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For years I've always mapped the Precision hotkey to the "Search" button on Microsoft's keyboards (SmartNav reports this as key #170), but in the last few weeks, holding the "Search" button to activate "Precision" mode also launches a Windows Explorer folder (to, you know, search).

My question: how can I prevent Windows from ever reacting to the "Search" button, so only SmartNav's "Precision" mode is engaged?


(Similarly, if I try to map any of the nearby "Web/Home" and "Mail" keys to "Precision", each key will perform its Windows 7 function *and* activate "Precision" mode)

My other HotKey assignments behave as expected (this includes ScrlLk, and several keys on my number pad like '/', '*' and '5').

I'm using Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 v1.0 on a fully Windows Updated Windows 7 Service Pack 1 with NaturalPoint USB Drivers x64 2.50.0000 and SmartNAV 3.20.037.

My guess is this worked with the initial disc-install of Windows 7 but it started behaving badly once I ran Windows Update, but I didn't notice for a several weeks since I wasn't using my SmartNav during that period.

Sounds like Windows update snuck in the software for your keyboard that makes the search, web, mail, etc buttons work. You should be able to uninstall that. Then the next time you run Windows Update check to see if it's on the list, you should be able to prevent it from installing then and in the future.

Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center offers the ability to disable the Search key, which solves this problem.

By the way, thanks for the answer though jolsonsalem -- while I expect you're probably right, by the time I had time to try to rectify the issue, the most recent Windows 7 update allowed me to solve the problem without uninstalling anything!