If you are having problems control (ctrl) clicking in Windows 2000 or Windows XP, this thread provides one tested workaround that is working on a MacBook Pro keyboard. Remapping the Keyboard: First, the built in ctrl key cannot be remapped directly, nor do you want to remap it for times when you are without a mouse. Instead, we will use the left Apple (also called the clover leaf or Command) key to the left of the space bar. To use this key, you must install the Windows 2000 resource kit in order to obtain the program ReMapKey.exe. You can obtain the software from Microsoft here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&displaylang=en When you run this tool, you will see two keyboards. Drag the ctrl key from the top keyboard to the Windows Key in the bottom keyboard on the left side. Save the changes and allow the system to reboot. When the keyboard is captured, the Command key should now act as the ctrl key. I noticed that no matter what I tried to map to the right Command key it refused to work properly. It either ignored the mapping or became a dead key. Copy-Cut-Paste the Mac way: By remapping on the left side you can also perform typical Mac-like copy paste operations without having to remember to switch keys all the time (like in MS VPC). Thankfully, Command-X (cut), Command-V (paste), and Command-C (copy), now work consistently when moving between the Win OS and the Mac OS. Missing Del key: If you didn't already know (you probably do) I just thought I'd mention that fn-delete is the same as the del key which, of course, is different from the backspace in Windows. Ctrl-Alt-Del with the keyboard: I was unsuccessful in remapping the del key to the right Command key even though this works under a dual boot setup. However, I did find that if I held down the Command key, then the alt (option) key, then the fn key and finally hit delete, it treated it as a ctrl-alt-del keystroke. You must press the fn key after you hold down the other two keys and before you press the delete key in order for this to work.
Getting Ctrl-click to properly emulate a right mouse event: In Outlook, Word, etc. when you control-click it doesn't give you the context menu, instead giving a cryptic message, "make a selection first." I had already mapped the windows CTRL over the Apple command key using remapkey.exe. Then, I remapped the left CTRL key to "Num Lock". This works, and doesn't put your keyboard in num lock mode. From what I can tell, Parallels is generating the right mouse event, but is *also* generating the control keypress. This solution maps the control keypress to something that does nothing on my Macbook, and only lets the right mouse click through.
Thanks for the tip. remapkey.exe worked great for my one remaining issue in running a legacy IE6.0 web app under osx! Allowing multiple selects... To others trying this: seems like the only way to get to remapkey.exe is thorugh the console or with the run command... The installer does not put the app in the start menu.
Thought I'd add to this. I've always remapped my windows keyboards to make the CTRL key where I'm used to on my mac, which is next to the space bar (the command key). I use this utility which allows you to make different scripts to remap in Windows. Not sure how it compares to Remapkey.exe that MicroDev posted, but it might help someone. It doesn't require a reboot and it's freeware too. I just set my default script to run at startup and every time I start windows, my command key is now CTRL. http://www.autohotkey.com/
Thanks for the pointer -- I can now multi-select files in Win Explorer on my MacBook! It was killing me. I guess I don't have a "Windows" key anymore, but I can't remember ever needing it for anything personally. Anyone think of any reason the Windows key might still be needed (aside from accessing the start menu in the case where I have no mouse and my trackpad isn't working)? FYI -- to save someone else the 2 minutes of research if they try AutoHotKey -- to remap the command key to Ctrl, save a new .ahk file with the command: LWin::LCtrl
At least on the MBP, there is another Command key (aka "RWin") just to the right of the space bar. (This happens to be very convenient for me at least, since my other system is a Thinkpad which also has no Windows key. A keymapping program on that system transforms the right CTRL key into the Windows key, so they MBP and Thinkpad end up having the Win key in the same place.
Hey, guys thanks for the autohotkey tip. i looked at the M$ sight on the ReMapKey.exe. and it mentioned that it didnt support XP sp2, so tried this and now im good to go. I found it funny, I am an old windows guy and old habbits die hard. so the Ctrl-Z,X,C,V are just ingrained in my head. So i go to Mac and remap the Cmd key to Ctrl and the Ctrl key to Command and to my supprise the parallel tools flipped them on the XP VM. I wish this was a feature in paralles to let you swap them back instead of having to run a seperate process
Thanks for this, it was funny it seemed what ever I set on the mac parallels would flip on my XP in the VM. This is very frustrating, i wish there was an option in parallels instead of having to install another package. Sorry old habbits die hard and being PC for 20 year, going from Ctrl to Cmd key was just to much all else is great on the mac
Ben, Parallels guys have mentioned in another thread that, by GA, we would be able to use Ctrl key without remapping. So consider this as a temporary workaround while actual fix comes around.
Excellent! The AutoHotKey workaround does work, but reconfiguring the wiring in my brain has continued to be a problem
I rather like using one key (Command) for both OS's. I've been Command-XCV and Ctrl-XCVing since the original Mac and Windows so it's hard for me to flip around between the two keys on the MacBook keyboard. To each his own I guess. BTW, I could not get the right Command key to map to anything as chartb suggests. Was anyone else able to make use of that key?
Ok, can't find where this is in RC still have to use AutoHotKey Ok, looked all over for this , must be blind Here is what i would like. (being a Dos/Win guy for 20 years) I have set the Mac to use the Ctrl key as the Cmd Key, for some strange reason Parallels likes to flip that in the VM on me, even tho Ctrl key is the natural key for the Guest. I am using AutoHotKey to remap the ctrl key back to being the ctrl key while in side the guest XP pro. So i need to know how to set it up so that i dont have to run autoHotKey
I did exactly that and that works for me in build 3094. RemapKey did the job in build 1970, but then the people from Parallels introduced this rather annoying "Transparent mapping" feature I cannot disable. Thanks. I can finally start using this new Parallels version without going bonkers.
