Hi all,

My keyboard (some cheap sven) has a set of media keys, divided in 3 groups: playback, volume and general (like home, favorites, calculator)

I need to rebind the mute volume key to my custom ShellExecute action. At first, I was assuming it's as easy as adding a node to the HKLM/Microsoft/.../Explorer/AppKey. The code for a volume_mute appkey is 8, so I added a corresponding node. It did nothing. Through Procmon I learned that explorer.exe wasn't even looking in the registry when I would have pressed the mute key. Same went for all volume and playback controls. For now, I took the path of least resistance binding my custom action to browser favorites key, since I never use it.

But I still would like to do it my way. I know that all media keys go through the hidserv, so I wonder if there's any way to tweak it giving custom actions to keys? Otherwise, where does the binding between a key scancode and invoked action occur? Why does explorer not hook on all of its AppKeys?

My media player has no problem hooking to the playback keyset, too (as long as some window with admin rights is not focused, but that's another topic, I guess). I don't want any additional residential processes with a sole purpose of grabbing one key event aswell.

Help me out, please? Thanks in advance!

• Edited by aelus 20 hours 2 minutes ago grammar