Key+What’s+That+For

Key What’s That For

On your keyboard you will notice that there are several keys which you do not use, and you may ask yourself what are they for ?

Several of them are throwbacks to the old DOS and mainframe computer days,

For example :‐

Scroll Lock all it does is turns the Scroll Lock light on and off.

SysRq (under PrntScn) is another vestigial command, it stands for System Request but again it doesn't do anything.

Pause/Break, again it doesn’t do anything although if you press it after the Winkey you will see the Windows XP System Properties box.

Now ‘Alt Gr’ key to the right of the spacebar

This one actually does get some use, and it toggles between characters on US and some foreign keyboards

The Alternate characters are usually printed in Green on the keycaps, hence the ‘Gr’.

To the right of Alt Gr there exists another mystery key which displays a sheet of paper printed on the keycap together with a cursor arrow.

This also has a use and if you press it you will find it brings up the Right‐Click Content Menu of whatever application you are using, just like the right button on your mouse.