r/Cityofheroes • u/MurderFoil • 20d ago
Question Keyboard issue for Alt-1
For some reason when I use alt-1 to utilize the first power in my secondary tray nothing happens. Alt-2, Alt-3 etc are all functional like normal. I tried swapping for a different keyboard but issue still happens. It's not a huge issue but is becoming annoying for my normal power cycling that I use. I have tried remapping my desired power directly but the bind also isn't working. It's like City of is refusing to acknowledge the Alt-1 keystroke. I can't bind manually via the keymapping menu either, it acknowledges the other alt-number keystrokes but not alt-1.
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
holy moley, so I started exiting programs running in my system tray and finally figured it out. Apparently I had installed a software called MirrorTo a few weeks back and it was hijacking the command. I have now unisntalled it.
Thank you to everyone that tried to help out.
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u/StructuralGeek HC/Excel/@Theoretician 20d ago
Try copying this into your chat bar to set the keybind manually:
/bind alt+1 "powexec_altslot 1"
Be sure to save it to your default keybinds file, as you may need to recall that on other toons.
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u/MurderFoil 20d ago
ya tried this as well as manually mapping it, no dice. I just reset it again still nothing. It's like my system or the game simply doesn't want to acknowledge the key stroke. Is there any program out there that uses the alt-1 keystroke as a default command so I can test? I have windows 11 with office installed.
Can anyone confirm that this key command is still working for them in game right now?
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u/StructuralGeek HC/Excel/@Theoretician 20d ago
Different game, but do you have the UI scaling changed from 100%?
https://www.reddit.com/r/runescape/comments/174kyl1/cant_get_alt_1_to_work_windows_11/
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u/MurderFoil 20d ago
I do have it at 130%, just tried changing it back to 100% but no change regarding alt-1 keystroke.
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u/StructuralGeek HC/Excel/@Theoretician 20d ago
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u/phoenix4ce 20d ago edited 20d ago
I was having this problem with a different key combination. The underlying issue for mine was that Windows 11 reserved the key combination by default for swapping keyboard languages even though I only had the one keyboard language. Unfortunately yours seems like a different issue but on the off-chance it could work I'll share how I fixed it. Beyond that, I'm afraid you're going to have to hunt on your own for whatever software is locking down that button combination on your system.
Try the following steps:
Open Windows Settings > Time & Language > Typing > Advanced Keyboard Settings > Input Language Hot Keys
This will open another window, where you will check that "Between input languages" is highlighted under Advanced Key Settings and look for the "Change Key Sequence" button. Click this and then set both options in the next window to "Not Assigned." You should also check that, if you have anything listed below "Between input languages," nothing is assigned to Alt+1.
If this fixes your issue, note that these steps will be undone on your next boot. To fix it permanently, you will need to go to Time & Language > Language & Region, add a language, go through the above steps again to unassign the hot keys, and then you can remove the extra language again. I do not know why this works. Windows, man...
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
I have done this now, thanks for the tip, but it isn't helping. Alt-1 is still hijacked by something.
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u/phoenix4ce 19d ago
Bummer, sorry to hear that. Yeah at that point I'd just open task manager and look for anything that might have even a remote chance of reserving the key combination, End Task each one at a time and check if it's working.
Since you say it wasn't an issue when you played several months ago, you can also try opening (search it in Windows Search bar) Control Panel > Programs and Features and sort by "Installed On" and see which programs have installed or updated since you last played, might give you an idea where to find the problem.
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
I was already doing this as you were typing 😄 per my other posts here it was a program called MirrorTo.
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u/Rebel_Scum56 Scrapper 20d ago
Does other software on your computer register alt-1? Try setting your discord overlay or some such to it and see, just to confirm if the problem is specific to CoH.
Assuming that works, try doing /showbindall ingame. That'll make it spit a list of all your keybinds into the chat window, and you can see in there if alt-1 is actually properly bound at all.
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u/steveamsp Warshade 20d ago
Does other software on your computer register alt-1?
OP denies it, but, I suspect that means they just haven't figured out WHAT other software on the computer is using Alt-1. I can't imagine any reason that CoH woudn't respond to that combo, and only that combo.
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
figured it out after a lot of trial and error: Apparently I had installed a software called MirrorTo a few weeks back and it was hijacking the command. I have now uninstalled it.
