The fact that it requires a Registry tweak to address this issue does not reflect well on HP. I also note that there is no suggested Registry fix for the "print key". For example, if I press the "calculator key" I'd like it to have the action of pressing the "ctrl"-key pressing the "web browser key" would have the same action as pressing the "caps lock"-key etc. Another possibility might be to change the action of these keys so they match the keys right beside them. I'm assuming that if you supply a null value ("") for the "Association", "ExecuteShell" or "ApplicationPath" parameters, this will disable these keys (i.e., pressing one of these keys will result in no action). I'm not that familiar (or comfortable) with editing the Registry. The really scary part is that it requires a Registry hack or "tweak" to redefine these keys. I understand that this is NOT an official name but I hope the rest of HP adopts the definition. On 11-18-2010 03:47 AM "Cyclops" (an HP employee) suggests that these keys are called "side one-touch keys". I also don't have the QuickPlay symbol on my laptop and I couldn't find any reference to QuickPlay (software or otherwise) on the HP support site.
As far as I can determine, the Quick Launch software DOES NOT allow you to redefine or disable the 5 keys on the left side of the keyboard. To make use of the (2) Quick Launch "buttons" you need Quick Launch software installed on your laptop. Just above the "action keys" I have the ALTEC grill for the speakers. I don't have the Quick Launch icons on my laptop. HP QuickPlay buttons may launch the HP QuickPlay, HP DVD Play, or MediaSmart programs, which are different from the HP Quick Launch program. If you only have HP QuickPlay buttons, you will see the HP QuickPlay symbol (see the HP webpage for what this symbol looks like) above the keyboard, but you will not see the HP Info button or Presentation button Quick Launch icons. You may have HP QuickPlay buttons on your particular notebook model, but you may not have HP Quick Launch buttons. And just to make sure that you don’t get confused: HP introduces 2 new terms: "Quick Launch" buttons and "QuickPlay" buttons. THIS IS THE ONLY REFERENCE TO "QUICK-LAUNCH" IN THE ENTIRE MANUAL. The "(2) through (6)" items listed on page 5 are simply named:
Refer to (2) through (6) in Keys on page 5 for information on using the application quick-launch keys. On page 33 - In the note below the table is the following: I think "the rest of us" would like to have single-press function keys. Side note: I suppose if you watch A LOT of DVDs or CDs on your laptop, the factory default setting makes sense since 9 of the 12 function keys act like a "remote"-stop, play, louder, quieter, skip ahead, etc. To make this change, the HP solution is to DISABLE "ActionKeys Mode" in the system BIOS. In other words, they want to get F11 when they press F11 (and not have to hold down the "fn"-key). In another post, someone wanted to disable this feature. If your software application uses the F11-key for a special purpose, you have to hold down the "fn"-key and then press F11. The FACTORY default setting for these keys means that when you press one of these keys-for example, F11- you can mute or restore speaker sound.
This is also the name given to these keys on page 32. On page 5 - The F1 to F12 keys are referred to as "action keys" in the component table (see item 10).
In the PDF manual ("HP Notebook User Guide-c02102005.pdf"): There seems to be a lot of confusion about the NAMES of certain keys on the HP G62 (and possibly other) laptops.