windows 7 - How to map right Alt to Context-Menu key

06
2014-04
  • Robino

    I'm running Windows 8.1 through Parallels Desktop 8 on a MacBook Pro with Mavericks. Windows keyboards have a key that simulates a mouse right click at the place where the caret for typing is. Since this is a windows phenomenon, my MBP keyboard has no such key. I'd like to map the right hand Alt for this purpose. (Who needs two Alts anyway?)

    How can this be done?

    • Answers
  • Ishan

    You can use Autohotkey.

    Download and install Autohotkey.

    When you Launch Autohotkey, it will asks you the following.

    To help you get started, would you like to create a sample script in the My Documents folder? Press YES to create and display the sample script.

    This will create a AutoHotkey.ahk file in your Documents Folder. Open AutoHotkey.ahk with notepad and add the following to the end of the file.

    RAlt::Appskey

    Now run the script by opening the AutoHotkey.ahk file with the Autohotkey application you installed before.

    Now when you press the right Alt key you will see the ContextMenu.


    • Related Question

    mac - Can I map the Windows context menu key to Option on OSX?
  • Chris R

    104-key Windows keyboards have this key with a sort of context-menu icon on it, which on Windows simulates a right-mouse-button-press. I'd like to make it act as a right-hand-site 'Option' key instead. Is there a tool somewhere that would allow me to do this?


    • Related Answers
  • Doug Harris

    Look for a mac driver for your keyboard. I use a Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse. Microsoft provides an additional panel for the System Preferences app which lets me assign functions to the many, many extra keys on my keyboard.

    For this specific option for a Microsoft keyboard and using the Microsoft preferences panel, click on the "Options" sub-pane and check the "Reassign Application key" checkbox. This turns the context menu button into an additional option button.

  • 8088

    Check out DoubleCommand. It allows you to remap the modifier keys quite extensively.

  • Nippysaurus

    I think this blog post over at macosxhints is as close as you will get :) Keyboard mapping seems to be pretty complicated in OS X.