Hi Bill! On this particular computer, I have an option that says "Change function key behavior, current status is function key row. There is a combo box that allows you to choose between function keys, and media keys. You will want to choose the function keys option. I don't know if this is available for your computer or not. It does depend on the make and model. I have two Dell computers, and it is not available on the other model, which is a latitude. Hope this helps!
-----Original Message----- From: Bill White [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 8:13 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Action Keys Mode - A Warning to Those Buying Certain New Laptops Hi, Michael. Do you remember what the choice you selected said? In other words, did it say something like: "Turn off action keys"? Thank you. Bill White [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Mote" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 6:05 AM Subject: Re: Action Keys Mode - A Warning to Those Buying Certain New Laptops I may have been fortunate, but recently when I was setting up a new Dell computer, I was able to go into the Windows Mobility center, and turn on the function keys, instead of the media key set up that was originally the default setting. Anyone who has a new computer may want to check into this, before going into Bios to make any changes. It's a lot easier, and your screen reader will read it for you. -----Original Message----- From: Russell Solowoniuk [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 8:48 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Action Keys Mode - A Warning to Those Buying Certain New Laptops Interesting! I never thought of that. I haven't updated the BIOS since purchasing my laptop. If I do update the BIOS and mess up my function keys, I will just take it to work and get one of my co-workers to fix it for me! :) Thanks, Russell -----Original Message----- From: David Moore [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 3:33 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Action Keys Mode - A Warning to Those Buying Certain New Laptops Hi, My wife bought me a HP stream for Christmas, I love it except for the functions going back to having to hold down the FN key to get F1 through F12. Have a great one. -----Original Message----- From: Soronel Haetir Sent: Monday, February 1, 2016 12:44 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Action Keys Mode - A Warning to Those Buying Certain New Laptops Unfortunately this is only a temporary fix, at least for HP laptops. HP laptops revert whenever the bios is updated and that has happened several times with the one I have now. Thankfully I live with a seeing eye human so when that happens getting it fixed is fairly easy. On 1/31/16, Russell Solowoniuk <[email protected]> wrote: > When I purchased my Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 laptop a little over a year ago > from Future Shop, I had the tech guys there go into the bios and set > the function keys to behave the way I needed for Jaws use. I had a bit > of a fight to get them to do this, but insisted they do it or I would > purchase the laptop somewhere where they would do it for me. It took > the tech guy all of 3 minutes to do this. Don’t forget, when you are > spending good money, that you have a right to have your laptop set up > in a way that will work for you. > It’s much easier to get them to do it before the sale is made! :). > > Thanks, > > Russell >> On Jan 31, 2016, at 3:44 PM, Brian Vogel <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> For all I know the following may apply to some desktops and/or >> all-in-ones, too, but I've not yet encountered it in these environments. >> >> Since the beginning of the laptop, convention had been that the >> function keys across the very top of the keyboard required the Fn key >> that's nested along the very bottom of the keyboard to be held before >> hitting a given function key to make it perform whatever function the >> manufacturer defines for that key. Most people are familiar with >> function keys to do things >> like: volume up, volume down, mute, wireless on/off, brightness up, >> brightness down, etc. >> >> There is a new feature that HP, at least, calls "Action Keys Mode" >> which turns this convention on its head. When activated, this makes >> a simple press of a given function key trigger its function rather >> than being passed along to whatever application as a key press. This >> can have some "interesting" effects for screen reader users. This >> function is currently enabled by default on my laptop and the F6 key >> so happens to be the Mute on/off toggle key. When using NVDA, if I >> press F6 it simply toggles the mute state. In order to make it >> behave as F6 normally would I must hit >> Fn+F6. This does not apply if the SHIFT is pressed along with F6 in >> order >> to reverse the direction. That works perfectly well. I can only >> imagine the chaos this could unleash if you start using the various >> commands that employ the function keys on a system with Action Keys >> Mode activated. >> >> Action Keys Mode can be disabled, but it is controlled via UEFI/BIOS. >> On my machine one disables it by activating the UEFI menu by doing a >> repeated ESC key press during boot and selecting F10 choice. Once >> the old-fashioned BIOS-like screen pops up, you have to transition to >> the System Configuration pane and arrow to the Action Keys Mode entry >> and disable it. Since this is done well before the operating system >> is even involved, I don't know of a single screen reader that could >> be active to accomplish the task. >> >> Since this mode is controlled by the hardware ahead of any >> intervention by anything else, you must disable it if you wish your >> function keys to operate "the way they always have." >> >> Brian >> >> > > -- Soronel Haetir [email protected] __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 12965 (20160202) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 12965 (20160202) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -- JFW related links: JFW homepage: http://www.freedomscientific.com/ JFW List instructions: To post a message to the list, send it to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a message to [email protected] Archives located at: http://www.groups.io/g/jfw/threads Alternative archives located at: http://n2.nabble.com/JAWS-for-Windows-f2145279.html If you have any concerns about the list, posts received from the list, or the way the list is being run, do not post them to the list. 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