A Stupid Keyboard Question

[jonheal]

I have a Microsoft Multimedia keyboard connected to the Mac. In the Intellitype preference pane, I have specified that the actions of the Windows and Alt keys be switched, so that the keyboard behaves like an Apple keyboard. When I'm in my W2K VM, however, I would like the keyboard to behave like a Windows keyboard. I tried toggling the Fusion Mac keymapping preference -- it didn't have any effect. Am I SOL?

[fuzzy-wan · Accepted solution]

'Twould be nice if Fusion allowed us to customize the host/guest key mappings. As it stands, changes on the OS X side are passed down to the guest.

But it just dawned on me that KeyTweak can remap the keys inside Windows, where it won't affect the host...

Yup, I have successfully swapped the Windows and Ctrl keys, which will make my life easier working in Windows with a Mac keyboard. Woo woo!

In your case you'll want to swap the Windows and Alt keys a second time to reverse the change you made in OS X. In KeyTweak, this is what it should look like:

• Key #59 remapped to 'Left Alt'

• Key #60 remapped to 'Left Windows'

• Key #62 remapped to 'Right Windows'

• Key #63 remapped to 'Right Alt'

The program will sort of freak out because you're changing both Alt keys, but it's OK. And don't think about it too much -- it'll make your brain hurt.

KeyTweak is also useful for disabling annoyances like Caps Lock and Insert.

[jonheal]

Well, My. Fuzzy Wan, KeyTweak did the trick! Thanks for the tip. Now that I've remapped those two dang keys, I don't have to remap my brain.

On a general note, I am really happy with the way Fusion 1.0 is performing on my bottom-of-the-line Mac Mini. With a few tweaks here and there, it has been running flawlessly. I haven't tried anything whacky like moving an existing Parallels partition or anything tlike that, and I'm sure that has helped the overall stablilty of my system. My Windows partition contains crappy old Windows 2000 (which really isn't that crappy), and I find I'm spending more time in Windows 2000 than in the Mac OS. Is that sick, or what!?!

[fuzzy-wan]

Well, My. Fuzzy Wan, KeyTweak did the trick! Thanks for the tip. Now that I've remapped those two dang keys, I don't have to remap my brain.

I know what you mean. For me it's even worse, because I have a shiny new Apple aluminum keyboard at one day job and a Windows keyboard at the other. Time to get another Apple keyboard.

One curious side effect of swapping the Ctrl and Windows keys: to Ctrl-click files in Explorer (among other things) I have to use both Command keys. Not sure if it this is a quirk of my MacBook Pro keyboard or a Windows thing.

Also, I can't send a Ctr-Alt-Delete to the VM now. Might have to get creative with the key remappings...

[jonheal]

Ctrl-Windows-Alt-Delete sends Ctrl-Alt-Delete on my remapped keyboard. Try that.

[fuzzy-wan]

D'oh! I forgot that I need to hit Fn-Delete to get a Windows-style Delete, not Shift-Delete. (Apple and their bizarre laptop keyboard layouts.)

For my setup, Command-Alt-Fn-Delete works as you'd expect it to -- and I don't even need the Right Command key for this one.

But it does break the "Send Ctrl-Alt-Del" menu item. I guess I can live with that.