Hot Keys Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro

[SpaceHorsti]

Hi!
How can I get the Multimedia Keys of my Natural Keyboard Pro to work?
I'm about to give up, nothing works!
Thanks a lot for your help!
Horsti

[james]

Works for me

With 5.0, Win2000, and the latest-ishIntellitype drivers.

[SpaceHorsti]

Originally posted by james
Works for me

With 5.0, Win2000, and the latest-ishIntellitype drivers.

5.0, WinXP Professional with all updates whatsoever, veryvery latest IntelliType - no hot keys for the beloved Winamp.

[ujay]

Same as ever, no problems here. Intellitype 2.20.447.0

I guessed you've checked the settings. Do you have the right type of keyboard selected (Key Settings tab > Update)

UJ

[SpaceHorsti]

Originally posted by ujay
Same as ever, no problems here. Intellitype 2.20.447.0

I guessed you've checked the settings. Do you have the right type of keyboard selected (Key Settings tab > Update)

UJ

Yes, right type of keyboard is selected. Keys were working fine on Media Player 9 before I installed Winamp.

[hedghogz]

Got the same problem here (WinXP Pro with IntelliType 5.00.174.0)

It definitely used to work with Winamp 2, and I've a vague feeling it worked when I had 3 installed for a couple of hours.

The only time it hasn't worked before was when winamp 2 was only in the system tray and didn't pick up the commands.

I've fiddled with various settings in winamp5 and intellitype with no luck. Presumably the bit of code in winamp has either been removed or broken. Time to go back to v2 methinks...

[davidliv]

Same problem here. I'm running Windows XP Pro, final version of Winamp 5, latest version of Intellitype software and using a Microsoft Natrual Pro keyboard.

I've got to have my NEXT button.

[VikingCoder]

So, I wrote my own programs to control Winamp's state - they should work for just about any version of Winamp, I think. I hooked each one of the programs up to the respective buttons in Control Panel | Keyboard. I use Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro, and Winamp 5 Final.

I just called SendMessage, as documented here:

http://www.winamp.com/nsdn/winamp2x/dev/sdk/api.jhtml

Use these programs at your own risk. I make no warranty, express or implied, about their fitness for any task.

[VikingCoder]

And here's the file?

[hedghogz]

Cheers for sharing. Presumably that way though would stop the buttons working with other software though? e.g. the cool media player (picking one off the top of my head).

It has to be simpler if they'd just fix the bug?
Hint hint clever nullsoft people....

[VikingCoder]

hedghogz,

Yes, it does indeed disable it for other programs. The only one I really care about is Winamp. If I could figure out how to resend the "normal" media player command, I'd happily code my WinampControllers to do it. Anyone have any suggestions?

I know that normally, you're supposed to pick which media device you're controlling with the Media button - I'm betting that won't be an option for me... That means that my program would hit play in both Winamp AND Windows Media Player at the same time, for instance. Probably not a good thing.

[plopunisher]

I have the same problems w/ a wireless desktop elite KB. Viking, thx for the quick fix, but I know that my shortcuts worked with a pre-final version of WA5, but they didn't work for long. Is there any new news about this>

[jdjbuffalo]

Yeah, I've got the same problem. I was using Winamp 2.81 for the longest time and today I upgraded to Winamp 5 and all of sudden I can't control Winamp with the Hot Keys on my MS Wireless Elite Keyboard.

Other than this issue I like the new Winamp. Hopefully they will fix the issue soon. But for now I'll try out the program from VikingCoder. Thanks.

[XaNoR]

Is it really supposed to be meant that we should need to install thirdparty software just to get the hotkeys fixed... Think its up to Nullsoft to fix the BUG...
Ihave the same problem with XP Pro and Natural Keyboard Pro... Planning on reinstalling 2.91 again, and buying the Pro License ? Well NO WAY...

[genz]

yeh, this worked in the earlier release of winamp5 (i think it was 3 betas ago, before any RCs came out).
the one fix that does work is switching from the Modern skin to the Classic skin. that way you don't have to mess with any 3rd party apps.

sure would be nice to have this work in modern, but it has been bug-reported several time.

switch to Classic skin'll fix for now.

[XaNoR]

Gee thanx... Works fine... But as you said... Would be gr8 with the modern skin too

[Jumper001]

I used Global Hotkeys to setup my media keyboard to control Winamp.

