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flockacons
Contributor
Contributor

Caps Lock Reversed on Virtual XP

So when I start up my virtual version of XP the caps key on my Mac Book Pro is lit but it is typing in lower case. It stays lit when I go back into OSX and types in all caps. Any ideas? Using Fusion v1.1.1

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

So when I start up my virtual version of XP the caps key on my Mac Book Pro is lit but it is typing in lower case. It stays lit when I go back into OSX and types in all caps. Any ideas? Using Fusion v1.1.1

I think I read that it may be a known issue although I can't remember for sure.

Have you tried pressing the caps lock key a few times to toggle the light off and it be in lower case?

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flockacons
Contributor
Contributor

Rebooting the MBP worked. We'll see if it comes back.

Thanks for the quick reply!!!

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fairramone
Contributor
Contributor

Same here. Noticed this behavior under FreeBSD guest.

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bgertzfield
Commander
Commander

Due to a conflict with some Logitech keyboard and mouse drivers that caused kernel panics, we disabled the keyboard LED synchronization code by default in VMware Fusion 1.1.1.

You can re-enable it by editing or creating the file:

~/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/config

and adding the line:

mks.keyboard.syncLEDs = "TRUE"

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flockacons
Contributor
Contributor

Rebooting the whole system seemed to have fixed it. But possibly by

diverting a problem with external keyboards, one has been created with

the internal ones of Macbooks and Macbook Pros.

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davidb2
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I have the same problem as the OP. I am running a MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz with OS X 10.5.2, Fusion 1.1.2 and XP Pro SP3.

Rebooting OS X and the VM did not change anything.

Then I quit Fusion with the VM suspended, added the line <mks.keyboard.syncLEDs = "TRUE"> to the top of the list of preferences in /Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/config and relaunched Fusion, but the problem is still there.

Two recent changes I have made to my system are going from 10.4.11 to 10.5.2 and from XP Pro SP2 to SP3.

David

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Then I quit Fusion with the VM suspended, added the line <mks.keyboard.syncLEDs = "TRUE"> to the top of the list of preferences in /Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/config and relaunched Fusion, but the problem is still there.

The Virtual Machine(s) must be properly shut down from within the OS and not Suspended and Fusion closed before editing any file(s) regarding Fusion or a Virtual Machine.

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davidb2
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Actually it turned out that I hadn't read the original instructions properly.

I had put the line <mks.keyboard.syncLEDS = "TRUE"> into ~Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/preferences instead of into a new, separate file ~Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/config. Doing that solved the problem.

Apparently having the VM suspended did not affect this procedure.

David

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dchambon
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

my conf : Mac OS X 10.5.4, Mac Pro, 2GB RAM, VMware Fusion 1.1.2, Windows XP PRO SP2

I have put the line <mks.keyboard.syncLEDS = "TRUE"> in ~Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/config (of course both vmware and windows were shutdown) but now my keyboard is getting mad :

sometimes CAPS LOCK is not in sync on Outlook for example, then I switch to Safari (for example too) on OS X and go back to Outlook to realize that the key is now in sync Smiley Sad

Is there a difference between putting <mks.keyboard.syncLEDS = "TRUE"> in the config file and the .vmx ? What is best ?

Regards,

Didier.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Is there a difference between putting <mks.keyboard.syncLEDS = "TRUE"> in the config file and the .vmx ?

Maybe. Some options only work in the .vmx, some only work in config, some work in both. Similarly for preferences. There's not really a way to tell apart from trying it or tusting a reliable source.

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johnstonf
Contributor
Contributor

Where is the ~Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/config that is mentioned?

(what does the ~ tilde mean/represent?)

I can't seem to locate it... is ~ somewhere off the root? or what is the direct path to it?

I have a /Library/Preferences but no VMWare Fusion under that (that i can see)

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johnstonf
Contributor
Contributor

I found an easy fix (I think)... it worked when I just tried it...

in the vm, go VirtualMachine&gt; SendKey&gt; CapsLock... this reverses the caps mode, but not the caps light... then it is in synch again (it doesn't happen too often to me, so this, if it continues to work, makes me happy!)

/Fred

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dchambon
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

there is an error in the path. you must read /Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/config where "" is for your home directory i.e. /Users/&lt;your user name&gt;

if you don't have the config file you have to create it with a text editor.

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johnstonf
Contributor
Contributor

ok, so in my case, it is under:

/Users/fred/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/config

i'm still fairly new to this Linux stuff, but i'm assuming now that the "~" is my home folder, and what was meant was ~/Library/Preferences/VMWare Fusion/config (replace ~ with /Users/fred in my case).... (what a difference a "/" can make in the right place guys!... don't forget some of us aren't as able to make assumptions about careless errors!).

i did finally find it... thanks.... /Fred

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MikeCalvo
Contributor
Contributor

I am blind and using the new V2 of Fusion on a MB. I am trying to use a Windows screenreader for the blind on the VM and can't figure out a way to use key combinations like capslock+F to get the menu of this special application. It seems that Fusion passes any capslock commands to the host OS and in this case I don't want that to happen. I want Windows to totally handle keyboard input so I can use the combinations my screenreader requires.

Any ideas ON how I can fix this?

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pforkes
Contributor
Contributor

I have NEVER got this patch to work. NEVER.

is there another work around (or a reason why VMware have chosen never to fix this)?

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pforkes
Contributor
Contributor

I have attached my config file in the hope that someone might be able to tell me what I might b doing wrong.

The file came from my /Users/pforkes/Library/Preference/VMware/Fusion folder

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