"Sticky" Ctrl/Windows Key Shortcuts?
- Thread starter MatthewW
- Start date
Keyboard Issues Abound
There's apparently a lot of keyboard issues like this in Parallels 4. For a similar issue where Parallels just sees a single key "press and release" even though the control, option or command keys are held down, a workaround has been to attach your USB keyboard directly to the virtual machine.
See http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=32443
Doing this has resolved any keyboard strangeness I've experienced. Unfortunately of course, your Mac will no longer see your keyboard when you switch back, unless you detach it from Parallels.
This has made it either impossible to play any game where you need to hold down one of these keys to perform a continual action, or cumbersome to switch back to my Mac. Occasionally when I'm feeling really flexible, I'll attach my USB keyboard to Parallels, and use my wireless Bluetooth keyboard to control my Mac...not a setup I'm happy with long term though.
There's apparently a lot of keyboard issues like this in Parallels 4. For a similar issue where Parallels just sees a single key "press and release" even though the control, option or command keys are held down, a workaround has been to attach your USB keyboard directly to the virtual machine.
See http://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?t=32443
Doing this has resolved any keyboard strangeness I've experienced. Unfortunately of course, your Mac will no longer see your keyboard when you switch back, unless you detach it from Parallels.
This has made it either impossible to play any game where you need to hold down one of these keys to perform a continual action, or cumbersome to switch back to my Mac. Occasionally when I'm feeling really flexible, I'll attach my USB keyboard to Parallels, and use my wireless Bluetooth keyboard to control my Mac...not a setup I'm happy with long term though.
Christian Bailey
Member
Having the same issue. Extremely annoying since it breaks up workflow when doing emails with Outlook, which has many Ctrl- and Alt- keyboard shortcuts. I am able to unstick by pressing the stuck key again. But usually not until after I've issued several unwanted commands by continuing to type letters. Parallels Support - can you give us an idea of timing for when a version will be out with a fix?
Grrrr!
Heya Chaps,
Oh dear - i have to add to this thread and just say ME TOO! - I've had this issue for a few weeks so thought i'd try researching how to fix, and can't believe the length of time you guys have had to put up with it!! When will this be resolved mr parallels?
Latest leapard with all the updates, and latest parallels on my IMAC - running XP Pro SP3 in the guest OS.
Adam.
Heya Chaps,
Oh dear - i have to add to this thread and just say ME TOO! - I've had this issue for a few weeks so thought i'd try researching how to fix, and can't believe the length of time you guys have had to put up with it!! When will this be resolved mr parallels?
Latest leapard with all the updates, and latest parallels on my IMAC - running XP Pro SP3 in the guest OS.
Adam.
Justin Youens
Bit poster
Thanks for fixing this in Parallels 5! OH WAIT! You didn't. 
Just about everyone I've talked to that uses Parallels solid (.NET devs on macs) runs into this constantly every day. In my case, it's normally the "Windows" key getting stuck. The end result is pressing "L" locks your windows, or "D" minimizes everything, etc. The worst thing is that it happens while you are typing, and you don't realize it. So then you in a matter of a second, you have 3 run commands, a couple help dialiogs, everything minimizes, then it locks. Soooo painful.
Any update?
Just about everyone I've talked to that uses Parallels solid (.NET devs on macs) runs into this constantly every day. In my case, it's normally the "Windows" key getting stuck. The end result is pressing "L" locks your windows, or "D" minimizes everything, etc. The worst thing is that it happens while you are typing, and you don't realize it. So then you in a matter of a second, you have 3 run commands, a couple help dialiogs, everything minimizes, then it locks. Soooo painful.
Any update?
Annoyyyying.
Reeeeally annoooyyying, happens to me multiple times per day, I'm not sure what triggers it, i've finally found that if i hit the shift, control, alt, and command key at the same time that seems to do it - but when i hit the bug it shuts me out for about 2-3 mins while it minimises each and every one of my open windows first-- that i then have to go and put back in place
(
Really shonky. Seriously going to have to consider switching to some other VM software now for some stability. I can't rely on this ...
Reeeeally annoooyyying, happens to me multiple times per day, I'm not sure what triggers it, i've finally found that if i hit the shift, control, alt, and command key at the same time that seems to do it - but when i hit the bug it shuts me out for about 2-3 mins while it minimises each and every one of my open windows first-- that i then have to go and put back in place
(Really shonky. Seriously going to have to consider switching to some other VM software now for some stability. I can't rely on this ...
Andre Angelantoni
Bit poster
Whew...thank you for posting the shift-ctrl-alt-cmd trick!
Justin Youens
Bit poster
This bug has been disrumpting me for over a year. I've been beta testing both Parallels 5 and VMware 3.... your product is better than VMware 3.0. But regardless, this bug, which you guys obviously see as something of low priority, is insanely annoying if you use Parallels all day in the manner I do. (.NET developer on a Mac)
Hopefully someone will post here when this bug is fixed so I'll get notified. (Please!) in the mean time I'll be over in VMware land.