Don't even have intellitype drivers installed

[XaNoR]

Well i tried to configure em' but it didnt wojk

[hedghogz]

Originally posted Dazog in Bug Report forum
NOT BUGS:

7) Multimedia Keyboards. Contact the Company once Winamp 5.0 is complete so they can provide you with updated drivers.

Is it just me or does this suggest that they won't even accept there is a problem by just blaming microsoft? Surely there's some issue with the code somewhere as it works with classic skins but not modern ones? Can anyone remember which betas and rcs it worked and didn't work with, and whether it worked at all with winamp3?

Perhaps armed with enough info it might be worth a moan in the bug report forum.

I will hunt people down and hit them with large sticks if they don't read the links Is end them too.....

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....98#post1196398

[hedghogz]

None of those links solve anything - the closest is your (broken) link to RM-X that seems to do the same thing that VikingCoder's program above does. I.e. assign each multimedia button to run an exe that sends a message to winamp. Which would mean the buttons would only be able to control winamp.

Having a root through other threads, it looks like this is a problem that was introduced with the release candidates, and it worked fine in the betas. Sounds fishy to me...

If not of that stuff works either you are doing something wrong, or your keyboard drivers are really fucked up.

[hedghogz]

I notice that in the thread requesting bugs in the RC:

Originally posted by Dazog
[B]Re: ms mm keys

Not winamp's fault. When winamp 5.0 is Done you will probably need a driver update from Microsoft.

There aren't any newer drivers available from microsoft and their sdk hasn't changed (well not on the public version of msdn anyway).

Surely can't be a coincidence that a few people are having the same problem with the same hardware? And if it was screwy drivers it'd seem rational to think that they would either work randomly or not at all - rather than only when using one set of skins and not the other.

edit: BTW I wasn't suggesting that the programs mentioned in my last post didn't work, it's just that in solving one problem they create more (i.e. having to change the keyboard settings when using something like powerdvd or cool media player)

[XaNoR]

Originally posted by hedghogz
Surely can't be a coincidence that a few people are having the same problem with the same hardware? And if it was screwy drivers it'd seem rational to think that they would either work randomly or not at all - rather than only when using one set of skins and not the other.

So true

[Kaylee Chan]

I own 3 Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboards and 1 Wireless Optical Desktop Pro. At work on my computer with WinXP, InteliType5, Winamp5 and a MS Natual Multimedia keyboard, the media keys work just fine. At home with the exact same setup, they keyboard doesn't work... THAT is wierd.

[Kaylee Chan]

Ok... so here's the deal... it is NOT an issue with MS Drivers. It is NOT an issue with the Winamp program (it might be, but it doesn't seem so). The problem is the SKINS. When I use Modern, or MMD, or some others, the media keys don't work. In some other skins, however, as well as the classic skin, the media keys work...

It's still a little strange that MMD at work runs just fine with the media keys, but at home it doesn't...

[omote]

I have two MS Natural Multimedia keyboards (one at work and one at home) and oddly enough my home keyboard works fine with Winamp 5 and the modern skin - all media keys function ok.

At work though the keys don't function - the only difference in my setup I can think of is that at work I'm using Intellitype Pro 5.0 while at home I think it's Intellitype Pro 2.2 (not 100% sure)

I'll try downgrading the driver at work tommorow and report back.

Mark

[omote]

Update:

Yes, I've downgraded from Intellitype 5.0 Pro to Intellitype 2.2 Pro and now my multimedia keys are functioning correctly with Winamp 5.0 Final.

So I'm pretty sure Microsoft broke something in 5.0 or perhaps they'd prefer everyone use WMP9 or something.

Anyways, hopefully this helps anyone still having problems with MS keyboards.

Mark

[o_spring]

I have found an other solution:

install the plugin:
"DIMIN HOTKEYS plugin for winamp "
http://www.dimin.net/software/

It will replace the gen_hotkey plugin bundelled with Winamp 5. No configuration needed : just install and enjoy (I am using ms wireless keyboard with intellitype pro 5)

[hellsatan]

Hmmm - I have downloaded Winamp 5, and my Hotkeys work fine...

I didn't need to download any other files, and yes, I use XP - I simply altered them in the preferences to my Play/Pause | Stop | Next | Previous | Vol Up | Vol Down buttons...

They also work when Winamp is not the active window

Satan

[luma]

xp pro sp1, ms wireless desktop elite, intellitype drivers 2.21 (which i believe is the newest) - no worky without switching to class skin.

