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X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

Windows 8 on ThinkPads
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bgalakazam
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X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#1 Post by bgalakazam » Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:00 pm

I have the power manager, but before installing it the Fn worked for brightness. Now it doesn't. I updated the program even though it was installed under Win 7 compatibility.

Strange thing is:
- HDD with Windows 8 updated over Windows 7 - Fn keys work
- SSD with Windows 8 fresh install - Fn keys don't work after installing Lenovo power management (ran setup under 7 compat.)

Windows 8 is updated and I am using BIOS 1.35 which is optimized for Windows 8. Lenovo updater has nothing that I haven't installed.

Any ideas? I really don't want to have to uninstals the profile power manager. As for the wifi, I just have the driver, not the program. The Fn calls don't work. Neither does sleep.
15" Macbook Pro, T400 for car diagnostics
previous: T60p -> X60 -> T61 QXGA -> X220 -> W510

GomJabbar
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#2 Post by GomJabbar » Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:00 am

Probably need the Hotkey Features driver. Don't know which would be the better choice; the Windows 7 version for the X220 or the Windows 8 version for the X230.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-77280

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... D=HT073834
DKB

GomJabbar
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#3 Post by GomJabbar » Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:44 pm

I have an X220 with Windows 8 preview installed on a second hard drive. I have not even looked at "Windows 8" in 2 or 3 months [shows you how impressed I was].

I decided to boot it up with Windows 8 again and see about these Fn hotkeys.

* First I installed the Windows 8 version of Hotkey Features for the X230 - no joy.
* Uninstalled that version of Hotkey Features and installed the Windows 7 version of Hotkey Features for the X220 [had to install .NET 3.5 as well] - still no joy, but left Hotkey Features and .Net installed.
* Installed ThinkVantage System Update 5 for Windows 8 and installed everything it offered except the Fingerprint Reader (I don't use it).
* For some reason System Update could not download the Lenovo Power Management Driver for Windows 8, so I downloaded it manually and installed it.
* Had to manually download the ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7 and install for the camera to work.
* Had to manually download the Intel Chipset Driver for Windows 8 and install for Power Manager to work.
* Note, I already had the ThinkPad UltraNav driver installed from before.

Bottom Line? Fn+F2, Fn+F4, Fn+F5, Fn+F6, Fn+F7, Fn+F8, and Fn+F12 all work as they should. Fn=F3 doesn't seem to do anything, although it should either bring up the Power Manager menu or else turn off the display (as it does in Windows 7).

Everything is available from the link below.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-77280
DKB

bgalakazam
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#4 Post by bgalakazam » Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:26 am

It was the Hotkeys program. Silly me. :roll: thanks!
15" Macbook Pro, T400 for car diagnostics
previous: T60p -> X60 -> T61 QXGA -> X220 -> W510

Jason404
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#5 Post by Jason404 » Tue Jan 08, 2013 5:15 am

There is a Win8 version of the Hotkey driver for the old keyboard models, but I have found that it does not work when you have the Win7 versions of Power Manager, Access Connections and Communications Utility installed.

With the Win7 versions of the apps, but the Win8 drivers installed using System Update, everything works fine, including the hotkeys. I had been getting wifi disconnections, but that seems to have stopped for now.

The only things that is not working for me is not being able to simply use System Update to take care of updates.

I go into more detail here:
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Windows-8/T ... 7833#M2464

I hope they come out with Win8 versions of Power Manager, Access Connections and Communications Utility instead of finally get this 'Lenovo Settings' Metro app available to Win8 upgraders in the App Store.
T410, X220, X200s, X200, X40, X31, X30, 755c
STOLEN! sold still used in the family broken for sale!

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GomJabbar
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#6 Post by GomJabbar » Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:12 am

Just downloaded and installed Windows 8 Pro before the price went up (currently $39.99 until Jan. 31st!). :mrgreen:

The latest version of "Hotkey Features Integration" 3.84 and "Lenovo Settings Dependency Package for Windows 8" does not work as advertised for me.

Found that the previous version of "Hotkey Features Integration" version 3.81 works fine for getting all the Fn hotkeys working [when installed along with the "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7" (instead of the "Lenovo Settings Dependency Package for Windows 8") for the Camera and Mic].

