Enabling Buttons on Apple Keyboard in Windows

New Apple Aluminum KeyboardI recently picked up, and am liking, the new “wafer thin” aluminum keyboard from Apple. Its very small, I like the key action and it’s very solid considering it’s size and thickness. But, I use it on Windows, and there’s no driver available other than the standard keyboard one, so the extra keys like media controls aren’t enabled. I came across a freeware macro program called AutoHotKey that works very nicely, and wrote up a few little scripts for it. You can download AutoHotKey and run the scripts yourself, or you can download the compiled version here [enable_mac_aluminum.zip, 193KB] and just pop it into your Startup folder.

Commands:
Shift-F3: Print Screen
Shift-F4: Task Manager
Shift-F7: Previous Track (in Winamp or Yahoo! Music Jukebox)
Shift-F8: Pause/Play (in Winamp or Yahoo! Music Jukebox)
Shift-F9: Next Track (in Winamp or Yahoo! Music Jukebox)
Shift-F10: Mute/Unmute
Shift-F11: Volume Down
Shift-F12: Volume Up
Windows-s: Open http://www.efsavage.com :)

Here’s the entire script:

#s::Run www.efsavage.com
+F3::Send {PrintScreen}
+F4::Send, {SHIFTDOWN}{CTRLDOWN}{ESC}{SHIFTUP}{CTRLUP}
+F7::
IfWinExist ahk_class Winamp v1.x
{
ControlSend, ahk_parent, z ; Pause/Unpause
return
}
IfWinExist ahk_class YMPFrame
{
SetTitleMatchMode 2
IfWinNotActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
WinActivate
WinWaitActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
MouseClick, left, 29, 107
Sleep, 100
MouseClick, left, 112, 76
WinMinimize
return
}
return
+F8::
IfWinExist ahk_class Winamp v1.x
{
ControlSend, ahk_parent, c ; Pause/Unpause
return
}
IfWinExist ahk_class YMPFrame
{
SetTitleMatchMode 2
IfWinNotActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
WinActivate
WinWaitActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
MouseClick, left, 29, 107
Sleep, 100
MouseClick, left, 30, 77
WinMinimize
return
}
return
+F9::
IfWinExist ahk_class Winamp v1.x
{
ControlSend, ahk_parent, b ; Pause/Unpause
return
}
IfWinExist ahk_class YMPFrame
{
SetTitleMatchMode 2
IfWinNotActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
WinActivate
WinWaitActive, Yahoo! Music Jukebox
MouseClick, left, 29, 107
Sleep, 100
MouseClick, left, 148, 79
WinMinimize
return
}
return
+F10::Send {Volume_Mute}
+F11::Send {Volume_Down 3}
+F12::Send {Volume_Up}

10 Responses to “Enabling Buttons on Apple Keyboard in Windows”

  1. Year One- by Eric F. Savage Says:

    [...] Enabling Buttons on Apple Keyboard in Windows [...]

  2. uiop Says:

    Thanks so much for this script. I’m not vey tech saavy, so may I ask what the startup folder is, and how I access it? Thank you.

  3. zzap Says:

    Ah, that was a great help. Found your site via Google when trying to find out a good app that will allow me to set up certain keyboard hotkeys on the Apple keyboard to do certain things. Thanks!

  4. Andy Says:

    Thanks alot

  5. Andy Says:

    Thanks alot

  6. sanya Says:

    you’re awesome thanks so much! you just made my life a whole lot easier :)

  7. susan Says:

    this is great. thanks. i picked up the keyboard today and was wondering how to do some tasks like print screen. any chance you will create more scripts?

  8. Making your Apple Keyboard work better with a Windows PC | Torley Lives Says:

    [...] Enabling Buttons on Apple Keyboard in Windows - If you use AutoHotKey, Eric F. Savage shares an alternate way to get extended functionality. Ben Vinegar also has an article along the same lines. [...]

  9. Adrian Says:

    This is fantastically helpful. Much appreciated.

  10. netbooks, etc. Says:

    A friend one of mine just picked one of these keyboards up but doesn’t have a Mac. Assuming you have access to a Leopard disc (or the Boot Camp drivers), there’s an alternative way to make the media keys work, however, it doesn’t allow total customization (but does use the actual Apple software):

    http://smallcomputing.net/2008/09/16/how-to-apple-aluminum-keyboard-in-windows/

    Cheers.

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