System hotkeys trapped by Total Commander

[fabiochelly]

Hi, I'm using Powertoys Run to execute applications. But the system wide shortcut (Alt+Space) never works when Total Commander is the foreground window. It is the same for all the shortcuts remapped by the Powertoys tools.

Is there a way to prevent this behaviour?

Thanks,
Fabio

[ghisler(Author)]

Total Commander does not catch Alt+Space, it's a system hotkey to show the system menu of any program.

[nsp]

Bonjour Fabio..
TC is capturing ^[space], [space], +[space] by default
If you defined a hotkey TC can also capture Alt[space] you can verify in the Configuration-Miscs if something was defined.
If powertoy "Run" is not launched inside TC only and no hotkey is defined, you could create a user command that launch the powerToy runner and asign it to Alt+tab...
em_PTRun:

Code: Select all

 command:"C:\Program Files\PowerToys\modules\launcher\PowerLauncher.exe"
 parameter:

[fabiochelly]

But when Powertoys Run is enabled, this shortcut works everywhere except when TC has the focus.
I tried to replace it with another shortcut (Win+Space) and I have the same problem. It works everywhere (I tried it with every app I have - Chrome, IntelliJ, Windows file Explorer for instance) and the shortcut is disabled only when TC is the foreground app.

I tried to move the TC app on the side to see if Powertoys Run was hidden behind the TC window but it is not: the shortcut is just "swallowed" by TC.

Something stranger: I remapped Win+C to the Powertoys color picker (instead of Cortana). From every app now, Win+C launches the color picker. When I execute it from TC, Cortana is started (as if every remapped shortcuts from Powertoys are disabled when I'm on TC).

[fabiochelly]

Thanks nsp (sorry, I wrote my message before I read yours).
Thanks, I have been able to create a shortcut Alt+Space to execute the app when I'm on TC. For reason I don't fully understand, I could do it with Alt+Space but not with Win+Space: Win+Space doesn't work afterwards.

Thanks a lot. I'll use Alt+Space mapped in Powertoys settings AND also in TC for now.

[HolgerK]

2fabiochelly,
Do you run TC as admininistrator?

Regards
Holger

[fabiochelly]

2HolgerK: Yes always.
Thanks a lot: that was the reason it didn't work. When I execute TC in normal mode, the shortcut works fine.

Damn I'm stupid. I thought that problem came from TC and it was just because the app was started in administrator mode.

[HolgerK]

Yes.
I guess that powertoys running with normal user rights is not allowed to intercept the keyboard queue of elevated programs.

[fabiochelly]

In fact I think it was a bad idea to always start TC in admin mode (I did it to be able to unzip files into Program Files folder for instance).

I created a button in TC buttons bar to restart TC in admin mode only when I need it. It's a safer solution and I don't have to struggle with shortcuts problem like this anymore.

[ghisler(Author)]

Total Commander can unzip to program files now, just click on "As Administrator".