You can get older versions of "Hotkey Features Integration" from links in a table near the bottom of the following page.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS014985

The "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7" is available from the following X220 driver matrix page.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-77280

EDIT: I had to run C:\Program Files\Lenovo\Communications Utility\CommMain one time (double-click on it) to choose the Fn+F6 option for the Camera/Mic.

Note: You will need to download and install "Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1" before installing the "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7". .NET 3.5 SP1 available from the link below.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... aspx?id=22

HTH :D
DKB

Jason404
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#7 Post by Jason404 » Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:36 am

What I have done is used the latest hotkey drivers, which are for Windows 7 and Windows 8, but run the installer in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode, so it doesn't try opening the unavailable Lenovo Settings app. To get the hotkeys working, you only actually need the OSD component of the package. The rest if it does not seem to do anything, or possibly messes with something you do not want messed with.

from the earlier version of the hotkey package I only installed the Auto-Scroll utility (which is not available in the latest ones for some reason), as I find it useful, and it works fine.

The actual OSDs for Brightness, Mute and Volume are replicated in Windows 8 as standard, so I disable the ThinkPad ones in advanced graphics settings. This means that I don't get OSD for Mic Mute, ThinkLight, Caps Lock, Numlock and Webcam on/off, but there are physical indications for every one of those apart from Numlock, and you quickly find out when that has been activated.

The Windows 7 Power Manager with the Windows power management drivers work fine on Windows 8 on my X220. The Win7 Communication Utility works fine as well, as well as the

The only thing that I miss is Access Connections, which causes a lot of connection problems if you try installing it on Windows 8. I switch between networks and domains regularly, so I find it very useful and I am sad about its loss.

However, I will probably keep this X220 for many years by the look of the crap Lenovo keeps coming up with these days. I am keeping ultra-good care of it so that it lasts until the executives on the Lenovo board responsible for these decisions get fired.
T410, X220, X200s, X200, X40, X31, X30, 755c
STOLEN! sold still used in the family broken for sale!

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crashnburn
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Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#8 Post by crashnburn » Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:42 am

I am wondering if this is still the case, or do the subsequent releases work better than the said versions pointed out here.
GomJabbar wrote:Just downloaded and installed Windows 8 Pro before the price went up (currently $39.99 until Jan. 31st!). :mrgreen:

The latest version of "Hotkey Features Integration" 3.84 and "Lenovo Settings Dependency Package for Windows 8" does not work as advertised for me.

Found that the previous version of "Hotkey Features Integration" version 3.81 works fine for getting all the Fn hotkeys working [when installed along with the "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7" (instead of the "Lenovo Settings Dependency Package for Windows 8") for the Camera and Mic].

You can get older versions of "Hotkey Features Integration" from links in a table near the bottom of the following page.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloa ... D=DS014985

The "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7" is available from the following X220 driver matrix page.
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/researc ... MIGR-77280

EDIT: I had to run C:\Program Files\Lenovo\Communications Utility\CommMain one time (double-click on it) to choose the Fn+F6 option for the Camera/Mic.

Note: You will need to download and install "Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1" before installing the "ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7". .NET 3.5 SP1 available from the link below.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... aspx?id=22

HTH :D
T61 8892-02U: 14.1"SXGA+/2.2C2D/4G/XP|Adv Mini Dock|30" Gateway XHD3000 WQXGA via Dual-link DVI
X61T 7767-96U: 12.1"SXGA+/1.6C2D/3G/Vista|Ultrabase
W510 4319-2PU: 15.6"FHD/i7-720QM/4G/Win7Pro64 (for dad)
T43 1875-DLU: 14.1"XGA/1.7PM-740/1G/XP (Old)

Jason404
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Location: London, UK

Re: X220 Fn keys don't work with Windows 8

#9 Post by Jason404 » Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:03 am

Not sure, but I'm using Windows 10 Preview on a T410 and all the keys seem to work by default.
T410, X220, X200s, X200, X40, X31, X30, 755c
STOLEN! sold still used in the family broken for sale!

Check out the ThinkPad subreddit at http://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad

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