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I have an apple wireless keyboard which I am using with my windows pc and it works excellently, and looks superb. It all connects fine (particularly with a flashed dbt-120).

However, I haven't had great success with getting all those useful keys to work with the Fn key. I've been using uawks as a way to get it working, but it doesn't always work.

Has anyone had success with any other tools to get the Fn key working (and therefore creating shortcuts to End, Home, Break, PgUp, etc?

I should point out that this is not a mac computer, it is a plain old pc.

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  • uawks doesn't seem to work at all for me.
    – Turkeyphant
    Jul 31, 2019 at 10:41

6 Answers 6

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I struggled with this exact problem for months, and eventually settled on uawks as the best solution. Yes, the fn stuff can sometimes get a little wonky, but it usually works.

I started out with scancode mapping, eventually wrote some AutoHotKey scripts along with Veil's dll to add in fn key support, and eventually discovered that uawks did everything my stuff did but with a nice little UI.

Uawks is just a UI on top of AutoHotKey scripts, so you can always go in and tweak the code to support your own brand of hotkeys. You can add in a little scancode mapping if you need to do something that uawks/AutoHotKey has issues with.

My final solution to the problem ended with me buying a Mac, so there's always that.

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  • I think you're right, uawks is probably the best solution - if anyone has a better one, I'd love to know!
    – Dave Arkell
    Jul 16, 2009 at 8:50
  • Does this work on x64 Windows ?
    – sorin
    Dec 27, 2009 at 16:18
  • Simpler solution : just update to latest Apple Wireless Keyboard Driver (I blogged about it diophung.blogspot.sg/2013/06/…)
    – Dio Phung
    May 9, 2014 at 6:45
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Solution: update your Apple Wireless Keyboard Driver, then restart your PC, then Fn + Arrow work fine.

Just tested today: Working on PC with Windows 7 Pro 64 bit (note: it is NOT a Mac).

Apple Wireless keyboard in Windows (PC) bigger screenshot

Steps:

  1. Download latest Bootcamp drivers from http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1638

  2. Extract the file, then open folder \BootCamp5.0.5033\BootCamp\Drivers\Apple

  3. Run BootCamp.msi (do NOT run setup.exe as it will say it is unsupported on this computer model)

  4. Wait for the driver installation finish, then restart your PC.

  5. On next bootup, run Bootcamp (surprisingly you can !!!), go to Keyboard and choose whether you want F1,F2,etc as standard keyboard function. For more info, check the Apple Wireless Keyboard keyboard mapping in Windows kb http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1171

That's it. No need extra software, just latest drivers from Apple.

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  • just info for anyone installing bootcamp drivers on windows and has problems with the clock, for some reason it would mess up my clock's timezone... to fix this you need to edit the registry and add a key so that windows uses the same time-zone method as OS X does... there is info on the net about this, just google for it...
    – Mikey
    Oct 11, 2013 at 2:16
  • awesome. i'd tried uawks, ms keyboard layout, keytweak and WinA1314 and this is the only solution that got F1 and F2 working! i will add that i had to launch bootcamp.msi from a admin command prompt using start bootcamp.msi.
    – G-Wiz
    May 8, 2014 at 19:31
  • I dont understand, how to "run Bootcamp" to change my F keys to operate as F1-F12 ?
    – TOP KEK
    Mar 12, 2021 at 14:57
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I had the same issue as you do and found out that installing Bootcamp on a plain PC will actually work. I've got the USB version of the same keyboard running with full fn compatibility for page up, down, home, end etc..

Of course you need to extract Bootcamp from the OSX install media, but there are guides just a Google search away.

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  • This worked for me, but I wasted time figuring it out the details. Tips for others. You need Bootcamp 3.0, you can't use the 3.1->3.3 updates that are available for download. This means you have to use or buy an original OSX install disk. Pop this DVD in your Windows machine drive and run Drive:\Boot Camp\Drivers\Apple\x64\AppleKeyboardInstaller64.exe (NOTE: This is x64 location).
    – bentayloruk
    Dec 1, 2011 at 13:19
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You can try the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator which should allow you to define the keyboard mappings.

EDIT: and this blog post might give you some tips on how to use it with an Apple keyboard

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  • both links are broken
    – Pavel Kovalev
    Aug 1, 2019 at 18:19
  • @PavelKovalev I fixed the first one
    – Manuel Durando
    Jan 21, 2020 at 22:43
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Applewirelesskeyboard is a very simple utility that enables simple support for the following shortcuts:

F3: Print Screen
F4: Task Manager
F7-F9: Media Control
F10-F12: System Volume Control
Eject toggles if function keys work as on Windows or as on Mac
Fn + function key triggers the Mac like shortcut

Fn + Backspace = Delete

Fn + Arrows
Up: Page Up
Down: Page Down
Left: Home
Right: End
Fn + Eject: Eject CD

I just installed it on W8 and it works, with the exception of Fn+Right and Fn+Down

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When you run windows via bootcamp, and use the osx install disk - it installs drivers for this, including a program that runs in the background for the keyboard.

edit: just pointing out its a helper program

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  • I don't have a mac
    – Dave Arkell
    Jul 15, 2009 at 9:55
  • If you don't have one and you don't know anyone from which you could use the drivers from, then you're looking at simulating keys using other keys using something like AutoHotkey perhaps.
    – svandragt
    Jul 15, 2009 at 10:20
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    I tried this, but it pales in comparison to uawks/AutoHotKey.
    – Curtis Tasker
    Jul 15, 2009 at 18:51

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