Thinkpads Forum

Hello All,

This is my first post on a Thinkpad forum. I got a brand new T430 and I am pretty pleased with what i got. However, being a heavy user of the keyboard i am finding it VERY difficult to adjust to not having a dedicated key for the "mouse right click" (i call it that way).

Can someone PLEASE advice if there is any inbuilt option on this machine to customize the keys as we want?
Or
Any other way to get the PrtSc (sic) replaced with the original right click option?



So many geeks here.....Hope i can get a solution to this irritating change on the keyboard.


Juanita

hello juanita..

there IS a key remap utility available.. someplace..
someone will be along soon with the location..

meanwhile, welcome to the forum..

Thanks Bill!
I'll be eagerly waiting for that someone!


Juanita

Lenovo did have a "Keyboard Utility" that allows you to remap certain keys, but there is no version for Windows 7, only for Vista. You can try it on 7; it may or may not work properly.

But there are plenty of ways to remap keys in Windows by registry hacks or software utilities. Just Google "windows remap keys". I believe it can be done in Linux as well.

I tried searching for the "Lenovo utility keyboard" and found it as well. However, its system support list did not mention the T430. Also, windows 7 was missing from the supported OS list.

Anyways, I found this fantastic software "KeyTweak" which helped me make the change i wanted. Yeeppeee!!!!

This is a no nonsense software which got downloaded in seconds and within a minute I was able to re-map any key on my keyboard.


I am not sure if we are allowed to post third party app URLs...If we are not then i am so sorry....
Here is the review page of this app http://lifehacker.com/5883003/the-best- ... or-windows
And here is the URL to download this app: http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/

There might be many more victims of this change in keyboard like me. Try it out & do let me know how it was....

Juanita

Could you post what the actual remapping was for your 430? I have a X230 and have tinkered with the remapper program a bit but I must have the wrong key combo assigned as I can't get the right click menu to come up.
Thanks

I'm using SharpKeys which works fine

Rochefort wrote:I'm using SharpKeys which works fine

Just used Sharpkeys on my T430s running Windows 8 Pro to change PrtSc to the context menu key; works great!

I might change the PgUp and PgDn keys to the back and forward web navigation keys like they should be...but then I can't think of what I would make me new PgUp and PgDn. Any ideas for a good layout?

(I don't really dislike Page up and down being near the arrow keys; it makes sense in a way. But I do miss having the web navigation keys there.)

mujahid7ia wrote:
(I don't really dislike Page up and down being near the arrow keys; it makes sense in a way. But I do miss having the web navigation keys there.)

Why the hell they have changed those so useful keys !??

I keep going back and forth on whether to order a T430s or to try to find a T420s. The the location of the keys is a real problem for me on the T430s. I also use the Pause/Break key occasionally, and it appears to be nonexistent on the new keyboard. I can get used to the island style keys, but the key locations might be a deal breaker. I don't know.

I would love to remap some of the keys on this new horrible keyboard layout, but the simple matter is there are not enough keys! Whoever did this obviously has not used a previous ThinkPad before, or any standard keyboard with the context menu to the right of the spacebar! If I had known the layout was this rubbish (still struggling 6 months in) I wouldn't have got one, and shortly after I got this new machine, my company started offering Toshiba laptops as an alternative; I definitely would not have chosen the ThinkPad! The only thing I do like is the underlighting. I still hope in vein that Lenovo will come to their senses and offer a 7-row keyboard for the T430, but only a serious drop in sales will promote that.

This is my summary of the changes:
I received a T430 as a replacement to my old T400 as my new work device (they only use Lenovo). I am extremely disappointed with the 6-row keyboard layout to such an extent that it now makes my work slower. I am a power keyboard user, resorting to using the mouse when I have to since it is too slow for me (I love keyboard shortcuts, etc.). They seem to have placed the importance of cosmetics over usability which I think is completely wrong for this device.

