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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks System
On newer PowerBooks that don't allow booting into OS 9 (where you could gain full acces to all function keys), there is a utility called fnSwitch that will do this under OS X. It is stable under 10.2, but crashes under 10.3. I understand that fnSwitch will be updated for 10.3.

However, I bravely installed it under Panther, and although it crashed, it still returned access to function keys! Now I can use function keys for my Quickeys shortcuts!
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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks | 10 comments | Create New Account
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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: Alex281 on Nov 06, '03 12:01:38PM
uControl, previously mentioned in this hint, also has this functionality in its newest version. Indespensible and recently updated for 10.3 Find it on Versiontracker

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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: blalor on Nov 06, '03 12:10:14PM

uControl doesn't remember the function key settings on my 12" PB G4 when waking up from sleep.



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: TomorrowPlusX on Nov 06, '03 12:37:11PM

Same here. Who knows, perhaps it's PB 12" specific.



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: naplesmike on Nov 06, '03 01:17:36PM

Nope, the uControl's forgetfulness is not limited to PB 12". I have a rev. A 17" model that does the same thing. It's still a great program, though.



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: grainfed on Nov 19, '03 04:59:58PM
Doesn't seem to be just powerbooks either....my iBook 500 doesn't remember the function key setting after a restart, either. The trackpad scroll is wicked, though. I am running 10.3.1

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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: Anonymous on Nov 06, '03 11:06:35PM

Do NOT try putting this on an iBook. An unpleasant experience.



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: britrock on Dec 01, '03 05:12:30PM

Can you define "unpleasant experience"?



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: Hes Nikke on Nov 07, '03 03:10:50AM

system prefs crashes when i try to enable it, since i can't get to the checkbox to enable it, i'm stuck in Apple mode :\

think you could post your preference file? :)

---
vacuums do not suck. they merely provide an absence that allows other objects to take the place of what becomes absent.



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Regain use of function keys on newer PowerBooks
Authored by: gMan on Nov 07, '03 09:56:06AM

fnSwitch also crashed for me on a new Al Powerbook under 10.3. I uninstalled the pref.pane and rebooted, and lo and behold all my function keys are useable. Apple's functions require the fn key + function key to work. My system has been very stable ever since. I've heard that an update is in the works for 10.3.



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fnSwitch 1.1.1 seems to work well with 10.3.1
Authored by: Anonymous on Dec 11, '03 01:55:30AM

I run Mac OS X 10.3.1 on my iBook 800 MHz and have installed fnSwitch 1.1.1. Only tested it for a few hours but it seems to work well and couses no problems.

I'm very relived that I can use my F-keys again!

Up until 10.2.8 I could boot in to Mac OS 9 to fix this but 10.3.x keeps revering that setting.



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