Get rid of the windows key

[Airtraffic]

Don't know about you guys but i hit the windows key quite often when playing fast paced games. A real pissoff to say the least http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Anyway I found a great little program where you can reassign keys and even delete them...works great!

KeyTweak (http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/)

[Cerberus_e]

where do you use ctrl and alt for? I never use them.
and even in Duke3D where ctrl and alt are obligatory for the gameplay I don't press win http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Jeff]

There's a registry hack in Cacheman XP which can get rid of it for you. You can turn it back on at any time.

Personally, I'd get rid of the Windows product key. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Joonas]

Airtraffic said:
Don't know about you guys but i hit the windows key quite often when playing fast paced games. A real pissoff to say the least http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Anyway I found a great little program where you can reassign keys and even delete them...works great!

KeyTweak (http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/)



Learn to type. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dopefish.gif

[Phayzon]

I didnt try it, as i dont have this problem on my laptop, next time i use my PC ill try it, i have that problem alot..



jeffbthomson said:
Personally, I'd get rid of the Windows product key. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif




LOL!

[Jeff]

I had to call up MS last night, because it said that I've activated it too many times for the same computer. The key is only installed on one computer, so I don't know what MS has to complain about.

[Phayzon]

jeffbthomson said:
I had to call up MS last night, because it said that I've activated it too many times for the same computer. The key is only installed on one computer, so I don't know what MS has to complain about.



I had that happen before only it was because i had to reinstall xp. Which IS allowed....

[Joonas]

Phayzon said:

jeffbthomson said:
I had to call up MS last night, because it said that I've activated it too many times for the same computer. The key is only installed on one computer, so I don't know what MS has to complain about.



I had that happen before only it was because i had to reinstall xp. Which IS allowed....



Gaah... wonder what it tells me now that I'm gonna install a new mobo and ram... ... and format two hard drives and reinstall Windows. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif

[JimboC]

jeffbthomson said:
I had to call up MS last night, because it said that I've activated it too many times for the same computer. The key is only installed on one computer, so I don't know what MS has to complain about.


Microsoft is doing that will ALL of the OEM Product Keys anymore. If you reinstall or make enough hardware changes, you have to call them to reactivate.

Back on topic, I use the Windows key quite a bit at work. Winkey+D (show desktop) and Winkey+L (lock workstation) are quite handy.

[Simon Charles]

I own a Microsoft multimedia keyboard. Comes with Intellitype drivers, allowing you to disable the Windows key. VERY useful. I'd recommend getting that keyboard if you don't want to mess with tweak programs or fiddling around in the registry. It's not really expensive, and it feels great when you type.

[Phayzon]

Joonas said:
Gaah... wonder what it tells me now that I'm gonna install a new mobo and ram... ... and format two hard drives and reinstall Windows. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif



Changing mobo and ram wont effect it, you just CANT format your hard drive. w/ new mobo you just have to re-activate if its XP Home, i dno bout pro, never switched w/ pro. Id love to format and start over, but I also want XP...

[Joonas]

Phayzon said:

Joonas said:
Gaah... wonder what it tells me now that I'm gonna install a new mobo and ram... ... and format two hard drives and reinstall Windows. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif



you just CANT format your hard drive.



Err... what do you mean?

[Wooloomooloo]

Most games I've played simply ignore it, Half-Life 2 being the notable exception. I was hitting the damned key so many times during gameplay that I decided to simply rip it off.

[Phayzon]

Joonas said:

Phayzon said:

Joonas said:
Gaah... wonder what it tells me now that I'm gonna install a new mobo and ram... ... and format two hard drives and reinstall Windows. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif



you just CANT format your hard drive.



Err... what do you mean?



If you format your hard drive and reinstall XP, it wont let you activate it.

[ADM]

Phayzon said:

Joonas said:

Phayzon said:

Joonas said:
Gaah... wonder what it tells me now that I'm gonna install a new mobo and ram... ... and format two hard drives and reinstall Windows. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif



you just CANT format your hard drive.



Err... what do you mean?



If you format your hard drive and reinstall XP, it wont let you activate it.



eh? Of course it will.

[Phayzon]

ADoomedMarine said:
eh? Of course it will.



Oh really? Explain why I had to buy XP again because after I formatted I couldnt activate.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Phayzon said:

ADoomedMarine said:
eh? Of course it will.



Oh really? Explain why I had to buy XP again because after I formatted I couldnt activate.



Mabye you are stupid and didn't call microsoft?

[Phayzon]

I did. They pretty much called me an idiot in a more formal way.

[JimboC]

Phayzon said:
Oh really? Explain why I had to buy XP again because after I formatted I couldnt activate.


The OEM version of Windows XP gets tied to the hardware it's sold with. If you change the motherboard and have to reactivate Windows, it looks to Microsoft that you've installed it onto another computer. If you make enough of a stink with the supervisors at the Microsoft Activation Center, they will usually reactivate it for you - ONCE. After that, if you change your hardware and have to reactivate - you're just screwed. This is why the OEM version is the cheapest version of Windows XP.

