Keyboard Function Keys - Leopard / Parallels / Boot Camp

Hi. I'm two weeks into my first Mac experience, and am delighted with the difference Leopard makes to my workflow! Apologies if my
One slight problem - a few days ago, my MBP (2.4 Ghz Dual Core) function keys in Leopard stopped responding as I would have expected. The only Mac functionality that still works is the Dashboard / Expose keys - everything else (screen / keyboard brightness, volume, eject) does not work at all. Weirdly, everything works as expected in my XP Boot Camp installation, just not in Leopard (or in Parallels, loading the Boot Camp installation as an image).
What I've tried:
System Preferences : toggled use Fn key flag. With the function key held down, I get the enhanced Expose functions to work without problem. Interestingly, Keyboard & Mouse shows no keyboard backlight settings, which I'm certain was there a few days ago. However, the toolbar app I downloaded to manually operate the keyboard backlight works well, so the backlight is both there and capable of being triggered.
PRAM reset - no difference.
Reset by removing the power lead & battery, and holding down the power button for 5 seconds - no difference.
Verifying & repairing permissions & verifying the HDD, from Disk Utility - no difference.
Safe Boot - no difference.
Logging on as another user - no difference (that is, the keys still do not work as expected).
Parallels - toggled Fn-key requirement for function keys - no difference.
Since the hardware is clearly fine (as evidenced by the keys working in XP), and logging on as another user makes no difference, I'm wondering if there's a global preferences file issue here. Before I start moving likely-looking preferences files from the Library and rebooting, is there anything else I should try? Main applications are Logic Studio, Adobe CS3, Microsoft Office 2008 & NI Komplete. All available automatically identified updates applied, and OSX is 10.5.2.
This issue is now beginning to aggrieve me, and I'm hoping that someone will be kind enough to help me sort it out. I have Time Machine backups, but I see that a lack of free space on my backup drive has resulted in the deletion of backups from the time I know everything was working, and in any case I've spent a lot of time installing and configuring software over the last few days and would really prefer not to have to start all over again.
TIA,
Darren
Hungerford, UK

I spoke to Apple Care, who suggested I try everything I'd already tried, which was reassuring. Their next suggestion was an Erase & Reinstall, but since I had full Time Machine backups in hand, I thought I'd have nothing to lose by performing an Archive & Reinstall, which worked! Issue resolved, and Function keys now working perfectly in Windows and Leopard.
Darren

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Tip for upgrading from MBP to iMac with Leopard & Parallels Boot Camp

Here are some pointers based on my recent experience upgrading from a MacBook Pro to an iMac, under Leopard and with Parallels using a Boot Camp partition for Windows.
First, you do not need to create a Windows partition on your new computer. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to do that - it can dynamically resize your existing Mac OS X partition without destroying it. (I initially used Disk Utility to create a Windows partition but it wasn't recognised properly by Parallels and also the Mac wouldn't boot from it).
A great way to simplify getting your old installation across is to make a Time Machine backup onto an external drive. Yes, you could also use start up your old Mac in Target mode (hold down T key when you start it), then start the new Mac and copy your settings over. But in my case, the new iMac (a refurb) came with Tiger installed on it while my old Mac had already been upgraded to Leopard.
I started the new Mac using a Leopard install CD (holding down the C key while starting). Then I chose to restore from a Time Machine backup instead of installing from CD, and soon had a functioning Leopard installation on the new Mac. Well, almost.
Next I used Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition on the new drive. The old Mac's partition was only 10 GB in size, but I made the new one 31.9 GB in size (so I could stay under the Windows limit of 32 GB for FAT partitions). I then quit without installing Windows.
On the old Mac, I used an external drive formatted as FAT and used Disk Utility to 'restore' my Windows partition to the external drive. Next I plugged that drive into the new Mac, and restored the external Windows partition to the new Mac's Windows partition. So far, so good. However, Parallels would not start this installation of Windows, and the new Mac would not boot into it (holding down the Option key at start-up did not show me a Windows drive).
I tried doing a repair of the Windows installation using a Windows install disk but that did not work. What did work was the following: I booted from the Window install CD, then started a new installation. I asked Windows to format the Windows partition on the new Mac, then powered off the new Mac as soon as Windows started copying files. Next, I rebooted the new Mac into Mac OS X, started Disk Utility, and again did a restore of the Windows partition on the external drive to the Windows partition on the new Mac.
The final step was to reboot the new Mac into Windows directly so that I could load drivers from the Leopard install CD. [I haven't done that yet, so I'm not sure it's necessary].
Hope this helps!

