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CTRL-F & CTRL-B don't work in Windows Media Center


rgm

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Pressing CTRL-F on my keyboard does a 30-second-skip, a really useful feature, in Windows Media Center. I tried to map a button on my remote to CTRL-F, but it doesn't seem to work in WMC. I'm not using one of the off-frequency remotes; I've programmed my Logitech Harmony to use one of the suggested brands, which I feel certain uses signals near the 38kHz range.

The weird thing is, it seems to have mapped the CTRL-F button correctly -- I can open up Wordpad and press my "30s skip" button, and the "Find" dialog opens. However, when Windows Media Center is playing content, the button is totally ignored. Other buttons like "Fast Foward" (mapped to CTRL-SHIFT-F) work fine.

I have the same problem with CTRL-B (skip back), and CTRL-D (show info menu). They seem to be ignored by Windows Media Center when the keys are pressed by the Flirc dongle, but work fine when I press those key combos on my diNovo mini.

Can anyone help?

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  • 3 weeks later...

This seems like the same issue I posted about in this thread:

I got CTRL-E to map, but can't get CTRL+M working, and I don't even know what I'd do to map CTRL+I to work since the HID value for the i key contains a letter, which the Flirc command seems seems to ignore. Perhaps some keys just don't map correctly yet and a new firmware version could address it?

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I think the two issues may be separate as in rgm's situation the button is programmed correctly but is not behaving as expected in WMC

Whereas digialb0y's CTRL+M doesn't appear to work at all.

The weird thing is, it seems to have mapped the CTRL-F button correctly -- I can open up Wordpad and press my "30s skip" button, and the "Find" dialog opens. However, when Windows Media Center is playing content, the button is totally ignored. Other buttons like "Fast Foward" (mapped to CTRL-SHIFT-F) work fine.

Can you try a usb keyboard (not diNovo mini to keep it simple as possible) and possibly find a way to recreate the problem again.

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Yeah, now that Jason got me all schooled on how to record modifier keys properly from the CLI, I'm quite sure this is not the same issue. Especially since rgm probably used the GUI to record the button and wouldn't have introduced the dumb user error factor that I did. The more I play with the Flirc, the more I realize the quirks are not due to a mistake in what the Flirc receives or outputs, but most likely an issue with the software receiving the keystrokes. As rgm noted, his is correctly sending ctrl+F, as it executes the find function in Wordpad.

In my case what was baffling me was the strange coincidence that I was trying to map ctrl+M, but erroneously used a command that probably mapped it to ctrl+G, and XBMC reacted to the button same way it would to an M, so it made me think it had mapped incorrectly or was not receiving/sending correct signals. I know I'm not a dev or moderator, but FWIW I second Chris!'s suggestion to see if WMC responds properly to ctrl+F from a standard USB keyboard.

The other thing I thought it might make sense to try is testing more alternative Harmony profiles, but it sounds like you were already on that path. Since some Harmony profiles seem to result in different results regarding the way that press-and-hold is interpreted and translated by Flirc, it seems plausible to me that a slight difference is possible in this case too, and maybe WMC just doesn't like the slight difference in the way the keystroke is received.

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rgm, I'm having exactly the same problem. But I have one more non-working key combo to add to the list. Does CTRL+SHIFT+S work for you? My list of key combos that don't seem to work is:

CTRL+B

CTRL+F

CTRL+D

CTRL+SHIFT+S

I initially suspected that perhaps the flirc wasn't recognizing the IR signal from my remote for the buttons I wanted associated with these functions. The GUI acted like it recorded the signals, but I wanted to be sure. So I went back in and set all of these remote buttons to do the same thing: CTRL+P (pause in WMC). Now every one of those buttons works as pause. So this confirms that the flirc is seeing and recognizing the IR signal from the remote for these commands. Next I went into WMC and used my keyboard to enter the 4 above commands. They all worked as expected. So this confirms that the key combos are functional.

What are we missing here?

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I don't know, but I tried out WMC to check this and it's kind of flaky on whether it accepts the command from the real keyboard or not. Nothing happens about 1 once every 3 tries.

