Alt Keys not recognized as the same

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by BrooxH, May 25, 2012.

  1. BrooxH

    BrooxH Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    I am using Win 7 under Parallels Desktop with Snow Leopard. When I am using a Windows application the Alt key to the left of the space bar works correctly in some applications but the one to the right of the space bar does not. Is there any way to map both Alt keys to be recognized the same way as the one to the left of the space bar?
     
  2. kat

    kat Product Expert

    Messages:
    823
    Hi BrooxH

    Yes you can change your keyboard short cut for parallels:

    go to Parrallels Desktop (top left next to apple icon)
    select Preferecens
    next select KeyBoard add the keyboard short cut you would like.

    See photo
    hope this helps
    kat
     

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    nick42069 likes this.
  3. BrooxH

    BrooxH Bit poster

    Messages:
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    Thank you for the suggestion, but either I don't know how to use it or it doesn't work.

    Here's the problem. I have a bunch of macros in one of my Windows applications that use the ALT key (e.g., "ALT + .", "ALT + ,", "ALT + /", etc.). When I use the ALT key to the left of the space bar for these, the macros work just fine. But when I use the ALT key to the right of the space bar, the combination results in a keystroke, for instance ALT+. results in an = sign instead of initiating the macro (as happens when I use the other ALT key).

    I tried to use the Parallels Keyboard mapping option that you illustrated, but I can't see how to map the right ALT key to perform as the left ALT key does . . . it wants me to give it an ALT plus another key combination to map and it won't even accept "ALT+.".
     
  4. Specimen

    Specimen Product Expert

    Messages:
    3,242
    The right Alt key in Windows has is a different Alt it's Alt Gr (equal to Ctrl + Alt).
     
  5. BrooxH

    BrooxH Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    OK . . . that makes sense. Can I unmap the right ALT key so that it isn't ALT GR? If so, how would I do it with Parallels or Windows? I used Windows for a long time but don't remember any keyboard mapping utility (and I was using, primarily Win XP, not Win 7).

    Or should I just duplicate my macros so that the respond the same to ALT and ALT GR?
     
  6. KeshavaT

    KeshavaT Junior Member

    Messages:
    12
    Not able to use 'Alt+Enter' key on Windows Excel 2010 or 2003. tried to assign the key on parallels preference but still not working ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, need suggestion
     
  7. lnemo

    lnemo Hunter

    Messages:
    114
    Inside the VM go to System settings - Language options. There you can manage language profiles. Parallels usually installs its own profile and sets it as standard. In Germany f. ex. it's 'German - Parallels' rather than the 'German' default. Change back to the default and all keys should behave as they would on a native Windows machine. But still - the right ALT has another function than the left one, just as Specimen described. This is Windows, has nothing to do with Parallels. Would be the same on a Windows host machine.
     
  8. DanBerlin

    DanBerlin Bit poster

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  9. Walter2

    Walter2 Bit poster

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    Thanks DanBerlin works like a charm!
     
  10. JimK9

    JimK9 Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    Dan Berlin's link is no longer valid. Can somebody from the Parallels team please weigh in to describe how we can turn the right Alt key in parallels to the normal windows mapping for the right Alt key. For touch typists this is really quite an annoying bug.
     
    asdf1414 and TomaszS6 like this.
  11. JimK9

    JimK9 Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    I've wasted the majority of my day today talking with a long succession of Parallels support team members. They have never heard of this issue and have no resolution. They did not believe me that this was a configurable keyboard solution 8 years ago. All of their suggestions were crazy brainstorming ideas that were well off the mark of simply remapping the right Alt Key to the value of the left Alt Key. I lost 2 macs to Monterey, had to reinstall macOS and restore my 2 VMs. The only thing that didn't work was the darned right Alt Key. They wanted to install sorts of different Windows drivers and did not believe me that this was a solved problem 7 or 8 years ago. I'm going to plan an exit to VirtualBox or VMWare. I have had it with buying 3 copies of Parallels every year just to keep it working and receiving zero support from them.
     
  12. nick42069

    nick42069 Bit poster

    Messages:
    2
    This worked!
    Parallels Desktop Preferences
    Shortcuts>Virtual Machines>Profile: to Generic

    this allows for the "alt" key to function normally in Windows environment e.g., "shift + alt + right arrow" to group columns in Excel

     

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