Sounds solid to me. If the Glyph was connected on a firewire port that is. This would free up the bandwith that way but actually it is hardly an issue with the Duet considering the limited inputs. But using the Glyph as a backup for your projects is good wise idea anyway.

Install Windows XP in Leopard WITHOUT Boot Camp - No More Disk Error

For those of you having problems installing Windows XP in Boot Camp because of the formatting screen never showing up and then the system restarting with the dreaded:
Press any key to boot from CD .....
Disk Error
Press any key to restart
I too spent many frustrating hours trying to find a solution that worked. I searched these threads, tried many of the solutions suggested here and elsewhere, including recreating the Windows CD without a specific file, using the FreeDOS boot CD (couldn't ever get it to work, though I understand some people have had success), Reinstalling Leopard and trying again, dancing around the laptop with incense three times counter clockwise while chanting the name of my childhood pet... etc.
I FOUND A NEW SOLUTION!!!! A much easier solution!!!!
For anyone who is having this problem and is planning to run virtualization software.
(Something that let's you run Windows from inside Leopard)
SKIP BOOT CAMP ALTOGETHER!!!
USE VMware Fusion to install Windows.
I decided to try a different approach entirely and did a completely fresh install of Leopard (not sure if that was necessary or not but with everything else I had been trying I wanted to clean it up anyhow) and then installed the 30 day trial version of Fusion w/ the unlock key VMware emailed me.
I entered my information and Windows product key into Fusion's "Easy Install" Interface, clicked install, and about 30 minutes later I was browsing around in XP.
I HIGHLY recommend this option for anyone having difficulty with the formatting screen not showing up. I have a Bachelors Degree in Information Systems and still spent the better part of 2 days working on this boot camp problem, including numerous hours with the higher tier of apple's tech support. I suspect that those of us having this problem may have an OEM or systembuilder copy of XP... but that is for Apple to deal with - not me, I have better things to do with my time.
If you are planning to run Windows from within Leopard anyhow, just buy Fusion and to **** with the hassle.
You can go to VMware's website and get a 30 day evaluation copy to see if this will work for you before you decide if you want to purchase it, they will email you the unlock key.
Best of luck, hope this saves someone some time!

For what it's worth, I've used the OEM version (copper disk), Select version (bulk license), and an NFR (partner program) version of XP Pro with SP2 and they all worked. On my MacBook Pro's I use boot camp to split the disk in two, reboot using the Windows CD, and pick the partition to format it.
Apple states that you need a full version of Windows, and the OEM versions are slightly different from the commercial versions, but both should work. On my Mac Pro, I created a 3-disk OS X RAID-0, and left the 4th disk alone. I rebooted with the Windows CD and installed Windows to the 4th disk without Bootcamp at all. Once Windows was installed, I used the Leopard disk to install the Bootcamp drivers. The Mac side has no Bootcamp installation but I can still choose between the volumes by holding down the option key at boot time or by setting the startup volume in the OS X Startup disk preference pane.
The solution to use virtualization, unfortunately, will not work for many situations where graphics are involved. Most current major products, such as AutoCAD, 3dsMax, and so forth, will not run properly or at all without specific DirectX 9 or OpenGL support. To date both Parallels and VMWare do not completely support DirectX or OpenGL.

MacBook Pro Keyboard Function Keys & Backlight Stopped Working

This is a repost of an older thread, however i am having the same exact problem and i know i am not the only one.
Origionally posted by FIDO2010 -
"Problem: The keyboard function keys (i.e. screen brightness, audio volume etc.) and backlight no longer work in Windows 7 (64-Bit) running Boot Camp 3.x. I also had the identical problem with Windows Vista (64-Bit) running Boot Camp 2.1.
Oddity: When I first installed Windows 7 and Boot Camp 3.x (same with Vista and Boot Camp 2.1), the keyboard and backlighting worked perfectly for about 3 Shut-Down/Re-Starts.
Points of Interest: I use a Logitech MX Revolution 2.4GHZ mouse and a Microsoft Blue Tooth Presenter Mouse 8000 with this machine. When I had this problem running Vista 64-Bit and Boot Camp 2.1, I assumed the problem was created by installing the drivers for these mice (suspecting that the mouse drivers over-wrote the Apple keyboard driver); however, I installed NO mouse drivers when I deleted the Vista 64 Boot Camp partician and created the "fresh" Windows 7 (64-bit) / Boot Camp 3.x partician.
I have tried the obvious of un-installing/re-installing Boot Camp, running the Boot Camp driver in repair mode, and manually replacing the keyboard driver itself. None of which have worked.
Solutions?"
Any insight will be greatly appreciated. this issue is driving me crazy. Must have installed windows a good 30-40 times in the past couple months. thank you

