Why IS My Insert Key Toggle Mode Inoperative?

[randystonesifer]

I have DVF 5. I just installed it on my new Dell system and it was working fine for several days. Today while editing software, the insert/overstrike toggle became inoperable (insert key). Other software works fine in terms of toggling as does the command line window. I tried restarting Developer Studio, logging off, rebooting, uninstalling and reinstalling. Nothing has fixed the problem. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?!?!?!?!?!

Since my new keyboard has the insert and delete keys in new positions, I may have typed some weird combination of key strokes but how can re-installing not fix it. And if it is not DVF related, why are other software not affected? INS/OVR is working fine while writing this message.
Randy

[Jugoslav_Dujic]

I'm not sure what happened, but go to Tools/Customize/Keyboard (while any file is oppened). As a test, press "Insert" in "Press new shortcut key"

edit box. Below it, "Currently assigned to" text should appear and "EditToggleOvertype" below it if it's all OK. I suspect it doesn't.

Now, select "Edit" from Category field, find "EditToggleOvertype" and assign "Ins" to it. Make sure the "Editor" is "Text".

Jugoslav

[randystonesifer]

The insert key was unassigned as you suspected. I found that the enter key and backspace were also not operating as expected so I did a Reset All. That seems to have done the trick.

Why did uninstalling and re-installing not reset the keys? After un-installing, I manually deleted all remaining files from the DevStudio Directory. Where could the corrupted info have been? Did the uninstall not function properly?

Thank you very very much, I was really befuddled!

Randy

[Jugoslav_Dujic]

Why did uninstalling and re-installing not reset the keys? After un-installing, I manually deleted all remaining files from the DevStudio Directory. Where could the corrupted info have been? Did the uninstall not function properly?

I doubt we will ever find the answer :smileyhappy:. That info is kept in registry, somewhere under HKCU/Software/Microsoft/DevStudio/5.0. Uninstallers usually don't delete this (because if you attempt just to reinstall, you probably don't want to lose all your custom settings) -- in some cases, like yours, when something screws up, this is not desirable though.

Jugoslav

[randystonesifer]

Jugoslav,

It never even occurred to me that the registry would be used for such info! It does not seem like a good idea to me. A configuration file that is identified in a readme file seems much wiser.

Thanks again,

Randy

[Jugoslav_Dujic]

Well... have in mind thatmost applicationssettings are per user, sothey shouldn't be kept within application directory (in a properly configured multi-user system,non-administrators may not even write into Program Files directory). Besides, the mentioned registry entry is not created by the installer, but by first invocation of DevStudio (that's the case with most Windows application).

What remains is either registry or CSIDL_APPDATA directory (typically Documents and SettingsUserNameApplication DataAppName), but for practical purposes,they're equally "unreachable" for an unaware user. But the actual problem is, applications should not screw their own registry settings. But then, applications shouln't have bugs, (like ones of mine :smileywink:).

Jugoslav