Remote Desktop Connection Function Keys

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Howard Brazee - 11 May 2008 04:56 GMT

How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
application's FKeys but my Mac FKeys seem to have priority.

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Richard.D.Bailey@gmail.com - 12 May 2008 01:23 GMT

> How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
> machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
> application's FKeys but my Mac FKeys seem to have priority.

ctrl+fn+function key on the mac will send the function key to windows
over RDC.

Cheers

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Howard Brazee - 12 May 2008 01:44 GMT

>> How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
>> machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Cheers

Thanks! I never noticed the fn key over there. What does it do?

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Jolly Roger - 12 May 2008 02:28 GMT

> >> How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
> >> machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks! I never noticed the fn key over there. What does it do?

I think he just explained what it does... ; )

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Howard Brazee - 12 May 2008 03:17 GMT

>> >ctrl+fn+function key on the mac will send the function key to windows
>> >over RDC.
>>
>> Thanks! I never noticed the fn key over there. What does it do?
>
>I think he just explained what it does... ; )

OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
2?

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Jolly Roger - 12 May 2008 03:22 GMT

> >> >ctrl+fn+function key on the mac will send the function key to windows
> >> >over RDC.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
> 2?

So that function keys can double as media keys. ; )

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Bob Harris - 13 May 2008 00:55 GMT

> >> >ctrl+fn+function key on the mac will send the function key to windows
> >> >over RDC.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
> 2?

On laptops, it allows some of the QUERTY keys to act as a numeric
keypad. And the arrow keys to act as Home/End/Page Up/Page Down
keys. And the F-Keys can have 2 functions, such as screen
brightness up/down, sound up/down/mute, num-lock, External monitor
Mirror/nomirror.

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Lewis - 13 May 2008 07:50 GMT

> On laptops, it allows some of the QUERTY

You know it's QWERTY, right?

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Bob Harris - 13 May 2008 13:41 GMT

> > On laptops, it allows some of the QUERTY
>
> You know it's QWERTY, right?

Yea, but for some reason my finger reflexes type u after q while
my brain is thinking something else. I guess it comes from my
hands sitting on the home row for years and years :-)

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Howard Brazee - 13 May 2008 15:24 GMT

>> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
>> 2?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>brightness up/down, sound up/down/mute, num-lock, External monitor
>Mirror/nomirror.

I don't have a laptop. Do you know of anywhere that I can see Fn
commands?

Three-button keystroke are a pain. But I have an application I need
at work which requires Fkeys to use (bad design).

When I am doing just Fkeys on my aluminum keyboard, I can count from
left to right to find the right Fkey. If I want to do one of the
other commands, I need to put on my glasses. I prefer leaving them
off to read my screen, and I have to take them off to see things
farther away. But the aluminum keyboard is much harder to read than
keyboards I am used to. (I still make mistakes when typing on it as
well).

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Jolly Roger - 13 May 2008 18:02 GMT

> >> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
> >> 2?
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> I don't have a laptop.

What kind of keyboard are you using then? Usually the keyboards that
come with *desktops* don't have the Fn key.

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Tom Stiller - 13 May 2008 19:38 GMT

> > >> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
> > >> 2?
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> What kind of keyboard are you using then? Usually the keyboards that
> come with *desktops* don't have the Fn key.

The aluminum keyboard that came with my 24" iMac has a Fn key. By
default, it's used to switch the functions between those engraved on the
keytops and the "normal" set of functions.

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Jolly Roger - 13 May 2008 21:19 GMT

> > > >> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys instead of
> > > >> 2?
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> default, it's used to switch the functions between those engraved on the
> keytops and the "normal" set of functions.

Interesting. Traditionally, that key only appeared on portable Macs. On
desktop Macs with a keyboard minus the Fn key, I believe you use the
Control key to modify function key behavior.

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Richard Maine - 13 May 2008 21:24 GMT

> > > What kind of keyboard are you using then? Usually the keyboards that
> > > come with *desktops* don't have the Fn key.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> desktop Macs with a keyboard minus the Fn key, I believe you use the
> Control key to modify function key behavior.

To my knowledge, that's the only kind of keyboard you can now get with a
new Mac desktop. Well, except for the wireless aluminum one, which also
has an Fn key (and is generally much more like a laptop keyboard).

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Tom Stiller - 13 May 2008 23:36 GMT

> > > > >> OK. But if that was all it did, then why require 3 keys
> > > > >> instead of 2?
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> On desktop Macs with a keyboard minus the Fn key, I believe you use
> the Control key to modify function key behavior.

On the aluminum keyboard, the Fn key is an additional modifier, the
shift and control keys retain their "traditional" use regarding the
function keys.

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Howard Brazee - 13 May 2008 21:02 GMT

>> I don't have a laptop.
>
>What kind of keyboard are you using then? Usually the keyboards that
>come with *desktops* don't have the Fn key.

Aluminum. I haven't yet tested the instructions given. I will
experiment with options of using this next time I run Remote Desktop
from home.

How do other desktop users use FKeys within Windows applications
within Remote Desktop Connection?

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Howard Brazee - 15 May 2008 23:58 GMT

>> How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
>> machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
>> application's FKeys but my Mac FKeys seem to have priority.
>
>ctrl+fn+function key on the mac will send the function key to windows
>over RDC.

I'm using Remote Desktop Connection right now, connected to my
mainframe computer using my terminal program. I opened two ISPF
windows and wanted to swap between them with a F9. I have tried
various combinations of Fn, Command, & F9 without luck.

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Howard Brazee - 18 May 2008 02:20 GMT

>I'm using Remote Desktop Connection right now, connected to my
>mainframe computer using my terminal program. I opened two ISPF
>windows and wanted to swap between them with a F9. I have tried
>various combinations of Fn, Command, & F9 without luck.

I installed tn3270 X Client for SIS. When I connect to my VPN, I can
use it to connect to my mainframe computer. And within it I can hit
fn-F8 to scroll down. If I just hit F8, my iTunes pauses. I don't
need to hit my Command key.

I guess I'll use this instead of my work desktop's emulator when I
work on the mainframe from home.

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MikeMcKean - 29 Jun 2010 06:04 GMT

I know this is an old thread but I thought I post the answer here in case
it's useful to someone else that's looking for it like I just was... little
bit of expirmenting shows that fn+option+fkey will send the fkey to the
remote windows computer.

>How do I use function keys when I am connected to my work Windows
>machine via Remote Desktop Connection? I need to use my
>application's FKeys but my Mac FKeys seem to have priority.

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Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / June 2010

Remote Desktop Connection Function Keys