Shoutbox

Today when I tried to open the calculator, it didn't work. There is a key on my keyboard and when I pushed it, the calculator didn't open. I can't find it on the computer and I don't know where it has gone. I downloaded the 'Microsoft Calculator Plus' to replace it. Does anyone have any ideas on how I would get the shortcut on my keyboard working again?

Edit: To get the shortcut working, I just added the CALC.exe to the windows file. It's still a mystery where it went though.

And thanks for the fast reply traxor

It should be in C:/Windows/System32/calc.exe

if it isn't, then here you go:

http://shoutbox.menthix.net/attachment.php?pid=549070

Simply place it back into the system 32 folder, and it should work, then just make a shortcut in the Accessories folder in All Programs .

I think the keyboard button will always be set to work as a calculator, so by replacing this, it should definitely work...

Your system32 folder might also be hidden, to unhide this, go to Control Panel > Folder Options > View > Show hidden files and folders.

quote:

---

Originally posted by traxor
I think the keyboard button will always be set to work as a calculator, so by replacing this, it should definitely work...

---

No they aren't, and don't fix it by replacing files. Use the proper methods...

Such special buttons are almost always configurable! You don't need to replace files to let it work, simply configure the buttons to point to the program you want.

This is usually done in the driver setup/config of your keyboard or the likes, in your control panel (it depends from keyboard to keyboard).

----------
EDIT:

And if you don't have such config panels, you can download some tweaker. Some tweaker programs, like TweakUI  have an option to re-assign these special keyboard command keys (but not all)...

But you could always do it yourself by diving into the regisrty. Nothing fancy about it. Simply entering the path to the file/program you want to execute...

For example, to reassign the Calculator key to open your favorite calculator instead of the default program (calc.exe), you open your registry (regedit.exe) and navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey

• If you don't see this AppKey subkey under Explorer, create it.
  
• Look up the keyboard key you want to customize in the table below and then add that corresponding subkey to AppKey.
  
• Within that subkey, create the REG_SZ value ShellExecute and set it to the path and filename of the program you want to execute if you press that keyboard button.
  
• If you want to disable the navigation key, set it to an empty string.
  
• If you want to restore the original behavior, remove the subkey you added to AppKey.

For example, to run your calculator program mycalc.exe if you press the Calculator button, add 18 to AppKey. Then create the REG_SZ value ShellExecute within the subkey 18, and set it to "c:\program files\mycalc\mycalc.exe". Thus you'll get:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey\18
and within that the REG_SZ value ShellExecute which is set to "c:\program files\mycalc\mycalc.exe".

Sidenote 1: Note that you'll also may find this AppKey under the same tree but in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive. You could set it there also, HKLM is for all users on the machine and HKCU is for the currently logged in user (which will overwrite the settings in HKLM...

Sidenote 2: Note that there are other possible values to be entered instead of ShellExecute. eg: Association, this will launch the application which is associated with the value (eg: ".doc" will launch the associated program, usually MS Word); RegisteredApp, this will launch the registered application for the value (eg: "Mail" will launch your default registered emailclient)


Keyboard Button Description | "AppKey" subkey
=============================================

Internet Browser Back        1       Dialog Help                  27
Internet Browser Forward     2       Dialog Find                  28
Internet Browser Refresh     3       Window New                   29
Internet Browser Stop        4       Window Open                  30
Internet Browser Search      5       Window Close                 31
Internet Browser Favorites   6       Current Document Save        32
Internet Browser Home        7       Current Document Print       33
Speaker Volume Mute          8       Last Action Undo             34
Speaker Volume Down          9       Last Action Redo             35
Speaker Volume Up            10      Clipboard/Selection Copy     36
Media Track Next             11      Clipboard/Selection Cut      37
Media Track Previous         12      Clipboard/Selection Paste    38
Media Track Stop             13      Mail Reply                   39
Media Track Play             14      Mail Forward                 40
Launch Mail                  15      Mail Send                    41
Launch Media Application     16      Launch Spelling Checker      42
Launch My Computer           17      Speech Toggle dictation/command control 43
Launch Calculator            18      Speech Toggle microphone on/off         44
Sound Bass Down              19      Speech Open Corrections List            45
Sound Bass Boost             20      Media Play                   46
Sound Bass Up                21      Media Pause                  47
Sound Treble Down            22      Media Record                 48
Sound Treble Up              23      Media Fast Forward           49
Microphone Volume Mute       24      Media Rewind                 50
Microphone Volume Down       25      Media Channel Up             51
Microphone Volume Up         26      Media Channel Down           52

Note that not all can be set with programs like Tweak UI, some need to be altered manually in the registry. Also, not all buttons are supported by all Windows versions.