2 questions - Missing 'Windows Key' - SP3 / IE8

[Teflon]

1.) My R51 ThinkPad - XP Pro SP2 - does not have a 'Windows Key'. Is
there a way to map an unused key to give it the functionality of the a
'Windows Key'? If so, is there a 'how-to' posted someplace?

2.) I recall reading a while back that IE8 had to be uninstalled
prior to applying SP3. Have not seen that requirement in any of the
SP3 upgrade cookbooks. Is that still a requirement / concern?

Thanks.

 

[Daave]

1.) My R51 ThinkPad - XP Pro SP2 - does not have a 'Windows Key'. Is
there a way to map an unused key to give it the functionality of the a
'Windows Key'? If so, is there a 'how-to' posted someplace?

See this page:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-44185
Keyboard Customizer Utility

2.) I recall reading a while back that IE8 had to be uninstalled
prior to applying SP3. Have not seen that requirement in any of the
SP3 upgrade cookbooks. Is that still a requirement / concern?

Although not a requirement, it is highly recommended to upgrade to SP3
while IE is still at the IE6 level. Once you are at SP3, *then* you can
upgrade to IE7 or IE8. Doing it this way gives you the option to roll
back to an earlier version of IE without having to first uninstall SP3.

 

[Anteaus]

Also worth mentioning that AutoIt has the capability to simulate most
keystrokes.

Send("#m") will minimize all apps, for example. (Hash is Windows key modifier)

http://autoitscript.com

If you're prepared to do a little coding you could have a system-tray icon
which gives you a dropdown list of Win-key functions.

 

[Teflon]

Although not a requirement, it is highly recommended to upgrade to SP3
while IE is still at the IE6 level. Once you are at SP3, *then* you can
upgrade to IE7 or IE8. Doing it this way gives you the option to roll
back to an earlier version of IE without having to first uninstall SP3.

So Daave, if IE on an SP2 system had been upgraded from IE7 to IE8,
would you recommend that IE8 AND IE7 be uninstalled before installing
SP3?

Why would one want to go back to IE7 OR IE6?

Thanks for responding.

 

[Teflon]

Also worth mentioning that AutoIt has the capability to simulate most
keystrokes.

Send("#m") will minimize all apps, for example. (Hash is Windows key modifier)

http://autoitscript.com

If you're prepared to do a little coding you could have a system-tray icon
which gives you a dropdown list of Win-key functions.

Not a coder, unless SPS, FORTRAN or AUTOCODER could be used. (Ever
hear of a 1401 or 1620?)

I tried to use the script provided in a tip to put a shortcut on the
desktop that would create an instant restore point. Thought I did
everything I was told, but the script would not execute. Had no clue
what the problem was, so creating a script is not for me. Thanks for
responding, and the suggestion.

 

[Daave]

So Daave, if IE on an SP2 system had been upgraded from IE7 to IE8,
would you recommend that IE8 AND IE7 be uninstalled before installing
SP3?

Why would one want to go back to IE7 OR IE6?

Thanks for responding.

Six of one, half a dozen of another. Either way, there is a chance that
*something* may be need to be unsintalled at some point. Then again,
there's a good chance that *nothing* will ever need to be unsintalled.
If you are happy with IE8's performance and if you are pretty sure there
would never be a reason to roll it back, then just keep things the way
they are and upgrade to SP3.

The reason to roll back could be to correct a particular problem.
Sometimes people realize that IE8 doesn't play well with certain
situations (e.g., low amount of RAM installed or certain programs or
add-ons) and they are happy to have the option to roll back to IE7. Or
sometimes, they had upgraded from IE6 directly to IE8 and would like to
accomplish the same outcome (IE7), which would mean unsintalling IE8,
which would leave them with IE6 and then installing the IE7 upgrade.

So, assuming you have plenty of RAM and IE8 works just fine, I would
leave well enough alone. It's for people who are still at IE6 *and* SP2
that I recommend the "best practices" method of upgrading the service
pack level first. But you should probably be fine. Worst case scenario:
You will need to uninstall SP3 and then IE8 (and IE7 if necessary) to
perform a Repair Install if that need ever arose. I'm pretty sure if you
used a standard XP installation CD at the SP3 level (which includes IE6)
and attempted a Repair Install with it, IE would become broken. Then
again, success might occur with a slipstreamed installation CD
(including *both* SP3 and IE8, but since I've never done this, I can't
speak from experience). Then again, regularly imaging your entire hard
drive is your best bet when it comes to disaster recovery.

 

[Teflon]

If you are happy with IE8's performance and if you are pretty sure there
would never be a reason to roll it back, then just keep things the way
they are and upgrade to SP3, assuming you have plenty of RAM and IE8 works just fine, I would
leave well enough alone.

Daave, I successfully installed and updated SP3 (with IE8 installed),
no problems. Whew! Thanks for the moral support.

Then again, regularly imaging your entire hard
drive is your best bet when it comes to disaster recovery.

Used ATI to make images of the C: drive both before AND after the SP3
upgrade / update.

Decided I didn't really need that Windows Key. Just sounds like
something else I could accidentally hit and loose everything.

 

[Daave]

Daave, I successfully installed and updated SP3 (with IE8 installed),
no problems. Whew! Thanks for the moral support.


Used ATI to make images of the C: drive both before AND after the SP3
upgrade / update.

Decided I didn't really need that Windows Key. Just sounds like
something else I could accidentally hit and loose everything.

Glad to hear everything was successful.

I like the Windows Key. But I suppose I could learn to live without it
if I had to.