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My recent lost keyboard adventures, and ACTUAL solution.Source: microsoft.public.virtualpc
Sent: 12/29/2005
From: Xepol
Message:Lemme say it first : <HOST KEY>-I (install virtual additions, but you don't
have to actually install them, just press the key and dismiss the dialog, and
suddenly you have a keyboard in the VPC again!)
Now, on to the story :
I have recently acquired an external USB harddrive and incidents where the
keyboard inside VPC has gone up astronomically (every time, the USB drive had
just become active, but not every time the USB became active, if you take my
meaning). MS, take note, drive activity or USB activity appears to play a
roll somehow - doesn't make sense until you hear what makes it HAPPY again.
We all suffer the bane of the lost keyboard : suddenly, you just can't type
anymore. It doesn't matter what you do, soft, light, with a freaking
sledgehammer with the ctrl key down, it doesn't help - the only fix that
normally works is to shut down all the VMs, and restart VPC.
Out of the frustration this scenario causes, I was randomly firing <HOST
KEY> sequences at it, and suddenly it started working again! I was AGOG!
What had I hit that fixed it?!?!? I had no idea, but I had MANY more
opportunities to find out. Turns out the magic bullet is the <HOST KEY>-I
sequence. When you press it, it fires up the dialog asking if you want to
install virtual PC additions. Say no, the dialog goes away and suddenly you
can type again!!
Now, considering that <HOST KEY>-I is related to activity in the virtual
disk subsystem (changes CDs if you say yes), and that disk activity at the
wrong point appears to be a trigger for the lost keyboard (perhaps not the
only trigger, but the one I have found reliably of late), it REALLY makes you
wonder what is going on.
Microsoft, take note. I know that VPC development team members read this
forum, so someone on the team, PRINT THIS OUT and SHARE IT AROUND. I will
NOT be submitting another pointless bug report about the lost keyboard - it
is an old problem and it's not hard to figure that it will end up in a big
ignore bucket titled "known issues" now.
I have to say, I did not expect drive activity to be a trigger, but anything
that leads you to the rogue code has to help. In the meantime, at least I
now have the <HOST KEY>-I sequence.
In case it matters, I use the APPLICATION KEY (the one that invokes the
right click menu) for my <HOST KEY>.
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