Disabling HP Quick Launch buttons

Hi, I have Compaq 6710b, Vista, and I really dislike the Quick Launch buttons. I accidently press some buttons, like the volume and its a nuisance. I really hate these buttons and want to disable them .... but there is no option to do so!! Tried to unisntall the HP Quick Buttons software, but not helps either.

Can anyone help disable the buttons? Maybe something can be changed in the registery (say, changing the button keys to zero 000000000000). Anyone help?

 

Short of re-installing Vista and not installing the QLBs via the SWSetup folder, I don't know what else you can do to disable it.

 

completely uninstall it from the device manager. Also make sure you tick "delete software or whatever"

Then do a restart

Alternatively thres another method but its a little invasive

it requires you taking out keyboard and unplugging the actual plug to the QLB

 

Thanks for quick replies.

1. I'm not too keen reinstalling Vista after spending last month setting up my comp.

2. My best hope is still that something can be changed in the registry.

3. But if not, then I'l probably go with the unplugging method. I'l take it to a computer shop and ask them to unplug the QL bar.

Thanks

 

Update:

I have tried searching the registry for anything QBL-related, but only found following two locations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Software Explorers\Disabled RunKey\Run
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-239277579-2818820354-3002204094-1006\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ControlPanel

These are just Disabled or Adjusted properties, and probably of no use. So to me it appears that there is nothing I can do using registry.

Tried searching the hard drive for "qlb" or "quick launch", but apart from some folders and system log files, also little help (There were two folders "QLB" and "QLBTEMP" in C:/SWSetup. I tried removing these folders, and restarting computer, but QL buttons still work)


One more idea I had was to disable the keys through registry. Some time ago I succeded in disabling the Caps Lock key, using the following procedure:


Go to Start → Run → regedit
Go to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
Right-click on the right half of the screen and choose New → Binary
Name the new Value Scancode Map
Enter 00000000000000000200000000003A0000000000
Close the "Registry Editor" by selecting "Exit" from the "File" menu.
Reboot.


The "3A" in above code it hexadecimal (Scan Code) referring to the Caps Lock. So my idea was to use corresponding hexadecimals for QL buttons, to disable them. To find the hexadecimals I used KeyView program ( http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/home/tef/wintools/keyview.exe). I found following Scan Codes for the QL buttons (left to right)

Decimal: 89, 8, 32, 46, 48 (all except bluetooth button)
Hex: 59, 8, 20, 2e, 30

However, there are overlaps with my existing keyboard buttons:

8 - overlaps with "7"
32 - overlaps with "d"
46 - overlaps with "c"
48 - overlaps with "b"

So clearly there are problems using this method. The KeyView program picks up the QL buttons having same Scan Codes as some existing buttons, so I doubt I can disable QL buttons like this.

I'm not sure what else to try ... may be the only solution is to go to a computer shop and ask them to open up my laptop and unplug the QLB bar.

Too bad HP made so difficult to customise its product.

 

The QLB media keys acts as if it was part of a multimedia keyboard. (minus the quickplay/dvd button)

Read you service manual, you might be able to do it yourself. It shouldnt be that hard. Its just a tiny cable that needs to be unplugged.