Key Manager - Frequently asked questions

1. The keys have been defined, but key remapping doesn't work. Why?

Check if the program is paused. The pause mode can be enabled or disabled in the main program window, as well as by choosing the corresponding command from the context menu of the taskbar icon or by clicking the icon with the middle mouse button/wheel.

Key remapping may also not work in certain programs in Windows Vista if User Access Control (UAC) is enabled. To solve this problem, launch Key Manager as administrator. The issue should not occur if UAC is disabled.

2. Can I use the program to quickly launch menu items that have no hotkeys associated with them? For instance, menu items that are hidden deep in submenus?

Yes, this is possible. To do that, you can emulate all key presses required to access the necessary menu item.

You can do it using the "Key sequence" action:

1. Make sure that the "Pass key presses to the system" button (the icon depicting a globe with a key) is pressed/enabled and the "Record presses of mouse buttons" button (the icon depicting a mouse) is disabled.

2. Click the "Record" button. Once done, all key presses will be recorded.

3. Switch (using the mouse only) to the program in which you need to launch a menu item.

4. Press the Alt key (to open the menu) and use the arrow keys to navigate to the necessary menu item. Select it by pressing Enter.

5. Switch back to Key Manager (again, using the mouse) and stop the recording process. If you pressed an unnecessary key during recording, you can delete it from the list of pressed keys.

From now on, the selected menu item will be instantly launched when you execute this action in your program.

If you want this action to work in a specific program (or window) only, just create an exception for it.

3. My keyboard does not have keys for typing Euro (€), Pound (£) and bullet point (•) signs. Can I assign these characters to any key (or key combination)?

Yes, this can be easily done in several ways:

1. Use the "Type text" (or "Paste text") action by copying the necessary symbol from this page and assigning the action to a key, mouse button or key combination.

2. Use the "Key sequence" action and emulating a sequence of presses (see Image 1, Image 2), e.g: Alt + 0128 (€), Alt+0163 (£), Alt+0165 (¥), Alt + 0153 (™), Alt+0169 (©), Alt+0174 (®), Alt+0177 (±) and Alt+0149 (•). Digits are entered in the NumLock mode.

Symbols and their codes can be obtained using the "Symbols" command in MS Word.

4. Is there a key for launching Key Manager in the background and placing it into the system tray right away? I need the program to be launched discreetly.

Yes, you can use the /hidden and /autorun keys for this purpose. Note that if the /autorun key is used and the "Launch when Windows starts" option is not enabled, the program won't start at all.

5. Can I assign two or more actions to a single key?

No. If more than one actions are assigned to a key, only the top one in the list will be performed.

6. Is reverse key replacement possible?

It is. To do so, you need to make two replacements: replace the first key with the second one and then replace the second key with the first one.

7. Can I assign an action or a key combination to another key combination?

Yes, you can.

8. Can I redefine the Sleep key on my keyboard?

Yes, you can. However, you will first need to disable this action in Windows (Control Panel -> Power Options). Emulating the press of the Sleep key is not always possible. It depends on the hardware of your computer and your operating system.

9. Key Manager does not detect special keys on the keyboard of my laptop. Why?

Hardware manufacturers often provide specialized key mapping software for special keys on keyboards and laptops (for instance, such applications for volume control buttons show the volume level on the screen). Sometimes such applications "monopolize" keys, which makes their remapping impossible. Not installing such programs may be one of the possible solutions.

10. How to remap the press of the left mouse button?

This feature supports Key Remapper. To do that, press the left mouse button in the key detection field while holding down the Ctrl key (or any other modifier). However, you should be careful remapping the left mouse button, as you risk losing control over your mouse. If it happens, you can pause the program by pressing the Ctrl+P combination or by pressing the middle mouse button on the program icon on the taskbar. Finally, you can press the Alt+Ctrl+Del combination and end the program manually in the task manager.

11. I have a laptop. The FN key on my keyboard doesn't work after redefinition. Why?

Some models of laptops and specialized keyboards have keys with hardcoded functions, which makes them hard to identify and read.

12. Can I install Key Manager under Windows 98, Windows ME or an earlier version of Windows?

No. Due to the fact that there are no users of these operating systems, Key Manager does not support them. This was done for optimization purposes in order to keep Key Manager free of unused functions.

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