're going to set up:

• The Internet button as volume down
• The Email buton as volume up
• P1 as mute
• P2 as play/pause
• The right-hand Windows key as Application 1

In regedit.exe navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

Open up Scancode Map again and delete the data you put in last time.
Then enter this data instead:

Code:

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
06 00 00 00 2E E0 32 E0
30 E0 6C E0 20 E0 74 E0
22 E0 73 E0 6B E0 5C E0
00 00 00 00

Which should look like this:



And that's it, but you'll need to restart for the changes to be made.
Hope it all works!

Dave

 

Wow... nice... THX Dave !
Going to test it now !

 

Thanks. That's very helpful.

I'll give it a try once I have thought of which apps I want to start. I've been in the habit of putting my favourite apps on the Quick Launch toolbar and starting them there.

John

 

Concerning swapping Fn and CTRL, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that you have to tweak it at BIOS level.

That's why I was asking Zepto to consider it in the US reseller thread; we can't do it ourselves with a reg edit.

 

There is one and you can find it http://rapidshare.com/files/48493464/Shortcut.rar.html

A Dutch Gathering of Tweakers user wrote it
If somebody needs an explanation, give me a call!

@ Saxdave: Nice nice nice, but I'm a little bit worried about being in the registry!
But I will try it this afternoon, and I think it will work with this perfect WT!

The internet and email button worked fine for me with assigning a application/ site to it! Thanks!
But I don't understand how I can fix the underneath 'configuration'

I want it like this:
Internetbutton: Volume down
Emailbutton: Volume up
P1: Launching WMP
P2: Play / Pause

I'm sorry but English is not my native language and I've lost the way from about here:

OK, this is what we're going to set up next:

When the P1 key is pressed, Windows will think it was the Application 1 key instead.
When the P2 key is pressed, Windows will think it was the Application 2 key instead.

Is every line a 'code' or something like that?

The Internet button as volume down = 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
The Email buton as volume up = 06 00 00 00 2E E0 32 E0
P1 as mute = 30 E0 6C E0 20 E0 74 E0
P2 as play/pause = 22 E0 73 E0 6B E0 5C E0

 

CLB-NL, I thought somebody probably would have already written a program!
I'll post some more detailed instructions for you on how you can set up the buttons just like you asked.

Each line is not a code. Each pair of numbers is a byte, and I split them into lines like that because that's what it looks like when you enter them into the registry. Every 4 bytes is one instruction.

Anyway, I will tell you step by step how to set up what you want.

 

Thanks

Ahaa okee thanks!

And thanks again

 

Step 1 - You need to set up for WMP

1. Run regedit.exe

2. Go: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Current Version -> explorer -> ApKey -> 17

3. Double click on ShellExecute and in the little window that pops up, type wmplayer.exe in the text box. Like this:



Then click OK and let me know when you've done that.

 

Done that

 

Good

Step 2

1. In regedit again, go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SYSTEM -> CurrentControlSet -> Control -> Keyboard Layout

2. Then delete (if it exists) Scancode Map, like this:



3. Then make a new Binary value, like this:



4. Call it Scancode Map, so it looks like this:



And tell me when that's done.

 

Done that

 

Ok, now the final step.

Step 3

Modify Scancode Map, like this:



Then in the window that pops up, enter this:

(Just start typing the numbers and letters, it will do the spaces for you)

Code:

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
05 00 00 00 2E E0 32 E0
30 E0 6C E0 6B E0 74 E0
22 E0 73 E0 00 00 00 00

And it should look like this:



Then click OK, and restart the computer.
That's it!

 

Whieeeeeeeeeeejaaaaaaaaa it worked perfectly!! THANKS THANKS THANKS!!

But coming back on 'Every 4 bytes is one instruction'
How do I know which 4 bytes are which instruction!?

If I want to change the volume up and volume down as example?
Now I have:
Internet: Volume Down
Email: Volume Up

But if I want it:
Internet: Volume Up
Email: Volume Down

!?? I ask this so I can learn a little bit more about that bytes/ codes and so on!

But many many many thanks!!!

 

You're welcome
I'll break down the byte blocks for you. Each 4 bytes is called a DWORD.

DWORD 1. 00 00 00 00
DWORD 2. 00 00 00 00
--------------
DWORD 3. 05 00 00 00
--------------
DWORD 4. 2E E0 32 E0
DWORD 5. 30 E0 6C E0
DWORD 6. 6B E0 74 E0
DWORD 7. 22 E0 73 E0
--------------------
DWORD 8. 00 00 00 00

DWORDs 1 and 2 are always 0.

DWORD 3 says how many key mapping instructions there are.
For you there were 4 instructions. But you have to +1 because you always add an extra instruction on the end that's empty. You can see it's DWORD 8.

So DWORDs 4 - 7 are the important ones.

DWORD 4 is Internet Button to Volume Down.
2E E0 is Volume Down and 32 E0 is Internet Button.

DWORD 5 is Email Button to Volume Up.
30 E0 is Volume Up and 6C E0 is Email Button.

DWORD 6 is P1 to Application Button 1.
6B E0 is Application Button 1 and 74 E0 is P1.

