Disable volume regulation on keyboard keys

[Kosashi]

Hello,
Just upgraded from 1.0.5 to 1.1.2.

I've noticed that when I watch a movie and adjust the volume with the volume control keys on my keyboard (Microsoft wired 500), the VLC volume responds. This is undesired because the volume keys are already used to regulate my system volume - I don't want them to change both volumes at once. The same goes to the Mute button.
How can I disable the effect of those keys on VLC? I haven't seen that in keyboard shortcuts.

[arnorjonsson]

I have the same problem on my dell vostro 1400, windows 7 laptop. It´s very annoying. Would be very thankful for a solution

[VLC_help]

There is a trac ticket for this (so no fix available ATM).

[bgross]

I believe I found the problem here. VLC Media Player is set to automatically read keyboard keys such as volume up and down, without the user being able to disable these.

If you wanted to disable these yourself, then these steps should provide a quick fix. It looks like you can download the source, open the file located at "src/config/keys.c" and find the "Volume Up", down and etc. entries, then replace KEY_VOLUME_UP (or KEY_VOLUME_DOWN, or KEY_VOLUME_MUTE) with KEY_UNSET.

But then you have to go through and compile the program.

I'm not familiar with the source code, but I'm going to try to modify some code to let the user enable/disable these key bindings/actions.

[VLC_help]

Changing those descriptors isn't a way to fix this.

[bgross]

Changing those descriptors isn't a way to fix this.

I know, I was just trying to give the people bothered by it a quick fix they can apply to their own copy until a real fix is offered, if they can compile the code.

I wasn't able to compile the code, but I am also on a windows machine. This means I won't be able to write an actual fix for the problem, as I can't compile the code to see if I'm writing a fix or a bug. I might try coding on a linux machine, so I can compile the code, but I do not know anything about the graphics API used by VLC. So instead I'll post my idea.

I was going to try to put a settings option somewhere in the settings dialog that allows you to set a flag, which is checked when the program processes either key presses or the actions bound to key presses, and if the key that was pressed matches a volume key (UP DOWN or MUTE), the key press is discarded. This could probably be made more customizable by allowing the user to specify which keys they want VLC to ignore.

I do not know the possibility of implementing that idea, but it's the idea I came up with.

[Lupa]

Hello,
I have written a small quick&dirty fix with AutoHotKey for this problem, and I have used it without problems for some time now, the volume and mute controls behave like in previous VLC versions.
When a VLC window is active, this script "catches" the keystrokes of the volume and mute keys and instead of sending them to VLC, the script itself changes Windows' master volume (in Windows Vista or 7 you have to set the "compatibility mode" in the right-click properties window of the exe file to "XP" or it will only change the script's volume).
I can also post the source code if someone wants it.

I have only tested this with Windows 7 32 bit but it should work on other Windows versions, too.
When using Windows Vista or 7 you have to set the "compatibility mode" in the right-click properties window of the exe file to "XP" or it will not work.

You can download it here.

I hope there will be a proper fix soon because this isn't a very elegant solution.

[rogerdpack]

Appears here is a ticket (with patch)

http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/3828

Is the patch in that ticket acceptable or is more needed, does anyone know? I too would like this fixed...(the ideal for me would be that it be disabled by default [not capture that key, as typically applications don't in windows], but that's another story...)

-r

[parki3n]

This patch has been applied in VLC 1.1.7 and it's finally behaving properly for me on my Dell Latitude E6400 when I use the keyboard volume keys. The option to "Ignore keyboard volume buttons" is available here once you install it:

1. Tools Menu --> Preferences
2. Click "All" under Show Settings in the lower left-hand corner
3. Interface --> Main interfaces --> Qt
4. Check the box for "Ignore keyboard volume buttons."

Now my keyboard volume buttons control the system volume and only the system volume, just like every other Windows application.

[Threk]

Thank you thank you thank you parki3n for posting the location in the preferences where we can correct the behavior of our volume keys.

Since VLC started interfering with system volume keys, I would look at the audio and hotkeys preference sections each time a new version came out.

I wouldn't even know the patch had been applied without your post.

[chopstickkk]

Also major thanks parki3n. My displeasure has been documented here - viewtopic.php?f=14&t=79258&start=40

[prophetjohn]

hey, this is my first post, so i apologize if this should go in a new topic

this fix worked for me for one day only. now it's worse. if VLC is even open, it captures the volumes keys on my keyboard even if it's not in focus. this is terrible. one workaround is that if you hold alt while pressing the volume buttons, it goes to the system instead of VLC. this is on windows 7 ultimate x64

[rogerdpack]

Have you tried toggling the setting and/or clearing cache?

[prophetjohn]

i did try toggling the setting. i didn't know there was a cache to clear. tried that and it worked. thanks