Disabling the Windows Start Menu Key

Summary: The Start Menu key is the one on your keyboard that has the Windows logo on it. You cannot disable the key from within a macro, but this tip provides a resource where you can find out how to do it by editing the Registry. (This tip works with Microsoft Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.)

Lee Diamond asked if there is a way to disable the Windows Start Menu key. (This is the key on extended keyboards that has the Windows logo on it.) Unfortunately, there is no way to do this within Excel. In fact, the only solution we could find is one that involves editing the Registry, at this Web page:

http://www.vitalnews.com/cgi-bin/site.pl?t1001

This link goes through the Vital News redirector, but it is actually located on Microsoft's MSDN site. (The link was very long--thus the need for the redirector.)

While it is theoretically possible to write an Excel macro that executes a VB script that will modify the Registry, doing so in this instance is probably not a good idea--particularly if the user may want to use the Start Menu key at other times. (The Registry change disables they key universally, not just while your workbook is open.)

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3071) applies to Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Disabling the Windows Start Menu Key