DWORD 7 is P2 to Play/Pause Button.
22 E0 is Play/Pause Button and 73 E0 is P2.

Hope that helps you.

 

CLB-NL, that program you gave me the link to, it doesn't do what I was thinking of. It seems to run a program that you tell it. I was thinking of a program that you put in what you want your P1 and P2 keys to do and it sets up the registry for you.

 

Thanks again for the explanation!

But how do you know that:
2E E0 is Volume Down and 32 E0 is Internet Button :-s

If I want to link 'mute' to the Internet button (for example)
How do you now the 'code'? 52 EO? 44 EO? 66 EO and so on...!?

Sorry for all my questions but I'm curious!

About the program: You're correct
Maybe you could write a program that sets it up in the registry than!

 

I used a program to capture the codes of some of the keyboard buttons, and looked on the internet, there are lists. This page has a lot: http://www.usnetizen.com/fix_capslock.html
Also, just experimenting.

Mute key is 20 E0.

I realised something earlier this evening. Now that we don't need to use the function button to change the volume, we can use fn + F8 and fn + F9 to do something else. I am using them for changing music tracks instead of the volume.

Yes, I'm hoping to get the time to write a program that will let you set up the keys really easily.

 

Wow - great info saxdave.. can't wait to get home to use this!

 

Whieja cool! Thank you senor!

 

Hah, i find it funny that Windows Regedit sees those values as binary, even though they are hex values (I think)

A great topic BTW! Rep for you saxdave.

 

wow, good work!

 

I've worked out what I need for one of the buttons: Eject for the optical disc.

Has anyone figured out the code to do that?

John

 

It is possible to do that John, but it's not a prefect solution.
Oh, and I'm going to assume you want P1 to eject, just for the purposes of this explanation.

As you probably noticed, there is an eject key listed in KeyTweak, but it doesn't do anything if you map it to P1. That's becuase the eject key isn't a natively supported Windows key. You find it on some multimedia keyboards, my old HP desktop keyboard had one. The eject buttons on those sort of keyboards only work if you install the drivers for them. So one solution would be to find some keyboard drivers from HP or Logitech (for example) and install them in the hope it would get the eject button working. But that's a bit hit-and-miss - and when I tried that earlier it was definately miss rather than hit.

So other way is to download a program that when you run it, ejects your drive, then link that to the eject button.
A quick search turned up http://www.download.com/Eject/3000-2094_4-10535628.html?tag=lst-0-2
which is free and does work on Vista. There are probably more programs out there that do the same thing. I didn't search extensively.

Now, you have two options for linking this program to the eject button:

a) If you havn't mapped any key to one of your two Windows application launch buttons (see the start of my registry tutorial) then using KeyTweak you can map P1 to My Computer or Calculator, then follow the registry tutorial to replace My Computer or Calculator with the eject program.

b) Or you can just use good old QLButton as it was intended ( ) and set that to launch the eject program from P1.

As I say, it's not an ideal solution, but it does at least work. You might decide it's not worth the hassle though.

 

Thanks.

I'll investigate.

John

 

Really great work saxdave, do you know if its possible to set up these buttons for different monitor settings? To set P1 and P2 to change profiles in nvidia control panel etc?

I'm hoping that you're still around even though you havent posted for over a month. Thanks!

 

Question for Saxdave:

Do you think it will be possible to link a P1/P2 button,
to a RivaTuner-OverClocking-profile so if you push that
button your videocard will be on higher speeds???

So you just generate hardware a OverClocking-button?

 

Hmm, I don't know about that I'm afraid. I can't investigate it at the moment either as my backlight has stopped waiting and I'm about to send my laptop off to be repaired..
Sorry about that.

 

That must suck. Hope you get it fixed in no time.

 

I have installed Windows 32 bit again and offcourse I wanted to assign my internet/ email/ P1 and P2 buttons again! Tried it with the 'P1' (assign WMP)
but it doesn't work anymore Do I have to install QL-button and than make the changes in the registry or not? I've tried it about 5 times but..

 

Anybody? :-(

 

Not sure how alike your 6224w and my 6625wd is but
for me it was a simple matter of downloading the driver
from Zepto's FTP and installing.

You've already done this no? If so, I know the way to
'program in' the buttons is a little weird but I can help
if you like... though I suspect you've already been
through all this!

 

Thanks Saxdave!! You're the best.

 

Great guide! Thanks! Especially since I cannot run the original program supplied by Zepto.

Heel Goed! (As you would say in dutch. Ik heeft studeren op TU Delft.)

 

Which driver do you mean? The QL-button driver?

I've set my 4 buttons with my last Windows install..
Now I've installed Windows again and it don't work anymore..?

I've followed the guide Saxdave written espacially (don't know the word) for me, but it doesn't work anymore.. I haven't installed QL-button or something else?

 

I think he means the QL-button driver

 

Hmm I did install it yesterday and then make the registry-changes.. Don't work!

Will try it in a couple of minutes again!

 

Christopher do you have the golden tip?
I've tried it, and tried, and tried... without results :-s

 

What's the problem...? I may be able to help here!