Disabling the Windows button when writing with a stylus.

Question

Is it possible to set the Dell Venue 11 Pro to automatically disable the Windows button when it detects the Active Stylus? I've been using my stylus for the past couple of months to make notes and I must say that it has been a fairly positive experience as I was quite concerned having read the issues people have been having with it. However I have this one niggling issue that if my hand/wrist brushes over the windows button I'm instantly taken back to the start screen which gets very annoying hen you're in the middle of writing something down. I know I can 'fix' this by holding the tablet upside down so the Windows button is at the top out of the way, but I was just wondering if there was a solution that meant I didn't have to worry about the orientation of the tablet.

pjwoodward · Answer

Yes, exactly. Windows itself must have a palm check/detect system to stop your palm from interfering with the display when you're writing, so the Windows button should be able to be linked to that.

Devedander · Answer

This seems like a great idea... like palm check on the trackpad.

UnknownUser84 · Answer

Probably, Microsoft will provide a solution on this soon. On their new SP3 they users will be even more annoyed about this issue.

DELL-Brian B · Answer

I've requested this functionality in the past, but I'll have to follow up again as I didn't ever get an answer. I know that Surface 2 disables the button when the stylus is seen by the LCD. Seems like Dell should as well, but perhaps there are hardware limitations or something else.

As a workaround for now, you can flip the tablet 180 degrees so that the button is at the top and you won't hit it accidentally.

I'll let you know what I find.

pjwoodward · Answer

Thanks Brian, I'll look forward to hearing what you find out. I have been flipping the tablet 180 degrees but there are occasions when I forget to and that's when it reminds you what an annoying problem it is. Could I ask another question, this one regarding the power button. Why is it you have to hold the button to turn it on (which makes sense to prevent it accidently turning on) yet when it is on the slightest tap will turn the device off? Is it possible to get the power button to work in a similar fashion to a lot of smart phones where tapping the power button will lock/turn off the screen but you have to hold the button for a short while in order actually power down the device?

Mikerman · Answer

Is it possible to get the power button to work in a similar fashion to a lot of smart phones where tapping the power button will lock/turn off the screen but you have to hold the button for a short while in order actually power down the device? That's precisely how the power button works on my DV8P.

pjwoodward · Answer

That's interesting, do you know if you can change the button's behaviour in the Power Options in the Control Panel. I can't change mine as it's controlled by my companies group policy but it looks like on the DV11P the Power button only has one option associated with it, not two like I expect/hope for.

Mikerman · Answer

Yep, can change the power button option between sleep, shut down, and do nothing. I have mine set to sleep. And I just verified that a short press of the power button puts the tablet to sleep; a long press brings a window half down the screen instructing to swipe it down if one wants to shut the tablet off. This is with a home/non-enterprise DV8P.

Devedander · Answer

As a workaround for now, you can flip the tablet 180 degrees so that the button is at the top and you won't hit it accidentally.

I'll let you know what I find.

This solution would be best if paired with the separate request to not have the VP11 lock orientation while the slim keyboard is attached and flipped back.

pjwoodward · Answer

There must be a difference between Win8 Home and Win8 Pro as although I got my company to allow me to set my own power settings and setting it to sleep caused it to sleep when you pressed the button holding the button didn't do anything unless you held it down long enough and it just switched off the tablet rather than shutting it down.

Tornikom · Answer

Hi Brian, any update on this?

Tablets & Mobile Devices

Disabling the Windows button when writing with a stylus.

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