According to Aqua's KeyTest, there's nothing flaky about the keyboard, and when sending the command through the remote to Flirc, both keys appear to be pressed at the same time and will stay held down as I hold down the remote button. I was wondering if it had something to do with WMC wanting Ctrl to be held down longer or something.

EDIT: this doesn't seem to be a Flirc issue, per se. It turns out that WMC doesn't recognize simultaneous keypresses, at least for these commands. I can get the keyboard to skip forward every time if I do it like this: press and hold Ctrl, then press F, then release F (before releasing Ctrl). I think Flirc is sending both keys simultaneously and that's why it doesn't work.

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this doesn't seem to be a Flirc issue, per se. It turns out that WMC doesn't recognize simultaneous keypresses

Bummer.

It may be worth adding a thread to the "ideas and suggestion" section of this forum in case jason can add it at some point - though I imagine you will have to find a work around in the meantime.

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Thanks Matt for pointing me to this thread.

I've got to say, I was really puzzled reading the problem. And even more so as I kept reading each reply.

But I've got to hand it to SirDrexI, I think this might be it. That's the only difference I can think of, and I do send the keys simultaneously. You might have nailed it.

This should be fairly easy to try, and I'm going to post a beta firmware image this weekend for you guys to test.

I'm sorry for the delay, I can't quite figure out how to get notified of 'all new created threads'.

I'll post an update here when that image get's created, so make sure you're following this thread to get notified.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm really sorry for the delay, I had family in town and thought I could slip this in during my free time. Turns out they didn't give me any free time. I'll try and get this in over this coming weekend.

I'm sorry for the delay everyone.

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Yes this is a bit harder than I anticipated, but I am working on it. I believe this is the same thing that might actually be causing the media keys to not work in windows, which is giving twice as much determination to fix this.

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  • 1 month later...

Yes, this hasn't been easy, and I'm not happy with what I have. I'm currently re-writing a bunch of firmware so this is possible without breaking something else. Once that's done, this is first on the list to get fixed. I'm really sorry for this guys. Could you follow up with me by email?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've realized I've become one of those dreaded developers that keeps promising and doesn't deliver. I'm apologizing for dropping the ball. I've spent most of my time trying to get in more inventory and better the process at which orders get managed, fulfilled, and units are tested. I spend 90% of my free time in stupid logistics right now, not giving me any time for development. We have done work, but not nearly at an acceptable level.

I'm going to be getting back to this, please give me about 3-4 weeks.

Again, I'm so sorry guys. As much help as I get from the other people involved, it really is just only me.

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  • 3 weeks later...
... I believe this is the same thing that might actually be causing the media keys to not work in windows...

I'm missing the standard Media keys in the Controller "Full Keyboard" (Flirc config client v0.96, Win 7). Is above problems the reason that those are not added yet? If yes, is the plan still to have it solved during July timeframe?

Reason I ask is that I don't want to use application specific shortcuts when there is standard keyboard keys available (ie Play is "P" in XBMC and "CTRL+SHIFT+P" in WMC, I don't want to use those). I have several media players/systems on my HTPC and keys like Play, Pause, Next, Volume Up/Down, Mute etc needs to use Windows standard key control.

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I am need of this exact fix. When playing back mkv's or DVD's which I have copied to my media folder I can skip forward using the buttons and keyboard in WMC but when I try my remote which is correctly sending CTRL+F it does nothing. My wife is really wanting this capability since my HTPC is in the basement with its keyboard.

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  • 1 month later...

I have the same key trouble as Pitviber33.

i checked it with the FLIRC utilities (from this forum) and it shows the correct mapping!

Is there a (beta) fix? and, if so, where can i find it?

(Perhaps a stupid idea, but can't we reassign this key's in MCE to a single key)

And sinds i am here.

When i am mapping my key's, FLIRC reacts on any lightsource in the room.

I have solved it by putting the FLIRC in a closed box, made a small hole in it and taping the remote to the hole and then do the mapping.

It take some work but it works

another question

which (keyboard) key's are for the RED/BLUE/YELLOW/GREEN key's an which one for TELETEXT

rgrds

Henk

setup

Win 7 MCE/FLIRC 1.0.2-Firmware 1 10-02-2011/Logitech harmony 300/ samsung setup from this forum

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  • 2 months later...
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