F3 in Vista Issue.

[.bean]

I am having the same problem as the person in this thread:

Vista F3 Issue.. ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&postID=11503&highlight=f+keys+windows#post11503')

and I have not found a fix. Does anyone know how to disable Vista's usage of the F3 key so that it wont bring up an internet search window when I am playing WoW and using Keyclone.

[thinus]

What is your setup?
Do you have the F3 problem if you are running just 1 client without any broadcasting?

I am running Vista Ultimate with 5x WoW and using AHK for my key broadcasting and I have *never* encountered an F3 problem and I use the F keys all the time. I suspect this might be an issue with the broadcasting software you use and not with Vista.

PS: I have IE open in the background as well usually.

[Stabface]

Are you running SP1? I believe they disabled this functionality.

[Stabface]

Fix: Upgrade to Windows XP.

F3 key in XP has the same behavior as Vista.

[Stabface]

No, Vista shouldn't do this. Most likely it is one of two things:
* Whatever broadcasting solution is being used, is mis-behaving and sending the F3 keypress to Windows
* Some other resident program is intercepting the F3 keypress (some sort of resident search assistant like Google Desktop - but I don't think GD does this, just an example).

Anyways I'll tell you how to do exactly what you asked for.

To disable the F3 search functionality of Windows:
0 - You will need to be local administrator on the machine or have access to run group policy editor as administrator.
1 - Launch the group policy editor (gpedit.msc) and choose the local computer policy
2 - Browse to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer
3 - Right click the setting 'Search: Disable Find Files via F3 within the browser' and choose Properties
4 - Set it to Disabled
5 - Save (& reboot, probably)

[thinus]

Right. But does it override active software? (like WoW being the active application).

And I have never had any problems with the F3 key and I've been running Vista since I started boxing. I can also use my whole 4GB of RAM. This thread is not about XP vs Vista, take it somewhere else.

[Stabface]

Yep, it's not a hack though, they are the same registry key that GPE will change.

[keyclone]

if using keyclone, and you have auto-add CHECKED, you could have a blank line on the keyclone list (this is due to keyclone finding something on your desktop named 'world of warcraft'...)

solution:
UNCHECK auto-add
create a command for your wows
run commands normally