[dannymp3]

I have WinXP (SP1), Winamp 5 (used the earlier builds also), and IntelliType 5. The multimedia keys NEVER worked for the modern skins no matter what build or RC i was using. They only worked in the classic skins and i'd need the Winamp window to be un-minimized (not neccesarly have all the attention).

I'm just using the .exe's VikingCoder shared with us. I think they are better because now it doesn't matter if I have winamp in the system tray, hidden, or whatever. Thanks Viking.

[davidliv]

Ooops. Didn't mean to make a separate thread for this topic. Take a look at this:

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....hreadid=161006


-davidliv

[subrandom]

So there are a few other things to this first the skins didnt break the support on other builds of 5 i used. Now they are broken. I can accept that nullsoft changed the way winamp interacts with these things but there are some other things that changed with it. On previous releases when i would have winamp minimized to the tray and would skip a track it would skip a track quickly and easily and winamp would STAY MINIMIZED! now with winamp 5 and the newest intellitype drivers it pops up winamp (and yeah classic skins work with the media keys but the minimized thing is still there).

I'm really confused about nullsofts flirtation with features. I would be glad if this didnt go the way of the keep video window open when winamp is minimized option (few seem to remember that being a feature of 2.9 but it was a damn good one and now its gone)... Anyways hopefully microsoft will be bombarded with emails... or maybe 5.01 will fix the error. Of course there is no way to tell since there is no online change log that is easily found.

[WildChild2283]

I can confirm the RM-X Plugin working with the Wireless Desktop.

Here's the version details:
-Windows XP SP1a (English)
-Microsoft Wireless Desktop Elite
-IntelliType Pro 5.0
-Winamp 5.01 (Dec 19 2003)
-RM-X 0.8.4 for Winamp2

Here's the procedure:
-Uninstall Intellitype Pro (no reboot - it'll also keep it's settings, thanks to Microsoft's IncompleteUninstall(tm) technology)
-Install RM-X
-Start/Restart Winamp so RM-X gets started at least once
-Install Intellitype Pro 5.0
-Open up the RM-X configuration in Winamp
-Switch to the API-KB-Page (AppCmd did not work for me)
-Click in one of the [NONE] input fields (next to the {NONE} buttons)
-Press one of the Media Keys on your keyboard, the appropriate description should appear in the input box (like [Play/Pause])
-Select the function to be executed in Winamp when this key is pressed from the dropdown just below the input box.
-Repeat for remaining Media Keys
-Press "Save Settings" in the RM-X Configuration dialog, close it
Media keys should now be working.

I have never owned nor will I ever own a Logitech keyboard so I cannot give you any information on how to get these to work, however I assume one of the various methods RM-X offers will even get these PoS' to work

The Pro of this method over using executables for controlling Winamp (play.exe ...) is that this way other applications like your DVD-Player application can still be controlled with the very same Multimedia keys. If you set your keys to only execute those executables, they would obviously only do that.

good luck with getting yours to work !

[PS. Mods: no rants please, I'm posting this in several threads since it appears to be an excellent way of getting the functionality without having to beg for your manufacturer's attention]

URLs:
IntelliType/IntelliPoint @ Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/do...s/default.mspx
RM-X @ Winamp.com: http://winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=126050
RM-X Website(?): http://www.vpedal.com/winamp.php

[Seatroll]

Thanks for your solution WildChild, works just fine

(XP Pro SP1, WinAmp 5, MS Wireless Optical Desktop Elite)

Cheers,
Sea

[jas8522]

As someone already suggested, all you need to do is install the Dimin plugin . . .

I have intellitype 5.0, WinXP and Winamp 5 like the rest of ya, with the same problem where the modern skin will not allow hotkey usage (although it's between the new skin and intellitype 5 so it seems).

Shut down winamp, install dimin, and load up winamp, and it works great - no configuration needed. And you dont' have to follow all those long steps

jas8522

[WildChild2283]

I think that's the one I tested before and it only activated play/pause & stop. AFAIK - might be wrong.

[o_spring]

Originally posted by WildChild2283
I think that's the one I tested before and it only activated play/pause & stop. AFAIK - might be wrong.

I have MS wireless optical desktop (with wireless multimedia keyboard), Winamp 5.01 and ITP 5.0 on WIN XP PRO SP1 and all multimedia keys (play/pause, stop, next, previous) are working in all situations after installing the DIMIN HOTKEYS plugin.

It is simple and it works !

http://www.dimin.net/software/

[emorphien]

It would be nice to see this working without other people fixing winamps own damn problem.