I have a text editor which uses a huge number of keystrokes using a combilation of Alt, shift and Ctrl in many combinations, includeing none of those in combinatin with other keys. Lately the Alt+s keystroke has quit working, yet other keystrokes work just fine. Is Windows eating the Alt+s keystroke? If so, what does it mean to Windows? I could assign that function to another keystroke, but it has been Alt+s for over 20 years, so I would like another solution if there is one.
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Windows eating Alt+s? 1
- Thread starter webrabbit
- Start date
mscallisto
Technical User
If you have two Alt key's on your keyboard try the other Alt key to test if the first Alt key is working.
- Thread starter
- #4
What is the text editor you are using? Does it allow for mapping keys to functions? If so reset them to factory and I would imagine they should work like old. Just seems "Save" has had a new keystroke attached to it.
Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.
Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.
- Thread starter
- #6
There is only two things that will affect the keystrokes:
1) Keyboard mapping program
2) The text editor itself.
3) Or if a shorcut you can manually call whatever key combo you want it on under properties
If both 1 and 2 show it listed correctly and it isnt a shorcut, then its hard to say.
"3: My question was not "How can I fix/bypass this?", it was "What is Windows doing with the Alt+s?"
Im confused by this, to know what it is doing with the Alt's requires basically fixing it.
Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.
1) Keyboard mapping program
2) The text editor itself.
3) Or if a shorcut you can manually call whatever key combo you want it on under properties
If both 1 and 2 show it listed correctly and it isnt a shorcut, then its hard to say.
"3: My question was not "How can I fix/bypass this?", it was "What is Windows doing with the Alt+s?"
Im confused by this, to know what it is doing with the Alt's requires basically fixing it.
Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.
Forgive me if I missed it, but I don't see where you said whether or not Alt-S worked or not with any other Windows application, only your editor. Is that the case?
For instance, Alt-S in some email apps is "Send".
-Dave Summers-
![[cheers]](/data/assets/smilies/cheers.gif "[cheers] [cheers]")
Even more Fox stuff at:
For instance, Alt-S in some email apps is "Send".
-Dave Summers-
Even more Fox stuff at:
mscallisto
Technical User
Notepad++ is another very comprehensive free text editor and Alt-S is default for "save". Maybe you can download and try the Alt-s functionality.
sam
sam
- Thread starter
- #10
I guess the upshot is that no one knows why Windows is eating Alt+S. Most Windows applications use Ctrl+s as a shortcut to "Save".
For those who might be interested, the editor in question is PE32. It is a highly evolved version of the old IBM DOS Personal Editor, or PE. PE3 added support for EGA and VGA monitors, including a 132 column mode availble on most VGA monitors. PE32 was written for 32-byte Windows versions. It adapts itself to whatever you set in "properties" by right-clicking the upper left corner of the window.
All manifistations have the feature intoduced in the original where the keyboard is fully mappable. The default mapping has always included having the data keys (letters, digits, etc.) map to themselves. But this could be changed if you had some reason to do so.
For those who might be interested, the editor in question is PE32. It is a highly evolved version of the old IBM DOS Personal Editor, or PE. PE3 added support for EGA and VGA monitors, including a 132 column mode availble on most VGA monitors. PE32 was written for 32-byte Windows versions. It adapts itself to whatever you set in "properties" by right-clicking the upper left corner of the window.
All manifistations have the feature intoduced in the original where the keyboard is fully mappable. The default mapping has always included having the data keys (letters, digits, etc.) map to themselves. But this could be changed if you had some reason to do so.
>"no one knows why Windows is eating Alt+S."
We don't know that it is. DSummZZZ asked if Alt-S works in any other application, and you haven't answered yet. I admit there are not a lot of applications that use Alt-S, but besides mail programs as DSummZZZ suggested, I see that my version of Firefox (14) uses Alt-S (same as clicking History menu).
If Alt-S works elsewhere, this would seem to prove that Windows is not "eating" keystrokes.
We don't know that it is. DSummZZZ asked if Alt-S works in any other application, and you haven't answered yet. I admit there are not a lot of applications that use Alt-S, but besides mail programs as DSummZZZ suggested, I see that my version of Firefox (14) uses Alt-S (same as clicking History menu).