Retail versions have no such restriction. I've changed motherboards, RAM, CPUs, video cards, sound cards, hard drives and reformatted about a dozen times. I've reactivated numerous times and only had to call them once. Never had a problem with activation.

The Open License version doesn't require activation at all. You can do pretty much whatever the heck you want with it like Windows 98 used to do and you never have to activate.

My guess is you had the OEM version and didn't read the license agreement. Microsoft sucks for implementing such a policy, but they do outline these things online and in the license agreement that no one reads. The joys of current software licensing policies in full effect.

[Airtraffic]

^^^ WOW^^^

OEM sucks then. i'd be pissed personly!

[Hudson]

Or you could always just use a Model M http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Joonas]

Well, I bought an OEM version along with some other parts... and this would be the second time I'm switching boards because the earlier one was a bit defective. Last time I didn't even need to activate. :-\

[Phayzon]

RE to a couple posts up (3 i think, whoever quoted me)

I HAD an OEM XP Home, but then I borrowed XP Pro from my Dad's company

[John]

I think if have an OEM WinXP Home edition. It came with my computer.

Although, ofcourse, I've reformatted about 6 times since I bought this computer. WinXP works everytime; I don't need to activate anything.

[Cerberus_e]

oem?

[Joonas]

Cerberus_e said:
oem?



Original Equipment Manufacturer

Cheaper barebones version of the operating system instead of those prime version you buy off the shelves of some store with big packages and thick instruction books.

[avatar_58]

My Microsoft media keyboard lets me reassign and unassign keys all I want. I can get rid of that key if I really wanted to. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Mind you no recent games ever use ctrl or alt anyway..

[Phayzon]

Can you say, "Doom3" That uses Ctrl alot.

[avatar_58]

it does? For what? Not on my keyboard setup anyway.

[Phait]

I just found an option to diasble the Windows flag key in X-Setup tweak utility:

http://www.x-setup.net/

[Kevin Wolff]

Hudson said:
Or you could always just use a Model M http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


And as such, that recommendation has been in my sig for months. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/love.gif

[Cerberus_e]

Phayzon said:
Can you say, "Doom3" That uses Ctrl alot.



doom 3 is the first FPS I ever played after the time of moving with arrows, since then I play all games on Doom 3's keyboard setup (f for flashlight, c for duck etc...)
no ctrl needed

[Airtraffic]

phait said:
I just found an option to diasble the Windows flag key in X-Setup tweak utility:

http://www.x-setup.net/


You don't like my link? http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

[Phait]

Well, if I use a huge utility like X-Setup, that already has that feature, why would I need a specific key-disabler tool? http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Besides, I use my Windows key even in games (sometimes I can't alt-tab), and I never accidentally hit it.

[avatar_58]

Maybe people should loose some weight and get rid of the flab on those fingers...

[JimboC]

Joonas said:
Well, I bought an OEM version along with some other parts... and this would be the second time I'm switching boards because the earlier one was a bit defective. Last time I didn't even need to activate. :-\


If you're replacing a defective motherboard with the same model, the hardware hash would probably not be changed and you wouldn't have a problem.

But Microsoft also makes different flavors of their OEM Windows products. The big computer manufacturers like Dell, HP, etc. get really cheap discounts on their Windows and it gets tied to their hardware. They also get permission to modify certain parts as they want. For example Dell Windows XP CDs won't install if they don't detect a Dell BIOS. This benefits both the PC maker and Microsoft. The PC maker has you tied to their parts because you can't build another PC yourself and reuse their CD. Microsoft has you locked into a certain hardware configuration so you'll probably need to re-purchase Windows if you don't buy a whole new system.

Then there's the other version of OEM Windows. This is the one that goes to the little PC makers and what not. If you purchased OEM Windows from an online reseller with a CPU fan to satisfy the OEM requirement, this is the flavor you got. It doesn't get tied to the hardware except for by the license because Microsoft can't tell if it's tied to a hard drive a notherboard or a CPU fan. Technically, the software is open, but the license forbids transfer to other hardware. This is why Microsoft is now making every OEM version of Windows activate over the phone. If the person says that they bought a new motherboard, or if Microsoft can prove you bought a new motherboard, they don't have to reactivate Windows and you have to buy another copy. To my knowledge, no one has brought a challenge if Microsoft refuses to reactivate Windows because of the hardware changes.

Pretty scurvy, eh?

[Joonas]

Yet another reason to have pre-made packages. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, I switched the mobo and changed ram and it's all fine. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

To my knowledge, no one has brought a challenge if Microsoft refuses to reactivate Windows because of the hardware changes.



Too my knowledge MicroSoft has never refused to activate a "legal" copy of XP.

[JimboC]

[b]Inanimate Carbon Rod said:
Too my knowledge MicroSoft has never refused to activate a "legal" copy of XP.


I've seen them refuse to re-activate OEM versions on more than one occasion. First-hand.