thinkpad button remap aka 'access ibm'

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ziggetty · #1 Post by **ziggetty** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 12:26 pm

my t42p hasn't even arrived

still looking at a 'package not in FedEx possession' on the fedex tracking page.

but with the reference bill supplied already looked up the parts, seen it will have the alps chinese keyboard etc.

making plans how to install all goodies which are now on desktop

in short it looks like this:
burn recovery cd or dvd
reclaim space
update software drivers etc
switch off all not necessary services (thanks to blackviper)
burn image (acronis)
install software <snip

>
burn image (acronis)
move data
work

searching across the web i came across this:

http://www.schlackman.org/programs/thinkpad.html

thinkpad button customiser.

"The ThinkPad button on IBM ThinkPad laptops is normally reserved for running the Access IBM help system. This is all very well, but if you're an IT professional who doesn't need this help system, wouldn't it be nice to have the button do something more useful to you?

Well, yes it would. And now you can.
"

as i understand ibm has a remap function now, but it still cannot remap the thinkpad button to something as useless as the windows key (well that is what i understood)

maybe this little thing has now become useless ??? i don't have a clue.
but if it is if use, i haven't wasted a litlle of mine and your time in the week before arriving of my t42p.

The board has supplied me with a number of good id's cq links.
and the support by email from Bill in the process of buying my TP has
be excellent.

So if in the process of buying :

DON'T BE SORROW, CALL BILL MORROW!

#2 Post by **BillMorrow** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:23 am

Sorry about the delay..
laura was out tuesday and wed. with a pulled muscle..
took another day to do the pixel check..
shipped out today..
you DID say ship slowest way..

anyway it is on the way..

ziggetty · #3 Post by **ziggetty** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 5:22 am

no prob with that. just like a little child, to be patient is difficult

)
anaway i would probably with a busy december month, not be up and running until january.

skanky · #4 Post by **skanky** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:28 am

ooh, great program. gotta try this out when i get home.

selvan777 · #5 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:12 am

Is it true that the Thinkpad button can't be made as a Win Key?

I often wanted to but never got around to trying.

Elhabash · #6 Post by **Elhabash** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:23 pm

Yes, it is supposed to do it. It may be a bit awkward to reach for certain WIN+* combinations, though...
I use it now for the notepad. Very nice.

skanky · #7 Post by **skanky** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:08 pm

made mine a "show desktop" button, sweet program!!

theres no point using it as a windows key when you can map right ctrl or alt as it, and its much easier to reach..

ziggetty · #8 Post by **ziggetty** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 2:39 pm

skanky wrote:made mine a "show desktop" button, sweet program!!

theres no point using it as a windows key when you can map right ctrl or alt as it, and its much easier to reach..

nice to hear

Leon · #9 Post by **Leon** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 3:33 pm

how did you make it a "show desktop"?

Plinkerton · #10 Post by **Plinkerton** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:02 pm

Wow. That's so rockin. I made mine the "notepad" button, as I always just want to jot things down, and hate searching my start menu for notepad.

This is a great program.

Thanks a lot!

skanky · #11 Post by **skanky** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:47 pm

follow the instructions here to make a show desktop shortcut..

http://www.pcin.net/help/articles/desktopshortcut.php[/b]

selvan777 · #12 Post by **selvan777** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 10:36 pm

I prefer not to use the Alt, Ctrl or Shift keys, whether left or right, because they interfere with my regular typing too often.

EDIT:
Perhaps if a 2-key combo was provided.

EDITT:
Ha, Ctrl+Esc will open the Start Menu for most, if not all windows users, right now as it is...try it.

selvan777 · #13 Post by **selvan777** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 1:22 pm

Well, I've made mine launch the default screen saver.

Would someone care to tell me how to make it a Win Key? My guess is I'll first need to download an executable that launches the Start Menu, am I correct?

skanky · #14 Post by **skanky** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:32 am

use the program linked in the original thread, it can make it a windows key if you want.

selvan777 · #15 Post by **selvan777** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 2:04 pm

I'll have keep trying the link, I keep getting a "cannot find server".

selvan777 · #16 Post by **selvan777** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:00 pm

Tried the link using Firefox and it says "The document contains no data".