Hopefully someone will post here when this bug is fixed so I'll get notified. (Please!) in the mean time I'll be over in VMware land.
Justin Youens
Bit poster
Just FYI, bug still not fixed in Parallels 5 final release.
Anyone from Parallels care to comments? Last post in this thread from you guys was December of last year... 11 months ago. This bug has been there since version 3.0 (at least). It's obviously fixable as VMware has no such problem.
Anyone from Parallels care to comments? Last post in this thread from you guys was December of last year... 11 months ago. This bug has been there since version 3.0 (at least). It's obviously fixable as VMware has no such problem.
mnemesh@charter.net
Bit poster
I haven't run into this yet on P5 but ran into it constantly on P4, but simply pressing cmd-alt cleared it.
Justin Youens
Bit poster
I've been running into this a lot more the past few days on version 5. Any official status on this bug? Perhaps an internal bug reference number?
Add me to the list
I've been having this problem with the windows key sticking too. It was occasional on Parallels 4, i.e. once a week or so, now with Parallels 5 it's happening every day. What really bothers is every time it happens it pretty hoses up my VM for about 20 minutes.
What happens is I switch to my VM window and start typing an e-mail and get half a dozen keystrokes in or so before I notice and now my VM is trying to open a bunch of apps and bogs down.
I guess this is something that just won't get fixed since it's been over a year since it was posted in this thread that a fix was in the works. I guess I'll just have to get used to hitting the windows key a couple of times when I switch to the VM to make sure it's not 'stuck'.
I've been having this problem with the windows key sticking too. It was occasional on Parallels 4, i.e. once a week or so, now with Parallels 5 it's happening every day. What really bothers is every time it happens it pretty hoses up my VM for about 20 minutes.
What happens is I switch to my VM window and start typing an e-mail and get half a dozen keystrokes in or so before I notice and now my VM is trying to open a bunch of apps and bogs down.
I guess this is something that just won't get fixed since it's been over a year since it was posted in this thread that a fix was in the works. I guess I'll just have to get used to hitting the windows key a couple of times when I switch to the VM to make sure it's not 'stuck'.
Argh!
Argh - back again, just posting an update.
It seems they finally fixed this in Parallels 4 - I was so relieved - but stupid monkey here decided to upgrade to Parallels 5, and unfortunately they seem not to have fixed it there yet.(
This along with insane crashing issues is tempting me to downgrade back to Parallels 4!
Any ideas when this will be fixed Mr Parallels chaps? *quite frustrated*
Adam.
Argh - back again, just posting an update.
It seems they finally fixed this in Parallels 4 - I was so relieved - but stupid monkey here decided to upgrade to Parallels 5, and unfortunately they seem not to have fixed it there yet.
(This along with insane crashing issues is tempting me to downgrade back to Parallels 4!
Any ideas when this will be fixed Mr Parallels chaps? *quite frustrated*
Adam.
Chris von Rabenau
Member
Adding to the chorus...
Found a KB article on this referencing P4. http://kb.parallels.com/4743
Unfortunately, still happening in P5. I love Parallels, other than sometimes, creating multiple OneNote notes, running commands, starting up narrator and then logging out in one sentence.... SUPER productive.
Found a KB article on this referencing P4. http://kb.parallels.com/4743
Unfortunately, still happening in P5. I love Parallels, other than sometimes, creating multiple OneNote notes, running commands, starting up narrator and then logging out in one sentence.... SUPER productive.
Having this issue with 5.0.9310 (rev 546799) running Windows 7 on an early 2008 MBP.
by the time I notice the CTRL key is stuck, all of my Windows windows are starting to hide themselves and then I get taken to the locked screen.
Same issue with PD5
This is pretty bad. I code fast and find that I have triggered all manner of Windows hidden commands, including this morning the narrator! What I am stunned by is that it started with PD4 and is still there.
I tried and skipped PD4 altogether, have generally been loving PD5 (and as much as PD4 had me bailing on Parallels PD5 is bringing my back), but this needs to be fixed ASAP.
On a positive note the USB device support is MUCH improved in PD5, I can now actually used DSP emulators with much greater reliability under the VM.
This is pretty bad. I code fast and find that I have triggered all manner of Windows hidden commands, including this morning the narrator! What I am stunned by is that it started with PD4 and is still there.
I tried and skipped PD4 altogether, have generally been loving PD5 (and as much as PD4 had me bailing on Parallels PD5 is bringing my back), but this needs to be fixed ASAP.
On a positive note the USB device support is MUCH improved in PD5, I can now actually used DSP emulators with much greater reliability under the VM.