KB189579 - F11 and F12 Keys Do Not Function in MS-DOS Applications Under NTVDM

Article ID: 189579

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition

This article was previously published under Q189579

SYMPTOMS

The F11 and F12 function keys do not work or generate extended characters in MS-DOS applications running under Windows NT.

CAUSE

A program compiled or built using the 32-bit compiler is able to read all the function keys and to return the right values of the scan codes. When compiled or built using the 16-bit compiler, the same program returns the right values for the function keys F1 through F10, but does not return anything for F11 and F12.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

MORE INFORMATION

To read extended characters from an application, two consecutive calls to GETCH() are required:

The first call returns a value indicating that the key is an extended character.
The second call returns the actual key code (scan code).

Keywords: kbbug kbfix kbqfe KB189579