CHERRY KC 200 MX calculator key only works when the window in focus is elevated (UAC)

[chrcoluk]

Plugged in new keyboard today, it is a 'CHERRY KC 200 MX', it has a calculator key which works if device manager is running and is in foreground, in any other situation it doesnt do anything.

Any ideas?

There is no function key on the keyboard, which I will mention as I see it mentioned a lot when I google the issue.

I have an update here, and perhaps an indicator browsers poking their noses in areas they shouldnt be.

If I shutdown firefox it works as normal. So firefox running, only works when device manager is on top, firefox not running, works all the time.

 

[chrcoluk]

Ok I have narrowed this down to be more specific now, but it is still weird, the calculator key will work if the app/window in the foreground is elevated, (UAC). If its not elevated it doesnt work.

 

[overclockedamd]

Sounds like a firmware issue to me. I had similar trouble with my work keyboard (Razer Pro Type Ultra)—the calculator key would only work when an elevated window was in focus. Turns out, the key was sending a shell command that required elevated privileges to execute.


When a non-elevated app is in the foreground, Windows may block or ignore the command due to User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI). That’s a security feature designed to prevent lower-privilege apps from interacting with higher-privilege processes.


Just an idea—it’s not 100% confirmed, but it sounds awfully similar to what I went through until Razer pushed a firmware update that fixed it

 

[chrcoluk]

Thank you, will email cherry.

I did also install the cherry keys software, and that allows reassigning the key, when I select it to toggle mute, it works all the time, revert to default then its back to needing elevation, so I suspect you are right, I will report back here on what Cherry tell me.

Seems I have a workaround if they dont send a fix, I reassigned the key to run a custom program, I selected system32/calc.exe and it works all the time. However this requires cherry keys to be running.

 

[overclockedamd]

Good luck! At least you found a bandaid fix let's see what they say. I spent a month going through logs and events on my pc and asked a high level System Admin i work with and he pointed me at that. It took a week to get a response from Razer and 3 months for the firmware =/. Hopefully Cherry does better for you. Let me know im interested to see what they say.