As you all are probably well aware, this exact problem has been asked on a countless number of discussion boards and each is answered with a different "solution." Quotation marks are necessary because the solutions suggested work for some users but don't work for others. So, in a way, I offer those who read this reply this same disclaimer. The following solution worked for me (for now!) but it may not work for you.
Just like those other users, my volume and brightness function keys on my Macbook refused to work after installing the latest Bootcamp updates and after restarting Windows 'x' amount of times. In addition, trackpad scrolling, which worked great after one of the updates, also did not respond.
Here's what I did to get them working again, and it's rather simple. Find the Bootcamp application in Windows. Mine was housed in Program Files but yours may located be somewhere differently. Right-click the application and select Open. In my case the screen went black and the resolution downgraded to 800x600 or lower when the images on the screen returned so keep this in mind if or when you attempt this. The screen is significantly cropped so you may have trouble navigating to the Control Panel to fix the resolution to your liking. Anyway, now my brightness and volume function keys and trackpad scrolling work properly.
I should mention one or two more bits of information before I sign off. To start, I cannot say if this trick continues working after restarting Windows. Also, I do not know if this process is something you have to perform everytime you run Windows. In any case, let the world know if this or any other solution fixes this stated problem for you.

Keyboard Function-Key mapping in Forms 10gAS

Greetings,
Can anyone help with a quick outline of the way keyboard function keys are implemented on the Application Server in Forms 10g?
My situation is that I have two unix servers, one for Development, one for Production. When running my Forms from a browser window, one of the servers responds to the F8 key for Execute-Query, the other server does not.
I presume the mapping is done on the server, with some sort of configuration file. Perhaps something's been overridden by mistake somewhere. I have checked forms.conf, forms.properties, formsweb.cfg and frmweb.res, and cannot see anything that might relate to these Keyboard Function-Key settings. I've also tried finding a Developers Reference Manual online, but have had no luck.
It's bound to be something really simple, but I can't seem to crack it. Do you know what I'm missing?
Pete ?:|

There are two basic versions of key mapping fmrweb.res files. Forms is released with a fmrweb.res file that has Ctrl+S for commit.
But there is also a fmrpcweb.res file that can be used in place of the other -- you just rename it as fmrweb.res in the other's place.
Both files are simple text files you can edit with Notepad or other simple text editors.
You can find more about fmrweb.res in the first post (a ways down) in this thread:
Forms 10g installed and running on Windows Vista

Keyboard does not connect to boot camp

keyboard doesn't connect of boot camp windows 7 on airbook 11

Update: if I use a USB extender it works! This is really strange....

Boot camp 3, windows 7, 13" unibody macbook and keyboard function keys....

after some screwing around (disable user access control, install tweak util to allow unsigned drivers) most features of my macbook are now working in windows 7. battery life looks abysmal as it was in vista, but i'll deal with that later.
the major glitch at this point seems to be the keyboard. the boot camp manager in the system tray has the keyboard option, which does nothing. pressing fn-f1, f2, etc does nothing except bring up help or the corresponding f-key value for windows. i manually reinstalled the apple keyboard driver, but this obviously isn't a driver issue - it's a keyboard manager issue. i notice that there is no more kbdmgr.exe in boot camp 3... at least as far as i can tell. what process is now responsible for these keyboard functions? it would be really nice to be able to eject discs, use volume, hit ctrl-alt-del, etc!!
thanks in advance to anyone who has figured this out.

