Keyboards - a possibly daft question ?

Question

OK, I've been working with computers since the late seventies, which as well as showing my age, still begs a question.
One of my current keyboards has things like "Favorites" on it,
fair enough, but after all this I still do not see the point of the "SysRq" or as it used to be, in the same place, the "SysChk" key.
In BIOS, DOS, various platforms, it seems not to do a damn thing.

Surely there is a reason for it.
What is it for I ask ?
If I need a system check, I just crank up a bit of software.
The button seems to be useless.
I must be missing something here ..........
Amusing resonses happily recieved.

Bob

Answer 1

"SysRq" is still there for backward compatibility. Of course, the "Print Screen" button is the "SHIFT" version of that button, and that IS good for every day use.

Let's say that you want a screen capture. Just display the screen that you want, then use CONTROL and PRINT SCREEN. Then go to your Paint Program or Microsoft Word, and use PASTE. (Some people buy or download a Free Screen capture program... Hey, it's built-in)

Answer 2

Well....

SysRq actually means Hello in the language of those native to the planet Sremmargorp. These natives are called Seihcet. When our good people of Earth are make keyboards the Seihcet come to Earth and sneak into the room. They hypnotise our keyboard makers and when they wake they have the overwhelming desire to put in this key although they don't know why.

Back on Sremmargorp the lonely Seihcet notch up the number of confused Earthlings trying to contact them!!

(That's what i've been told...but Sshhhhhh, it's a secret!)

Answer 3

Introduced by IBM with the PC/AT, it was intended to be available as a special key to directly invoke low-level operating system functions with no possibility of conflicting with any existing software. A special BIOS routine — software interrupt hexadecimal 15, subfunction hexadecimal 85 — was added to signal the OS when SysReq was pushed or released. Unlike most keys, when it is pressed nothing is stored in the keyboard buffer.

A special key was needed because most software of the day operated at a low-level, often bypassing the OS entirely, and typically made use of many hotkey combinations. The use of TSR programs further complicated matters. To implement a task switching or multitasking environment, it was thought that a special, separate key was needed. This is similar to the way "Ctrl + Alt + Del" is used under Windows NT.

On 84-key keyboards, SysReq was a key of its own. On the later 101-key keyboard, it shares a physical key with the Print Screen key function. One must hold down the Alt key while pressing this "dual-function" key to invoke SysReq.

The default BIOS keyboard routines simply ignore SysRq and return without taking action. So did the MS-DOS input routines. The keyboard routines in libraries supplied with many high-level languages followed suit. Although still included in most PC keyboards manufactured, the key is of no use for the vast majority of users.

Under DOS, malfunctioning foreground software could make the entire computer unresponsive. Third-party TSRs existed that used SysRq to provide a form of "panic button" to terminate the program and return the user to the DOS command prompt.

In Linux, the kernel can be configured (with CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ=y) to provide emergency functions for system debugging. It is mainly intended for use when the system is otherwise unresponsive, but at least some of the kernel still works. Alt+SysRq+letter can be used for synching disks, remounting filesystems readonly, dumping CPU state, rebooting, and other functions. (See Raising Skinny Elephants Is Utterly Boring.)

In Windows 95 or higher, it is possible to boot the system with a debug switch by modifying the boot.ini file located in the root of the master drive. When the debug switch is set, it then becomes possible to attach a kernel debugger by IEEE 1394 (Firewire), named pipe, or null modem. Under such a circumstance, the SysRq/PrintScreen button by default will break control of the system into the attached debugger. This behavior can be turned off by modifying the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters registry key.

Not really an amusing response, but it sure is informative!

Answer 4

There just there to fill up the otherwise empty space on a keyboard, now be like the rest of us and just ignore them, if we all ignore them for long enough they might just go away...or maybe they'll start breeding! No, we can't have that. Stop them! Arrrgggh!

Answer 5

Your keyboard came with a disc.
Go to system and find Microsoft Keyboard.
Open it and all will be revealed.
Change what you want

Answer 6

I don't know what most of the keys are for on my keyboard. I have tried them but like you say, they do nothing?
I think they are there to fill in the gaps!

Answer 7

I have all sorts of useless keys. Try print page for example, and all the F keys.

Answer 8

Music Lad took the words right out of my mouth, as he is correct, though as he says, it is a techie thing.