T42 and Gray Plus Key?

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Dmitry Ivanov · #1 Post by **Dmitry Ivanov** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:10 pm

Hi! Does somebody know how can I press "Gray Plus" key? On other notebooks for this operation you can use Fn+"+" combination, but for T42 it does not work and is greate problem fo me

Please, help!

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:16 pm

I have a T42, and I don't see any "Gray Plus" key. I will assume you mean the Plus key not in the number row near the top of the keyboard. Press: Shift ScrLk (NumLk). This turns on the numeric keypad feature for the keys that have characters printed on the lower right.

Dmitry Ivanov · #3 Post by **Dmitry Ivanov** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:40 pm

Yes, you are right, I mean Plus key in "extended keyboard", usually calls as gray Plus

and I know about way for pressing witch you described, but it is very slow in traditional work... especially how can I quickly press this key for initialize file selection in Far Manager, for example? I was very confused when got to know that it is problem for T42 keyboard...

#4 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:53 pm

I'm sorry, I just don't understand what you are trying to do. Maybe the Keyboard Customizer Utility will do what you want.

Keyboard Customizer Utility for Windows 2000/XP - ThinkPad General

Dmitry Ivanov · #5 Post by **Dmitry Ivanov** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:07 pm

It was first what I tried to use. No, this application is very simple and cannot fix my problem. I use this application for mapping WinKey (witch is absent too

) to AltGr.

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:42 pm

Are you trying to use the numeric keypad on an external keyboard that is not part of the T42? If you are using an external keyboard, is it a PS/2 or USB keyboard?

dr_st · #7 Post by **dr_st** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:14 am

He's trying to achieve Gray Plus functionality without external keyboards/keypads and without turning the full Numlock on. He implies that some laptops had this option, but the Thinkpad doesn't. Pity, but what are you going to do.

#8 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 12:02 pm

I have just never heard of "Gray Plus" before. I still don't know what it is. I guess I check Google.

#9 Post by **GomJabbar** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:22 pm

Ok, what I found in a cursory search on Google is that the Gray Plus key is the Plus key on the numeric keypad.

Doing some testing, I found with the "UltraNav Wizard" (courtesy of davidspalding on a recent post) you can record keyboard macros to a tap area on the TouchPad. I tried this by creating a tap area that records the Shift + ScrLk(NumLk) keystroke. Now by tapping in one corner of the TouchPad, I can turn the numeric keypad on, and by tapping the same corner again I turn the numeric keypad off. It actually works. I hope this is a solution that works for you.

Paul Unger · #10 Post by **Paul Unger** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:31 pm

There's also a little something called "KeyTweak". I use it instead of IBM's "Keyboard Customiser" utility to map my RightAlt key to a Windows key. It works at the registry level, rather than running as a "service". You can find it here: http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/
Hope that helps . . .

davidspalding · #11 Post by **davidspalding** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:04 pm

Gray Plus ... sounds like a knock-off of Grecian Formula for men's hair.

Interesting question. (Thank you, Gom, for the credit; always nice to hear I contributed something useful.

) If I was asking it, I think I'd like a key that could enable the NumLock on press, and disable the NumLock in release, like a shift key. Anyone found a way to do this?

Such a utility/function would be valuable, since there are some Explorer functions that expand and collapse trees with the Numeric Keypad +, -, and * keys. Also, some geeks

know how to enter certain high-ASCII characters like em dash, ellipsis, cents, using the numeric keypad combos (e.g. ALT + [NUMKEY] 0162).

Short of that, I think Gom's suggestion is the most efficacious. An alternative probably not to the OP's liking is to just use a USB numeric keypad. I think Belkin or Targus make 'em.

simscitizen · #12 Post by **simscitizen** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:29 pm

That functionality is available on most notebooks, but apparently not on our vaunted ThinkPads. Yet another feature we don't have. On most notebooks, if you hold down Fn, this activates the numeric keypad temporarily (you can turn it on permanently using the numlock). When you release it, the keyboard goes back to normal. I suspect this is what the original poster means when he says "Gray Plus" (although I have no idea why he calls it like that as if it's an official name; he probably means that on his previous notebook, the + in the numpad arrangement was gray).

Dmitry Ivanov · #13 Post by **Dmitry Ivanov** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:03 pm

simscitizen
Yes, you are right, I'd like to have functionality like to described. On other notebooks Fn activate NumLock by default and this situation is not problem. "Gray Plus" it is my abstraction, I dont know how to call this key correctly

Gray - because usually on standard keyboards extended keys are gray or something like to this color

I found interesting application, witch can make hot key remapping (MKey), but Fn key for this program is typical key and I cannot build any combinations with it.

Thanks to all for supporting my question

I'm wondered that it is grate trouble for "the most ergonomic keyboard in the world"

#14 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:39 pm

AFAIK, the Fn key on ThinkPads can only be used with built-in functions and not adapted to use with other keys. You have to use one of the keys such as ctrl, alt, shift, etc in combination with another key to get specialized keystrokes or characters.. In other words, I do not believe there are any keyboard customizers that can use the Fn key. I read somewhere that the Fn key is hardwired and does not send a standard keycode to the operating system (or something like that). It only changes the keycode sent by certain specific other keys.

Dmitry Ivanov · #15 Post by **Dmitry Ivanov** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:47 pm

The Fn key has the scancode and MKey can catch it. So, theoretically there is possibility to extend Fn key functionality...

dr_st · #16 Post by **dr_st** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:28 am

"Gray Plus" it is my abstraction, I dont know how to call this key correctly Gray - because usually on standard keyboards extended keys are gray or something like to this color

Indeed. "Gray plus" is actually a commonly use semi-official name.

davidspalding · #17 Post by **davidspalding** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:04 pm

I vaguely recall that my old Compaq Aero 433/c had grey lettering for the NumKey alternates. I think I had to invoke NumLock ON in order to use them.

#18 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 1:37 pm

Dmitry Ivanov wrote:The Fn key has the scancode and MKey can catch it. So, theoretically there is possibility to extend Fn key functionality...

While I don't deny what you say, I did read the some information on this in the following two threads. It seems like I have read some additional information on this, but I can't find it just now. Personally I don't know enough about this to make a definitive statement. I am not a programmer, neither a hardware or software engineer.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=2392

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=16997

T42 and Gray Plus Key?

T42 and Gray Plus Key?

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