to sum up: actually got 7 running, but all just to a certain extent:
Keyboard works rather well, even though the backlight cant be fully switched off in low light conditions. Low light is considered even if its still bright enough to easily read the keys labels, but thats just the same as in OSX.
The trackpad works half way, as a poorly working standard touchpad with + two finger scrolling (way too quick) + two finger right click. Tapping works, but dragging and tapping doesnt work technically (clicking a button then quickly moving the cursor is misstaken as dragging, feels inferior in recognition to other touchpads). Multitouch stuff doesnt work at all, which is a pain seeing that touchpad.
Sound quite works, but if u reboot the macbook in having the sound muted u need to reboot again with sound switched on to make the sound play through the speakers.
CD eject seems buggy too.
Battery runs like 2,5 hours (4 hours in OS X). (Must be a driver issue, windows CAN run such a notebook for 4 hours too, just consider all those lenovo thinkpads)
Why the **** does installing Windows on a Mac feel like installing Linux on a random PC...
If anyone has solutions/hints regarding the sound or the trackpad let the world know!
Coolest thing ever would be to get synaptics drivers running with the Apple touchpad. Could be possible, since in Linux as far as i get it the macbook touchpad is driven by synaptic drivers as well. Would need some fiddling though, maybe someone manages?!

Changing how built in keyboard function keys work in windows 8 (gaming)

Mid 2010 15-inch macbook pro.
This is a weird question that might not be able to work the way I want anyways, but I'll try to explain it as best as I can.
I put Windows 8 on my MBP so I could play some Windows-Only games (mainly Star Wars: The Old Republic) and I want to be able to use the F keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.) as hotkeys like I did on World of Warcraft running in OSX. In OSX there is a setting to make it so you hold down fn when you press the F key to do the actual function assigned to it, so then the F keys are just another row as far as the game is concerned. However, I couldn't find anything similar in Windows. Is there any way to do this, aside from buying a USB keyboard? I really like having alot of buttons, my mouse has 17 of them.
Also if there is an easy way to say num-lock is on, that would be helpful. That fancy mouse acts like a number pad.

Look in control panel, boot camp app. The setting is in there.

5 year old Imac running Snow Leopard with Boot camp.

My IMac will not boot up when I turn on?
The grey apple logo screen and Apple Jingle occurs but I get no desktop or Finder Window and the computer turns off after about 5 minutes of trying to start up.
I inserted Snow Leopard Start Up Disk and tried running Disk Utility - however the Internal Hard Drive is not accesible and shows as being unmounted.
Furthermore - there is NO Start up Internal Hard Drive to reinstall the Snow Leopard OS to.I see my External Drive and Boot Camp partition ONLY.
Could this be a Hard Drive Failure?
However, when I turn the Computer on and Hold the Option key I have no issue booting Windows via Boot Camp and running Windows XP?
What can I do to resolve this?
I would be so greatful for any help to solve this issue.

It looks like your OS X partition is damaged, but not the hard disk. Although your OS X partition is unmounted, you can select it and repair the disk from the Mac OS X DVD. If it doesn't work, you will have to erase the OS X partition and reinstall OS X

New Apple Wireless Keyboard Function Key not working ON 10.5.8

Tried updating keyboard os, disconecting reconnecting. Selecting/deselecting option in keyboard options. power off and on
Cannot get function key to work
Thanks

found answer here- my wireless keyboard model is MC184LL/B
http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/product/MB110LL/B?pqid=QXXHTX4T747AAF PXKHXCC72CYAXYU7XXYUPK9UFC74K27FPKF
The Function keys will not all work properly on 10.5.8, all the other keys will be fine. The previous model MB110LL/A would work with all the Function keys on Leopard or Snow Leopard.

Problem with Keyboard function keys.

Hey guys, let me start by saying I'm not a novice when it comes to computers, I'll be able to understand most of what you guys say here. My function keys are working perfectly fine... when I hold fn with F10 or any other button with controls it will move the desktop away in a quick and timely manner. However, if I try to use the key with just the speaker function it does not respond until MUCH later if at all.
I have been having numerous headaches with Lion. This issue did not arise previously with Snow Leopard. Keyboard Setup Assistant also appears at bootup although I have nothing plugged in what-so-ever. Couple of things I've tried (I've found many threads about this and this seems to be the answer that is commonly given, but doesn't work for most of these people):
1) I reset my PRAM a few times.
2) I tried it with the Use function keys button checked and unchecked. This is happening straight from a fresh install.
3) I deleted preferences and had them remade.
This goes for Brightness, Keyboard Brightness, Dashboard, volume and track controls. Thanks for your help...

