Stop Control-F11 from decreasing volume

Perishingflames · #1 January 10th, 2009, 05:43 PM

Hi,

I just bought a new keyboard for my mac, and although it is very sleek (but the keys are smaller), I have a problem. I cannot configure Control-F11 as an application shortcut. It will only decrease the volume when I try to set it as that. Is there a way to do this? (*Better be

)

Thanks.

Satcomer · #2 January 10th, 2009, 06:57 PM

Have you tried to set the shortcut in System Preferences->Keyboard & Mouse, Keyboard shortcuts tab?

Perishingflames · #3 January 10th, 2009, 08:32 PM

Yes, as I said, whenever I try to set the key combination, it just does F11 (decrease the volume) so it will not let me set it.

simbalala · #4 January 10th, 2009, 09:20 PM

Did you set the Keyboard prefs to use the function keys as regular function keys? It's a checkbox. You then have to press function to get the system use of these keys.

Which keyboard is it, the wireless or wired? I have the aluminum wired keyboard. There's also a system update for the aluminum keyboards (at least there was when I got mine). It enabled the F17 - F19 keys which I love. I've got F16 as text smaller in all apps and F17 as text bigger. I use QuicKeys though, I don't use the system for shortcuts.

Perishingflames · #5 January 10th, 2009, 11:10 PM

Thank you, that fixed my problem.... except it says to use the fn key to use the printed things on the keys (show all windows as F4, F2 to increase brightness, F12 to increase volume, etc). I'm obviously not using a laptop considering I just bought the keyboard, so why the heck would it make the fn key the only way to use the printed things? How do you suggest getting around apple's stupidity?

Thanks.

DeltaMac · #6 January 11th, 2009, 12:21 AM

If you want to use the printed functions on the keys without pressing the fn, then UNCHECK the box to use keys as standard function keys. That reverses the use of the fn modifier key.
If that interferes with your custom shortcut command (test it first, eh?), then set up that app shortcut with another key combination. There's lots of other possible key shortcuts that don't involve the hardware-locked function keys, although the volume select keys seem the most limits of the 'printed' keys.