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Go to SolutionXPS 13 9360, function keys advanced usage
I just got a new XPS 13. The keyboard's function keys share system functionalities like volume controls and screen brightness. You can choose for the keys to function as F keys (F1, F2, etc.) by default, or as system keys (volume control, etc.). On my old XPS L502X, if you set the default to be system keys, if you used them in combination with Ctrl, Shift, or Alt, the would still function as F keys. This was very convenient, as these combinations are commonly used (like alt+F4), and if you're using ctrl, shift, or alt, you're probably not wanting the system functions anyway. Can this be implimented on the XPS 13?
Hi. I have an XPS 9360. If I just want to press, say, F2, it's easy enough to press Fn+F2. But in combination with alt/ctrl/shift, it's hard to press Fn AND alt/ctrl/shift AND the F-key. Essentially, I'd like ctrl,, alt, and shift to automatically trigger the Fn key. This is what my previous Dell laptop did.
I logged a ticket for this with Dell support and got the following response:
"I have read your e-mail and understood you would wish to trigger the FN key using ctrl/alt/shift.
However as we are from Technical Support team I hope you will understand our limitations and restrictions.
We will be sharing this feedback to appropriate people in our team, so they can get this escalated and check what can be done in this case.
We really appreciate this kind of feedback and apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.
Please be assured, if there is any update to be rolled out for this issue we will inform you without any delay."
Perhaps if others do the same we might make some headway?
dr_cornelius
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Posted April 6th, 2019 22:00
On the new XPS 13 9380 (not sure if it's the same for earlier models), if you press Fn-Esc (not Alt-Esc) it will lock Fn key on. Then for example F2 will allow you to edit in spreadsheets, and if you press Fn-F2 then it will reduce Volume.
So they should have replied "We have NOT read your request nor do we really understand the question". Those replies just make customers mad (me anyway)!
They should have replied with the Fn-Esc will execute the Function-Lock On.
Several community members suggested it.
jphughan
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Posted January 12th, 2018 11:00
I know this "mode" you're describing: F keys act as multimedia keys when pressed by themselves, but if you're also holding one or more modifer keys (Ctrl/Alt, maybe Shift?), then the F keys automatically work as function keys when pressed. This is indeed a convenient mode since there are relatively few popular uses of F keys being pressed by themselves (which means defaulting to multimedia mode has merit), but NO cases where you would hold a modifier key while pressing a multimedia button. I personally prefer to keep my F keys as function keys since I constantly use F2 for rename (and editing Excel cells) and F5 for Refresh, but I can certainly see the appeal of this "hybrid" mode, and I'm surprised it hasn't become the norm.
Unfortunately, this feature doesn't seem available on the XPS 13 9360, and it would have to be implemented as a firmware feature rather than by the OS or third-party utility.