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Expose shortcut is backwards

jmre5150

jmre5150

macrumors member
Original poster
Ok, every manual I read says to hit F9-F11 to use expose. Thats lovely, but my new Macbook Pro will only work if I hold function down and then press F9. Strange huh? I wonder what I did to invert this common feature...anyone?
 
It's due to the backlit keyboard controls being on F8-F10. You can switch this behaviour in the keyboard preferences.
 
go to sys prefs > dashboard & expose and see what its set to. Make sure its just F9 blah blah and not Function F9

EDIT: never mind
 
It's because the function keys have to serve dual duty on the laptops...software functions like Exposé and hardware functions like the backlit keyboard. You can set whether it's the software or hardware function that require the fn key using System Preferences --> Keyboard & Mouse --> Keyboard.
 
WildCowboy said:
It's because the function keys have to serve dual duty on the laptops...software functions like Exposé and hardware functions like the backlit keyboard. You can set whether it's the software or hardware function that require the fn key using System Preferences --> Keyboard & Mouse --> Keyboard.
Click to expand...

Cowboy, your always a help. That did the trick. Thank you all kindly.
 
WildCowboy: that does the trick (ie, F9 now does Expose) - but, now I have to fn-F4 (for example) to turn the sound down.

I find this really frustrating - why not have, as the default, the more common uses for the button? Is there any way I can make this happen? (ie, sound with F4, AND expose with F9?)
 
wdp said:
WildCowboy: that does the trick (ie, F9 now does Expose) - but, now I have to fn-F4 (for example) to turn the sound down.

I find this really frustrating - why not have, as the default, the more common uses for the button? Is there any way I can make this happen? (ie, sound with F4, AND expose with F9?)
Click to expand...

No, as WildCowboy said you can either choose Hardware or Software functions which require the fn key, but you can't mix them.
 
wdp said:
WildCowboy: that does the trick (ie, F9 now does Expose) - but, now I have to fn-F4 (for example) to turn the sound down.

I find this really frustrating - why not have, as the default, the more common uses for the button? Is there any way I can make this happen? (ie, sound with F4, AND expose with F9?)
Click to expand...
The more common uses ARE the default (most people use the volume and brightness controls and not F-keys). I would suggest using hot corners or defining an easier shortcut to avoid the overlap (for example Cmd-F12 does dashboard on my PowerBook while F12 does Exposé 'all windows').

Like any computer, you can't mix the F keys and shortcut keys (just like you can't have some letters capital without the shift key and others lower case).
 
Since you're on a laptop, why not set up hot corners? Basically, you drag the mouse to different corners to activate Expose in different ways. You can set up these in the Expose system prefs.

Personally, I've found the hot corners way easier and way faster than pushing a button everytime...give it a try, you might like it!
 
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