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Microsoft Says, Don't Press the F1 Key In XP

Posted by kdawson on from the any-key-but-that-one dept.

Ian Lamont writes "Microsoft has issued a security advisory warning users not to press the F1 key in Windows XP, owing to an unpatched bug in VBScript discovered by Polish researcher Maurycy Prodeus. The security advisory says that the vulnerability relates to the way VBScript interacts with Windows Help files when using Internet Explorer, and could be triggered by a user pressing the F1 key after visiting a malicious Web site using a specially crafted dialog box."

4 of 324 comments (clear)

  1. Windows Help F1 by edsousa · · Score: 5, Informative

    This won't affect anybody: those users that aren't very computer literate don't even know that help exists and is one key away... the other ones already know that windows help won't lead you anywhere!

  2. Re:Well, at least the important keys still work. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.randyrants.com/sharpkeys/

    This will remap any(?) keys in windows at a registry level.. including media keys and the f > 12 keys.

  3. Re:Well, at least the important keys still work. by shermo · · Score: 5, Informative

    autohotkey.com

    Open source programme that allows you do do anything with your keys. Careful though, once you start you won't stop.

    --
    Insanity: voting in the same two parties over and over again and expecting different results
  4. Re:Well, at least the important keys still work. by dissy · · Score: 4, Informative

    More importantly, is there a way to disable F1 in Windows? I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally hit it when trying to hit Esc.

    Regedit: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\HELPCTR.EXE

    For the default key at the top usually named (Default)
    Either delete the path to helpctr.exe so the value is blank (Value not set), or download the dummy.exe from the actual directions below and point it to that.

    http://www.hydrous.net/weblog/2007/06/23/disable-f1-in-windows-exporer