Is it just me or ...

http://www.schlackman.org/programs/thinkpad.html

wrfalk · #17 Post by **wrfalk** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:56 pm

Worked just fine for me... IE 6+ T22 M6u!!

selvan777 · #18 Post by **selvan777** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 7:19 pm

Hmm, I've come across this problem from time to time, I don't what, why, or where.

Tried it again with IE v6 and I get a Cannot find server page.

I thought for sure if I installed Firefox again it would load, but no such luck.

Tried rebooting, reconnecting, refreshing the page, checked dun settings and all is okay, any thoughts or ideas?

skanky · #19 Post by **skanky** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:13 am

selvan777 wrote:Tried the link using Firefox and it says "The document contains no data".

Is it just me or ...

http://www.schlackman.org/programs/thinkpad.html

works for me, IE6.

selvan777 · #20 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 4:58 am

...I hardly think these options make it a great program.
I'll leave mine as a default screen saver launcher...

Shutdown
Restart
Log Off
Power Off
Windows Key
Applications Key
Lock Workstation

P.S. I had to permit access to port 80 to load the page.

skanky · #21 Post by **skanky** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:59 am

the ability to assign any program to run by pressing that button makes it a great program..

selvan777 · #22 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:23 am

That ability is native to the TP button.

skanky · #23 Post by **skanky** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:11 pm

selvan777 wrote:That ability is native to the TP button.

huh? are talking about the same button here?

im talking about the blue access ibm (or the thinkpad button on older TPs) at the top left of your keybard that opens up access IBM, if installed, when pressed in windows or goes to the predesktop area if pressed on the bios splash screen.

and what ability is native to the TP button? all mine seems to do before i installed the app is what i described above..

selvan777 · #24 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 2:39 pm

I think so, it's item #8 here.

Using IBM's "Access ThinkPad Customization Tool" allows pointing to any .exe's, that's how I got it to load the default screen saver...

skanky · #25 Post by **skanky** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 3:20 pm

yeah thats the button.

had a look at the access thinkpad customization tool and its only for older machine, newer T and X series arent supported it seems.

selvan777 · #26 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 3:59 pm

Hmm, it's up to you but I don't believe there's any real harm in trying it. If it works, great, if not....oh well.

Anyway, that 3rd party utility does provide more options than IBM's.

skanky · #27 Post by **skanky** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:07 pm

it seems to need access ibm or sometehing loaded for ibm's util. couldnt be bothered to install it to test ibm's proggy

the 3rd party util only needs the keyboard customizer and the on screen display util i think.

selvan777 · #28 Post by **selvan777** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 6:56 pm

...you mean to tell me there's an actual benefit to having a nearly extinct TP... go figure...

dvorak · #29 Post by **dvorak** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:48 pm

Just a little snippet of perhaps handy knowledge,
Windows also lets you assign shortcuts to, well, shortcuts :)
Alt-Ctrl+key to launch a shortcut.
I made mine, eg., to show the desktop, launch the Run command, open some of my folders etc.
Very handy, AltGr+B to show the desktop, no need to even move my palm.
Although sometimes it does lag a while, like the taskbar freezes, but it recovers.

ibmuser · #30 Post by **ibmuser** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 9:49 pm

This from the old forum and is taken from some other user by Bill Morrow:

run regedit
find this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f6-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

all the settings for that space are there and in the submenus. You need to change at least the following (the ".." represents the key listed above, verses pasting it over and over again):

..\(Default)
..\InfoTip
..\DefaultIcon\(Default)
..\Instance\InitPropertyBag\Command
..\Instance\InitPropertyBag\Param1

As far as registry entries, this one is fairly easy to decipher and the minute you make the changes they should go into effect. You can change it to any program you want to place there instead or delete all entries for the values of the keys (just don't get rid of the main key itself since WinXP places the CLSID there; IBM just filled in the values)

____
I'll have to check to see if this works.

thinkpad button remap aka 'access ibm'

thinkpad button remap aka 'access ibm'

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