Computer people ... help request

[kes7]

I just got a new laptop and the location of the context menu key is driving me nuts. I keep accidentally hitting it. Does anyone know of a way to disable it? I've been Googling for an hour with no success ...

 

[Small White Car]

We computer people need more info.

What kind of operating system is it and which menu are you talking about, exactly? Not only what menu, but HOW do you engage this menu?

 

[kes7]

It's Windows 7 running on a Dell Inspiron laptop. The offending key is situated between the right Control key and the left arrow key. It has a picture of a menu and a pointer arrow on it. It works exactly like a right mouse click -- opens up the same kind of menu -- but once you press it, you can't get out of the menu without moving your hand down to the touchpad to close the menu window. This becomes annoying very quickly when word processing, because I hit it all the time when trying to use the left arrow key to back up within a sentence.

Does that give you enough to go on?

 

[backstept]

you may be able to get the effect you want with AutoHotKey

in your case I would imagine that a simple remapping of the Appskey to the left arrow would work fine (both keys would do the same thing)

[edit] actually . . . I think this might work better
KeyTweak - http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/
you don't need to write a script for it, and you won't need to leave it running (unlike AHK)


run keytweak
then click on the 'full teach mode' button
then click 'begin' and press the left arrow key and then the context menu key
then click on the remap key#1 to Key#2 button
then click apply and restart
you can always undo it by clicking restore defaults

hope that helps

 

[kes7]

I just finished doing the AutoHotKey thing and it worked, so I already loved you, but now I'm going to try this new thing, and if it works, I'll love you even more. You just saved me SO much irritation. Thanks!

 

[backstept]

KeyTweak will save you some resources by not having to run autohotkey in the background, so I think that's the better choice

glad to help

 

[kes7]

Oh, this is awesome. It worked and you rock. THANK YOU!

 

[McCoy]

... once you press it, you can't get out of the menu without moving your hand down to the touchpad to close the menu window.

I haven't used Vista or 7 yet, so I don't know if it's different there, but in XP pressing ESC will also close the menu.

 

[trekkiedane]

Just apropos: hitting Esc. closes any open menu -also the context-menu

 

[Sakrysta]

I was going to suggest KeyTweak, but I see it's already been done.