Killing the "Insert" key.

TheSmJTheSmJ
edited October 2004 in Science & Tech
I'm looking for a simple, FREE tool that allows me to kill the "Insert" key. I dunno how many times now I accidentally press it when I meant to hit the backspace.


I've Googled, and Download.com'ed it, and I can't find anything that's free (no nags or anything) and just makes the "Insert" key simply not do anything.

All I want is some free, itty-bitty utility that simply starts with Windows, and kills the “Insert” key. I'd prefer to not even see it's running (such as an icon in the tray), but I'll take what I can get.

Does anyone know of anything that fits this description? Or, could anyone program such a little app for me? I promise that if you do, I'd make you famous.




I suppose I could always physically remove the key, but I’d rather not resort to such a measure.
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Comments

  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I just removed mine. Seemed easier than looking for a program. I know many people who have done the same. Maybe some sort of keyboard mapper?
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited November 2003
    What exactly does the insert key do? Is it like an appendix where no one knows what the hell is does, but people suspect in the past it did something amazing?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    it inserts! DUH! lol j/k! I have no clue either
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    The only thing i ever use the insert key for is to toggle overwrite or insert mode in most word processors.
  • CycloniteCyclonite Tampa, Florida Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Instead of pushing the text aside if you typed in between two characters, it overwrites the characters.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I cheated. Got an old IBM keyboard. One of its advantages is that there are some keys that are wider on it. Left Shift ia about 2.2X wide and Backspace is a double wide key, RIght Shift key is 2.6X wider than the rest, Enter is about 2.2X wide. Space between right side of main Alpha-Numeric board and the arrow keys and the Insert\Home\PageUp row is about 2/3 of a key wide and the edges of th keys are all tapered left to right and top and bottom (not quite like the Piramyd fro Cheops, but definitely pyramidal in general use. One thing, if you NEED Windows special keys you might do better with a Keytronic keyboard, spacing is similar although the enter key is a left-rotated L instead of a wide Enter key like the IBM has.

    One hint I used to stop hitting keys too far to right, is MOVE body LEFT. My center of body is aligned with the B key and not M. I have to REACH further to get to INSERT key, so almost never hit it.

    But, yes, a character mapper would work fine. I think they were available for Windows 98 and down, have not seen a good one for XP. Essentially, it lets you tell the computer to treat the keycode it thinks is INSERT as if it were BACKSPACE if you want, by allowing you to alter the code at input time in the driver for the keyboard. Or, just position keyboard further to right if possible. Left edge of keyboard is even with my LEFT side, and keyboard stretches way to right. Monitor (my little 17" NEC LCD Panel) is centered on B key also, so that works fine. Left edge of viewing area on LCD is even with left edge of keyboard. Also, keyboard is VELCROed down, it will not slide around on my kinda slippery Lifetime Table used for desk. So I sit down with monitor centered and keyboard is right also, all the time.

    John.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Trekky8472 had this to say
    Instead of pushing the text aside if you typed in between two characters, it overwrites the characters.

    OMG I ahte when it does that when i am typing a long essay and it starts to overwrite!! now i know how to fix it! You rock! :Rocker: Now when it happens i wont be so >:screwed:
  • karatekidkaratekid Ogdensburg, NY
    edited November 2003
    Seems to me that the Insert key is kind of a mode key. You press it and it switches between a mode where typed characters replace present characters, and the normal mode where typed characters are inserted between present characters.

    What I want to know is what does the Scroll Lock key do?

    Edit: Holy crap, where did all those posts come from? :eek2:
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited November 2003
    Scroll Lock was to be used back in the days of dirt to allow you to scroll the screen with the arrow keys.

    As for the Insert key, Prime had it right.
    Also, Shift+Insert is the same thing as Ctrl+V.
    I use Ctrl+V nowadays but the first paste function I learned was Shift+Insert.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Ageek had this to say
    I cheated. Got an old IBM keyboard. One of its advantages is that there are some keys that are wider on it. Left Shift ia about 2.2X wide and Backspace is a double wide key, RIght Shift key is 2.6X wider than the rest, Enter is about 2.2X wide.

    I believe the old IBM keyboard has 2.304x wide left shift, 2.5903x wide right shift, 1.926x backspace, and enter was either 2.7389x or 2.1996, depending on the year. 1986 and prior were the larger ones.

    My keyboard is shifted so far right that it's out in the hallway. I've resorted to using telekinesis to avoid hitting the wrong keys.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    But telekenesis can also be inaccurate as there's a 15.623423098481235% chance of error and a variance of approx 6.525 per cent based on the humidity tieds and teh price of tea in china of course its far more accurate using TK because psychomotor responses in teh muscles arent suseptible to errors any more and my friend whos a keyboard repair technician says its the most accurate way to type.
  • panzerkwpanzerkw New York City
    edited November 2003
    My Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard has the insert key up next to the F12 key. Keeps it out of reach of normal typing.

