W510 - reprogram the ThinkVantage button

[RonS]

You can change what the ThinkVantage button does modifying the registry.

1. Run REGEDIT
2. Click through to HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001
3. Change the "File" entry to whatever you want executed when you press the ThinkVantage button

You need to use a short file name. Open a Command Shell and then use "dir /x" at each directory to get the appropriate directory and short name. You'll have to build the path folder by folder.

Kind of funny it still uses "IBM" rather than Lenovo...

[pdth]

You can change what the ThinkVantage button does modifying the registry.

1. Run REGEDIT
2. Click through to HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\TPHOTKEY\8001
3. Change the "File" entry to whatever you want executed when you press the ThinkVantage button

You need to use a short file name. Open a Command Shell and then use "dir /x" at each directory to get the appropriate directory and short name. You'll have to build the path folder by folder.

Kind of funny it still uses "IBM" rather than Lenovo...

Thank you, I'll definitely do this. On my wife's SL410 the ThinkVantage button for some reason leads to a Lenovo advertising page rather than anything useful. So I'll change it on both our computers.

[yak]

Yes, this registry setting was there for a long time now. The same one was used for ThinkPads with "Access IBM" buttons (T4x line for instance) and probably the earlier ones with "ThinkPad" buttons too. There are a lot of places where you can still see the IBM name in ThinkVantage software.

Personally I'm using the ThinkVantage key on my T60 to turn off the display. I often need to walk away from my machine for a while so a quick click suffices to turn it off (and the external monitor too). I described everything in this thread:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=80052