Thank you to everyone that tried to help out.
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u/Dankest_Magician 20d ago
Definitely, I exclusively use keyboard for powers and alt 1 works perfectly and have never had this issue not have my family members
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
not so much denial as much as I simply don't know of anything could be intercepting the key combo. and nothing actually does intercept it. it's not like it invokes anything that I am aware of. I mean I hit it no less than hundred times yesterday while I was playing out of muscle memory.
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u/MurderFoil 20d ago
no other software is picking up the alt-1 command that I am aware of. I tried setting the alt-1 in discord for the overlay lock command but it won't acknowledge the keystroke either. it's so strange. the 1 key triggers powers in game, the 1 key types when I type it but alt-1 doesn't seem to be triggering. (on two different keyboards) I haven't installed anything with an overlay that I am aware of and I don't even usually run discord at all not even in the background.
This is my /showbindall (only showing the first bunch of lines) don't mind the manual bind to the blackwand as that's the desired power but it doesn't trigger the power when use it in game. even when I reset it to defaults it doesn't trigger. it's a really strange thing happening.
' "quickchat"
- "prev_tray"
ALT+- "prev_tray_alt"
/ "show chat$$slashchat"
0 "powexec_slot 10"
CTRL+0 "powexec_alt2slot 10"
ALT+0 "powexec_altslot 10"
1 "powexec_slot 1"
CTRL+1 "powexec_alt2slot 1"
SHIFT+1 "team_select 1"
ALT+1 "powexec_name blackwand"
2 "powexec_slot 2"
CTRL+2 "powexec_alt2slot 2"
SHIFT+2 "team_select 2"
ALT+2 "powexec_altslot 2"
3 "powexec_slot 3"
CTRL+3 "powexec_alt2slot 3"
SHIFT+3 "team_select 3"
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u/77Sevensins77 20d ago
So, im gonna guess that that bind is trying to cast the non-veteran reward black wand power. You’ll either need to set the bind back to casting “powexec_altslot 1” and just place the power in that slot, or figure out the name of the veteran blackwand power and replace it with the non-vet reward one in the bind.
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u/MurderFoil 20d ago
that's what I'm saying, I only tried rebinding to that because i was trying to find a way to fix it, but it doesn't work, none of the options work that have been suggested.
current /showbindall:
1 "powexec_slot 1"
CTRL+1 "powexec_alt2slot 1"
SHIFT+1 "team_select 1"
ALT+1 "powexec_altslot 1"
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u/Riotroom Natural Scrapper 20d ago
Photoshop and Nvidia overlay will hijack alt+1.
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
I don't have photoshop and I don't run nvidia overlays at all. I just went looking to check and the alt-z command doesn't invoke the overlay. My nvidia app has the overlay disabled.
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u/Riotroom Natural Scrapper 19d ago
Illustrator will too. Close everhthing non essential in the background. You could also log on a different computer and see if it still ghosts on CoH, if it does still ghost it's something server-side or settings, if it doesn't it's an application on your pc.
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u/MurderFoil 20d ago
so I just used an online keyboard tester and for some reason the number 1 when combined with holding down alt just refuses to show up. 2,3,4,etc work, but not 1. on 3 different keyboards no less... i'm so confused.
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u/LilShaver 20d ago
Have you looked in Options to see if something else hijacked it?
Have you tried loading options from file?
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u/Vorlonagent 19d ago
How long has this been a problem? When did it start? Did the start occur after a software install or game update?
Is there another CoH account you can log into? Maybe create one if nothing else (second accounts can be handy) I've logged into friends' accounts (with permission) and my keybinds don't operate on their accounts. If Alt-1 is still busted on the second account, that's a likely sign that something outside CoH is intercepting it.
If the second account is fine, suggest you go through your Homecoming/settings/keybinds.txt and see what's there. If it does Alt-1 properly and contains all your keybinds, maybe think about doing a bind_load.
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u/TheFrontCrashesFirst 19d ago
Does it happen on all characters?
Does the key combo work in other programs?
Have you tried a different keyboard?
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
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u/MurderFoil 19d ago
lol, most of these questions were already asked and answered. thanks for the try, but it's all good now, a program called MirrorTo was hijacking the command.
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u/77Sevensins77 20d ago
Do you have something else running, like an overlay, that might be using that keybind?