The Lenovo article about why the keyboard has changed says that Pause and Break are legacy and no-one will miss them, but as Microsoft is moving more towards scripting again with PowerShell, these keys are going to become more important again, they always have been important for dropping into a command window anyway. It also mentions that nobody will miss the context menu key, but this is one of the special keys I use the most, along with the Page Back and Page Forward which have also gone. I don’t know where Lenovo have got their ideas from but they are clearly not from users!

This is a summary with what I have found the differences to be:

Numpad – gone
SysRq – gone (apparently Fn+S does this)
ScrLk – gone! (apparently Fn+K does this)
NmLk – gone
Pause – gone (apparently Fn+P does this)
Break – gone! (apparently Fn+K does this)
Page Back – gone!
Page Forward – gone!
Context Menu (right-click) – gone! (apparently Shift+F10 does this)
PrtSc – moved to where context menu was
PgUp – moved to where Page Back was
PgDown – moved to where Page Forward was
Special Function (Fn+) keys have moved around:
- Windows Lock Fn+F2 -> Fn+F3
- Power settings (Fn+F3) – gone!
- Webcam – new on Fn+F6
- Mouse (Fn+F8) – gone
- Eject (Fn+F8) – gone
- Hibernate (Fn+F12) – gone!
- Contrast Up (Fn+Home) -> Fn+F9
- Contrast Down (Fn+End) -> Fn+F8
- Light (Fn+PgUp) -> Fn+Space
- Track Skip Back (Fn+Left Arrow) -> Fn+F10
- Track Skip Next (Fn+Right Arrow) -> Fn+F12
- Play/Pause (Fn+Down Arrow) -> Fn+F11
- Stop (Fn+Up Arrow) -> gone

There are also a lot fewer indicator lights:
Bluetooth – gone
WAN – gone
Caps lock – gone
Num lock – gone
Power indicator – gone
Battery indicator – only on outside of case
Mains indicator – gone
Sleep indicator – only on outside of case

In my opinion, this is a huge step backwards in usability, as this unit is supposed to be mobile I cannot carry around a keyboard to get the additional keys I used to use all the time. I am now looking to see if there is any sort of upgrade to a ‘normal’ keyboard. And seeking to exchange my new laptop for something else.

If I was purchasing this device myself this would be more than enough for me to look elsewhere. Come on Lenovo what on earth are you thinking? Get real!

Very angry and spreading the word NOT to buy or choose this device.

Bump. I tried KeyTweak and it worked perfectly for me, but have another question. I have a Thinkpad Yoga and also missed the right-click key, so remapped the Right-Alt to right-click instead and after rebooting it works perfectly. Thanks folks for the suggestion!

But my question is what happens when you use a docking station and/or external keyboard? Does KeyTweak affect that at all or only the laptop keyboard?

Thanks, and Happy 4th!

-- Matt

bluehorizons wrote:Bump. I tried KeyTweak and it worked perfectly for me, but have another question. I have a Thinkpad Yoga and also missed the right-click key, so remapped the Right-Alt to right-click instead and after rebooting it works perfectly. Thanks folks for the suggestion!

But my question is what happens when you use a docking station and/or external keyboard? Does KeyTweak affect that at all or only the laptop keyboard?

Thanks, and Happy 4th!

-- Matt

I also have thinkpad X1 yoga. I downloaded the Key tweak but it does not not work. When I tried to remap the right Alt button to Context Menu button I am getting the following msg:

Could not remove Scancode Map value from registry. The system returned the following message: Access is denied.

Please could you advise how could I remap the button?

Thanks

You can also use autohotkey to remap the keys.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=121507

Hi everyone! I also have a hard time getting accustomed to the new keyboard - (I just bought an x230 in addition to my old, trusty T500). I know KeyTweak is able to remap Print Screen key to context menu, but how to take screenshots? Is there some other key combination for substituting Print Screen or does anybody know a program for assigning a combination for taking screenshots (say, Ctrl+Alt+F9 or anything that's not used by other apps)?