ID: Q89494
VHotKeyd.exe is a sample VxD that demonstrates the steps necessary to reflect a hot key into the system virtual machine. Some Windows-based applications implement shortcut ("hot") keys by establishing a Windows hook that scans the stream of keystrokes typed and responds to the hot key. While this technique works correctly within the Windows system virtual machine in 386 enhanced mode, the hot key will not be recognized while an MS-DOS virtual machine (VM) has the focus because the keystroke will not be visible to the Windows system virtual machine. In order to define a "global" hot key that is active even while an MS-DOS- based application is running, a virtual device (VxD) must be written to perform this task. This article describes the steps for writing such a VxD.
VHotKeyd.exe sets up a global hot key through the VKD_Define_Hot_Key service. The hot key handler schedules a system-VM- specific event that will force the focus to the system VM through the System_Control service and force the keystroke into the system VM through the VKD_Reflect_Hot_Key service. Instead of the VKD_Reflect_Hot_Key service, you can use the VKD_Force_Keys service. However, in that case the hot key handler must explicitly call VKD_Cancel_Hot_Key_state. Furthermore, the hot key must be defined with the Local_key option and must be locally disabled for the system VM. The advantage of using VKD_Force_Keys is that the hot key is inserted into the VM's virtual keyboard buffer so that keystrokes submitted before the hot key will still be processed in the VM's context.
In any case, a switch to the system virtual machine will not take place if one of the following is true:
The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:
~ VHotKeyd.exe (size: 19775 bytes)
ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
TITLE : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
Last Reviewed: July 26, 1998