Without knowing which verison of OS X is installed it's difficult to say what you have done. However in ML open System Preferences - Keyboard - uncheck Use all F1, F2 etc. keys as standard function keys

Wireless keyboard function keys don't work even though updated

Hi,
like i read in different threads, many others had this problem too.
The function keys of my bluetooth keyboard (aluminium 2009) don't work even though i did firmware update for mighty mouse AND the keyboard firmware update. I also unset the option 'use function keys with fn......' option in system preferences. I also tried disconnecting and connecting the device. In system profiler the entry says it is (still) firmware version 80.
What can i do?
I'm thankful for any hint.
Best, Jörg

wrote this in another thread, but it is relevant here, too.
Wanting to buy a keyboard and reading this thread (and others), I went to a local Best Buy. They had quite a few of the wireless keyboards out. They had MC184LL(A) models and (B) models.
ALL of the (A) models worked perfectly with the iPad (typing, brightness, volume, ipod functions, etc).
NONE of the (B) models worked other than basic typing.
They had a stack of maybe 50 new wireless keyboards on the shelf. All but two of them were (B) models.
I bought one of the two (A) models. It is working perfectly on my iPad.
Rob

How do you reset the special keyboard function keys?

I used to use an older external keyboard that had Dashboard as F4. Now I got a newer keyboard that has Launchpad as F4. I was used to the old way, so I went into the keyboard shortcut for Dashboard and set it as F4. To my disappointment, however, it only works when I hold 'fn'. (I didn't expect this, as when the key was set to F13 holding fn wasn't required.) So anyway, that is even worse, and I wanted to change it back. However, it wouldn't let me. (In Launchpad & Dock > Keyboard Shortcuts, there used to be a checkmark next to Show Launchpad with a blank area on the right, but now when I try to click Restore Defaults, it forces me to choose a key... and pressing F4 without holding fn doesn't register.) And I know I can make it use all function keys as standard function keys, but not just for F4. And if I do it for all of them, I lose the other keyboard controls and I don't want that. I don't want to have to be stuck with the FunctionFlip 3rd party tool forever... How can I actually reset they key (or ideally, make it bring up dashboard without holding down fn)? You'd think that if it's so simple to change a setting one way it would be simple to change back. I'd even delete some prefs file if i had to.

I figured out that if you remove the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist file and restart, that restores the keyboard.
Second question: Is there any way to make F4 (without holding fn) bring up Dashboard on Lion that doesn't require FunctionFlip? If it matters, I have a Time Machine backup of the symbolichotkeys.plist file from when I had the older keyboard.

Apple wireless keyboard no longer working with boot camp Windows 7

Hi,
I've had Boot Camp installed for about half a year now with no problems.
Yesterday my wireless keyboard stopped working with it, it also appears that bluetooth isn't in the device manager or in the control panel, it could no linger detect either my magic mouse or keyboard despite having fresh new batteries. They do however still work with my Mac OSX partition. It also lets me hold down alt to choose which OS to boot into on startup however when it gets to the log in screen for windows the keyboard stopped working.
I've tried unpairing them in OSX then trying it in Windows but like I said bluethooth doesnt even appear to be there and it wont detect them. I've also tried reinstalling the apple drivers twice, still doesn't work.
If it helps I have a early 2011 iMac 21.5inch and it's Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.
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This may be just a Boot Camp issue, if no one here can help you may also want to post in the Boot Camp forum.

Install Leopard with boot camp on snow leopard.

I upgraded to Snow Leopard and have a piece of line 6 hardware that is not compatible. Updated drivers are taking forever to come out and I need to use this hardware. I'm wondering if it would be possible to use boot camp to install leopard from the installation disk included with my macbook so that I can boot to it to use the line 6 device.
Any help would be appreciated.

The easiest way is to use Disk Utility in the Utilities folder to create a 2 partition set up. Disk Utility will be able to do this without erasing your existing information.
- Select your volume the one with the disk size at the top
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I am sorry since I have mine partitioned with BootCamp for my Windows 7 partition, I am unable to describe all of the steps as BootCamp locks me out of performing the rest of the steps.

Keyboard Function Keys - Leopard / Parallels / Boot Camp

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