If Alt-S works elsewhere, this would seem to prove that Windows is not "eating" keystrokes.
- Thread starter
- #12
rclarke250
Technical User
So download firefox, and try it, if it opens history, then windows is working, If you don't want to help troubleshoot your problem, then don't cry no one has an answer for you. You were given 2 other apps, notepad ++ and firefox, neither has to stay on the computer but as a test, I'd take the 5 minutes it would take to try it. What have you got to lose? it's been 5 days since you posted the original issue. And at this point no one can help you any farther since you won't help us narrow down the problem.
cmeagan656
Technical User
If you don't want to install any other programmes then Alt+S in IE 8 brings up the Saftey menu.
Hope this helps.
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mscallisto
Technical User
notepad++ allows complete shortcut mapping
open a text document with notepad++
the navigation is Settings > Shortcut Mapper
you'll see that Save is set to CTRL+S
to change to Alt+S simply:
highlight the save line
click modify
un-choose [Ctrl] box and choose [Alt] box, leave the S alone
click close
open a text document make changes and try the Alt-S to save
much luck
sam
open a text document with notepad++
the navigation is Settings > Shortcut Mapper
you'll see that Save is set to CTRL+S
to change to Alt+S simply:
highlight the save line
click modify
un-choose [Ctrl] box and choose [Alt] box, leave the S alone
click close
open a text document make changes and try the Alt-S to save
much luck
sam
mscallisto
Technical User
I'm not sure what your text editor is but if it's old and has problems then notepad++ may be an option where you can map all your shortcuts to what you're already used to.
sam
sam
- Thread starter
- #17
Since I am using IE 8 to access tek-tips, I tried Alt+S just now. It did nothing, so I guess it's not Windows. Somthing else is eating that keystroke. Other Alt+ keystrokes (such as Alt+F) work just fine. BTW, pressing the Alt key, then the "s" causes the screen to scroll here. But pressing and holding the Alt key then pressing the "s" key dows nothing. So something is definately eating the Alt+S. The only application I have installed recently is FaxTalk, to replace WinFax Pro, which is no longer working, nor is it supported by the vendor. I don't see how this could be the problem, but who knows? I guess I'll just have to remap that function.
Alt-S will only do anything in IE8 if the "Command Bar" (and the Safety option) is visible:
If they are not visible, Alt-S will do nothing and give the illusion that Alt-S is being "eaten"
However, if in fact Alt-S really is not working in IE8 as well as PE32, I would try Alt-S in IE8 using Safe Mode, and also with a different user profile, to try to track down the software that is the cause.
If they are not visible, Alt-S will do nothing and give the illusion that Alt-S is being "eaten"
However, if in fact Alt-S really is not working in IE8 as well as PE32, I would try Alt-S in IE8 using Safe Mode, and also with a different user profile, to try to track down the software that is the cause.
Sorry, image didn't come through:
- Thread starter
- #20
OK, so I disbled that menu bar, it was taking up too much real estate. When I press and release the Alt key, some of it pops up, giving the appearance of scrolling. The "Safety" option does not, however appeare, so the "s" key is ignored. (Alt+S may be ignored for the same reason.)
I was just curious about it. I assumed it was Windows eating the keystroke, but i guess it was saomething else. It's not worth the effort to track it down, I will just remap that function to something else.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
PS: re PE32--it's relatively new and works very well with Windows, among other things giving me an option to display up to 146 characters per line, so I'm not looking for a replacement. (Actually, it could display much more than 146 characters, but then they would be too small for me to see. In the last millinium I could have.)
I was just curious about it. I assumed it was Windows eating the keystroke, but i guess it was saomething else. It's not worth the effort to track it down, I will just remap that function to something else.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
PS: re PE32--it's relatively new and works very well with Windows, among other things giving me an option to display up to 146 characters per line, so I'm not looking for a replacement. (Actually, it could display much more than 146 characters, but then they would be too small for me to see. In the last millinium I could have.)
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