    EDIT: Anyway, try this, this, and this. Nothing specifically mentioning the Insert key but maybe you can find a way using these avenues.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    ... or you could just buy a Natural keyboard :)

    See pic below for where my "Insert" key is. It isn't even active unless you have the "F lock" key pressed ;)

    Plus, the keyboard is ergonomic.. and once you get get adjusted to it.. it's a damn sight easier on the hands than a normal cramped keyboard :)
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited November 2003
    Ok, this may be a dumb Q, but Shorty, when you buy a keyboard in the UK, does the 4 key (above the letters) double as the UK pound or is it the $?
  • CammanCamman NEW! England Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Mr. Kwitko had this to say
    I believe the old IBM keyboard has 2.304x wide left shift, 2.5903x wide right shift, 1.926x backspace, and enter was either 2.7389x or 2.1996, depending on the year. 1986 and prior were the larger ones.

    hahahha you guys are awesome.

    Anyway, I also have the weird oriented middle block with the insert key way above, it's l33t, a lot different than the like 6 key horizontal style block, but i definitly like the big Delete key better, gets used the most of any of them anyway! Let me demonstrate with a fuzzy picture:

    (you actually don't have to get a "Natural Keyboard", all microsoft 'multimedia' keyboards are set up this way, even the regular ones like mine ;)
  • NecropolisNecropolis Hawarden, Wales Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    a2jfreak had this to say
    Ok, this may be a dumb Q, but Shorty, when you buy a keyboard in the UK, does the 4 key (above the letters) double as the UK pound or is it the $?

    The 4 key still has the $ attached to it, the 3 key has the £ attached.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2003
    :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:



    You wouldn’t believe how many keyboard remappers there are that either A: Will not remap the Insert key, or B: Do not work with Win2K/XP.


    It's times like this I wish I knew C++. :banghead:
  • qparadoxqparadox Vancouver, BC
    edited November 2003
    Well since hitting ctrl-c in a default configured unix app is generally bad (generally something along the lines of close now!) I find the insert key very useful. Ctrl-ins copies and Shift -ins pastes on all my boxen.
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited November 2003
    How would you type # w/out resulting to alt combos?

    Here's how my US keyboard looks:
    (First character is top row, second character is bottom)

    ~`
    !1
    @2
    #3
    $4
    %5
    ^6
    &7
    *8
    (9
    )0
    _-
    +=
    Necropolis_uk had this to say
    a2jfreak had this to say
    Ok, this may be a dumb Q, but Shorty, when you buy a keyboard in the UK, does the 4 key (above the letters) double as the UK pound or is it the $?

    The 4 key still has the $ attached to it, the 3 key has the £ attached.
  • polarys425polarys425 Harrisonburg, VA
    edited November 2003
    if you never use it, super glue the key in place.
  • NecropolisNecropolis Hawarden, Wales Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Here is what we have on a UK keyboard

    ¬`
    !1
    "2
    £3
    $4

    Then its the same as yours the # key is over by the enter key under the ~ key just above the right shift key.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited November 2003
    to fix the insert key prob stick a drawing pin through a piece of sticky tape and tape it, pointy end up, on to the offending key. You will soon learn where it is.
    Please, don't thank me, just doing my bit.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    karatekid had this to say

    What I want to know is what does the Scroll Lock key do?

    The scroll lock key also messes with some stuff in excel spreadsheets...quite annoying. :d
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Shorty had this to say
    ... or you could just buy a Natural keyboard :)

    See pic below for where my "Insert" key is. It isn't even active unless you have the "F lock" key pressed ;)

    Plus, the keyboard is ergonomic.. and once you get get adjusted to it.. it's a damn sight easier on the hands than a normal cramped keyboard :)
    That "F Lock" is ****ing annoying. Especially when getting used to it and playing BF1942. The damn thing resets itself too. I hate it with a passion now :rant:
  • panzerkwpanzerkw New York City
    edited November 2003
    I remember I had just bought my MS Multimedia KB...

    "Why aren't the F'ing function keys working?!! ....Oh..."
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    Scratch off the "s" and it becomes ..... inert. mwuahahaha.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2003
    bothered had this to say
    to fix the insert key prob stick a drawing pin through a piece of sticky tape and tape it, pointy end up, on to the offending key. You will soon learn where it is.
    Please, don't thank me, just doing my bit.

    Haha, I was thinking of doing that as well...
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    nobody got my joke ... how disappointing.
  • CycloniteCyclonite Tampa, Florida Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I did. And I laughed too. I just didn't want to admit to it. :p
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2003
    croc_ had this to say
    nobody got my joke ... how disappointing.

    I just sorta went -> :rolleyes:
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