Disabling/Modifying Laptop Keyboard Binds

[Spikey00]

I'm having a bit of trouble with this laptop in that it has multifunction keyboard keys, that of which I wish to disable because they often get in the way when running fullscreen (that I have observed).  There are no drivers or places where I could configure the keyboard that I have seen, and I have not the experience with customizing the keyboard with binds.

The main issue is that, while playing games for instance, the keyboard will switch to the secondary binds (ie. mshelp, brightness, wmedia controls), and keys such as F# keys, ALT+F4, sometimes escape (or it works but forces back to desktop), and such do not function.  There are other binds that I would like to modify amongst the above.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[x4000]

Usually it's a windows service or even something in the control panel that you can remove or disable.  At worst, you can probably do a fresh install of the windows OS with your own copy, and that usually disables all of the manufacturer-specific stuff.  That's my habit when I buy a new laptop, but it's time consuming.

[Spikey00]

I don't see anything in the control panel that I can use to disable the OEM bindings, and the driver appears to be some generic Microsoft:

Standard PS/2 Keyboard
12/06/2006
6.1.7600.16385

system32\DRIVERS\i8042prt.sys
system32\DRIVERS\kbdclass.sys

Is there any other way besides reinstalling the OS (since I've done a relatively large amount of work installing and transferring)?  Updating/rolling back the keyboard driver?

Anything?   =/

[x4000]

Usually it has nothing to do with the driver -- it's secondary software, called HP Helper or Dell Connectivity Suite or IBM Service Processes or whatever.  I just made those names up, don't go looking for them, but you get the idea.  They generally have the name of the manufacturer, and then something really generic-sounding after it.  Try disabling those services, and even killing processes directly as you go.  Year to year the names of those things change notably, so it's impossible to keep up with them.

[x4000]

You might be able to use a "bloatware" removal tool of some sort, it occurs to me, but I've not ever used one directly before.

[Spikey00]

Huzzah!  Finally found a solution from HP (forgot to mention that):

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02035108&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_US

Disabling "Action Keys" in the BIOS fixed the issue!


Thanks for your help, Chris!

[x4000]

Glad that worked!

[Spikey00]

For anyone who is following this, SharpEyes was very helpful in rebinding keys.

http://www.randyrants.com/2008/12/sharpkeys_30.html