What should I do with my ThinkVantage Button?

[ippirate]

I was able to whipe the HD that came with my thinkpad and did a clean install of 64 bit vista with BitLocker and TPM enabled.
I wanted to utilized the ThinkVantage button but I find Rescue and Recovery unneccessary. All the important files I have are stored online via SkyDrive, and, if neccessary, doing a clean restore isn't that much of a hassle for me. I don't want the productivity or the managerial software that Lenovo gives out because it's just unneccessary code for me. I can manually do all the tweaks I want and it gives me more control. I know the button can utilize the boot manager. But recently I feel like Paul Thurott and windows has grown on me. Any suggestions?

[ippirate]

34 views and no reply?

[K0LO]

You can always assign the button to start your favorite Windows app:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkVantage_Button
For example, I have mine set to open the Control Panel.

[Marin85]

That´s interesting! How can one set it to launch Control Panel under Vista? I´m asking this because the reg keys given in thinkwiki look in Vista different from those in XP. Thanks!

Marin

[K0LO]

Marin:

The command to launch the Vista control panel is "Control.exe"; same as on XP.

My Thinkpad runs XP, so the registry key is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001

and in this location I added a new String Value named "File" containing the string "control".

Sorry I can't help with the registry key location on Vista since my only Vista PC is not a ThinkPad. Maybe someone else on here will know.

[ippirate]

i looked in my vista registry and i found the folder all the way down to THhotkey, but the 8001 folder was not there.

i guess i have to install the help center feature from lenovo to find now how to get the binary code to activate the button? but when i unstall the program won't it just uninstall my customized registry as well? it sounds like a hassel....

[rhema83]

Just add the 8001 folder. It works for me, on Vista Business x64 SP1.

[Marin85]

Thanks to k0lo and rhema83 I now have the ThinkVantage button starting Vista Control Panel I´ve just followed what you´ve described and it works perfectly! Really cool Thanks again!

Marin