AutoHotKey: Adds Media Keys To My Keyboard!

I have been using the small 14 inch ultra-book or laptop for all these whiles for all work and play. Until recently I have an idea to connect it to an external monitor, I finally realised how SMALL 14 is! I then also bought an external keyboard to make my laptop to 'look and feel' like a desktop system; it was an easy task to choose one keyboard for me........until I got home and asked myself: "where are those media keys for volume and playlist controls?!".

Lazy to go back for an exchange, there is luckily one solution: to virtualize hardware keys using AutoHotkey(AHK). AutoHotkey is essentially a fast scriptable desktop automation with hotkeys, where one can setup macro, combination of keys for a new function and many, many more. In my case, AutoHotKey is useful to assign new media control keys. To create a new script(for media controls):

1. Download and install AutoHotkey.
2. Right-click an empty spot on your desktop or in a folder of your choice.
3. In the menu that appears, select New -> AutoHotkey Script. (Alternatively, select New -> Text Document.)
4. Type a name for the file, ensuring that it ends in .ahk. For example: Test.ahk
5. Right-click the file and choose Edit Script, copy and paste the following codes at the end of script file.

!NumpadMult::Volume_Mute
!NumpadSub::Volume_Down
!NumpadAdd::Volume_Up
!Numpad5::Media_Play_Pause
!Numpad4::Media_Prev
!Numpad6::Media_Next

! stands for Alt key, so combination of Alt + 5 would play or pause the media player, Alt + 6 would play the next tract and the list goes by. More hot-keys can be defined all according to you preferences, simply look into the detailed documentation here. Have fun and unleash your imagination what this piece of fine software can do for you!


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AutoHotKey


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Posted in: application,AutoHotKey,how-to,keyboard