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Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

businessinsider.com

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Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#91

Post by myrandomcomment »

Okay for those that do not get it.

1. It’s a bank. 2. Banks lock down their computers. 3. So you cannot install other software to fix this in software. 4. You do not have access to the system low enough to rename / remove the winhelp.exe crap. 5. No 3rd party hardware is allowed in the bank. So no bringing your own keyboard.

All the time we get into this threads on HN where the techie goes well you could just...bla bla bla. In the real would of corporate IT everything you say is a non-starter.

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#92

Post by vog »

mywacaday wrote: post #12
Nzen wrote: post #6

tl;dr F1 is generally help . Excel's help is apparently slow to load and close. Hence, the interviewees removed the key to avoid pressing it, when they meant to press F2. It's disappointing but unsurprising they didn't just have windows (autohotkey?) map it to F2.

Article says its a banking environment, nobody outside of desktop support will have admin access to their PC/Laptop. That includes developers/application support/server admins/DBAs etc. If you want an application installed that's not on an approved list request will likely go to IT security for review(Don't hold your breath). portableapps.com made life somewhat bearable. PS No Dropbox/Google Drive/Onedrive, No person…

> Article says its a banking environment, nobody outside of desktop support will have admin access to their PC/Laptop

But then it should be even simpler: Have the desktop support team (or whoever manages all those PC/Laptops) solve it centrally, once and for all, for every computer in the company.

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#93

Post by turblety »

myrandomcomment wrote: post #91

Okay for those that do not get it. 1. It’s a bank. 2. Banks lock down their computers. 3. So you cannot install other software to fix this in software. 4. You do not have access to the system low enough to rename / remove the winhelp.exe crap. 5. No 3rd party hardware is allowed in the bank. So no bringing your own keyboard. All the time we get into this threads on HN where the techie goes well you could just...bla b…

Exactly this. Could not have said it better myself. Even trying to sort this stuff out properly could cost your department millions of pounds due to bureaucracy and incompetent management.

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#94

Post by lkbm »

myrandomcomment wrote: post #91

Okay for those that do not get it. 1. It’s a bank. 2. Banks lock down their computers. 3. So you cannot install other software to fix this in software. 4. You do not have access to the system low enough to rename / remove the winhelp.exe crap. 5. No 3rd party hardware is allowed in the bank. So no bringing your own keyboard. All the time we get into this threads on HN where the techie goes well you could just...bla b…

Oh wow, I never even thought of messing with winhelp.exe. Luckily, I was able to remap F1 at my job, so it was fine. :-)

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#95

Post by emodendroket »

myrandomcomment wrote: post #91

Okay for those that do not get it. 1. It’s a bank. 2. Banks lock down their computers. 3. So you cannot install other software to fix this in software. 4. You do not have access to the system low enough to rename / remove the winhelp.exe crap. 5. No 3rd party hardware is allowed in the bank. So no bringing your own keyboard. All the time we get into this threads on HN where the techie goes well you could just...bla b…

Besides all that... it seems like this is an easier fix. Don't a lot of computer gamers remove their Windows keys for similar reasons?

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#96

Post by jsjohnst »

RankingMember wrote: post #83
glaberficken wrote: post #73

OMG! This is genius!, how have i never thought of this before! I bet the people removing caps lock, scroll lock, insert etc are doing it because of the "cleaning ladies"! Not because they accidentally hit the keys. But because in most offices, keyboards are swiped clean daily by cleaning crews and when you arrive each morning you find an assortment of those keys toggled on or off. (I have even locked my Windows accou…

What country are you operating out of? I've never heard of cleaning people doing this in offices in the US.

Every Silicon Valley, NYC, and Denver office I’ve worked in had cleaning crews who dusted desks / keyboards at least weekly, if not more often.

Source: I’ve been in the office working when they came through.

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#97

Post by devopsproject »

emodendroket wrote: post #95
myrandomcomment wrote: post #91

Okay for those that do not get it. 1. It’s a bank. 2. Banks lock down their computers. 3. So you cannot install other software to fix this in software. 4. You do not have access to the system low enough to rename / remove the winhelp.exe crap. 5. No 3rd party hardware is allowed in the bank. So no bringing your own keyboard. All the time we get into this threads on HN where the techie goes well you could just...bla b…

Besides all that... it seems like this is an easier fix. Don't a lot of computer gamers remove their Windows keys for similar reasons?

yes. you can also ahk it or get a keyboard with a winkey kill switch

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#99

Post by teekert »

In all their wisdom Asus put the power button next to the delete button on my BX410 [0]. Too bad I can't pop that button. Setting it to do nothing is the first thing I do after installing Linux (which I do regularly).

[0] https://dlcdnimgs.asus.com/websites/global/products/APfLG1Rk...

Re: Some Excel users pop F1 off their keyboards (2012)

#100

Post by ahakki »

IanDrake wrote: post #76

New product idea: a physical key guard. A small plastic cage that slips over a key and doesn't allow it to be pushed by accident, but still allows it to be pushed with extra force. Kinda like the safety on a glock.

What safety on a Glock? I was of the impression that they had no external safety features.
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