Volume control while docked

Message

Mortdk · #1 Post by **Mortdk** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:59 am

I often have the volume turned way down via the IBM volume controls when I work on-the-road. When I close the lid and dock the T60, I usually forget that I have turned the volume way down.

Is there a way to control the IBM volume controls via external keyboard / mouse / software when the lid is closed and docked?

The windows volume control is always turned way up - there doesn't seem to be any ties to this, and the way the IBM buttons adjusts the volume.

/Morten

#2 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 6:37 am

There is no way to control the volume set with the keyboard hardware volume controls (mute, volume-up, volume-down) from an external keyboard. In other words, if you turned the volume all the way down using the keyboard volume-down button, there is no way to change that from an external keyboard. Only the Windows volume control settings can be changed with an external keyboard.

One possible solution would be to get a headphone plug (unwired) and plug it in to the headphone jack on the side of the ThinkPad to mute the volume when unconnected to the dock. Just pull the plug out to get your volume back. I suggest using a right-angle plug so that it doesn't stick out too much.

2cool4u · #3 Post by **2cool4u** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:24 am

Doesn't the T60 docking support a line-out jack?
I have this in my t42 dock. The volume of the line-out is always the same regardless what the volume of your internal speakers is set to.

There is an application from lenovo that lets you map the hardware functions of your thinkpad to your external keyboard. Like fn+... and volume. At least this is working on t42

#4 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:41 am

2cool4u wrote:There is an application from lenovo that lets you map the hardware functions of your thinkpad to your external keyboard. Like fn+... and volume. At least this is working on t42

That would be the Keyboard Customizer Utility. I do not have an external keyboard to test, but you make me wonder if I might have to eat my words. I do see mute, volume-up, volume-down, external keyboard key assignments in Keyboard Customizer. I would be interested to have this verified that this would work in the OP's case.

I have read several threads on this issue in the past, and Keyboard Customizer was never mentioned as a solution.

bpetterson · #5 Post by **bpetterson** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 8:07 am

In preperation for my new T60P, I got the
ThinkPlus USB Keyboad with Ultranav.
Yes the red stick.

It -the keyboard does have volume contol and off.

Birger

#6 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 8:23 am

bpetterson wrote:In preperation for my new T60P, I got the
ThinkPlus USB Keyboad with Ultranav.
Yes the red stick.

It -the keyboard does have volume contol and off.

My question is, will that keyboard unmute a ThinkPad that has been muted with the mute button on the ThinkPad keyboard?

bpetterson · #7 Post by **bpetterson** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:02 am

Will post that answer in a few days.

Birger

Mortdk · #8 Post by **Mortdk** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:52 am

The "Keyboard Customizer Utility for Windows 2000, XP - ThinkPad"
did the trick!

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... 44185.html

Thanks!

Volume control while docked

Volume control while docked

Who is online