On your computer keyboard, what is the SysRq key for?

Question

I once read that it was for a certain purpose, and then Microsoft changed their mind, so now it's a useless key? What's the story?

Answer 1

a special key to directly invoke low-level operating system functions with no possibility of conflicting with any existing software.
It was brought by IBM,
you can take a look at the story on wikipedia

Answer 2

It is the System Request key.
Back in the IBM PC/AT days some software ran in a special way designed not to interfere with the rest of the computer. It's pretty much obsolete, now, although some debuggers for programming languages still use it.
It was thought that it would be needed for multi-tasking, but was mainly used then, like the CTRL-ALT-DELETE combination in windows is used now.

Originally it was a separate key, but as it became obsolete and the keyboards change, they combined it with the Print Screen Key

Answer 3

While it is on the same key as the print screen, it was originally intended for a special feature in networking O/S. It really doesn't do anything in Windows now though. You can use it in Linux to stop interactive processes, similar to a CTRL-C command.

Search the web for sysreq and you'll find a bunch of info.

Answer 4

If you press Alt+SysReq you will copy the current desktop view. You can then paste it if you want. I pressed SysReq without alt and it did nothing. Probably for a installing programs so you know the sys Requirements

Answer 5

It is near the backspace button, two keys above delete

Answer 6

Explained below.

That is my help from Washington, D.C.

Answer 7

it was used to print your screen. what ever you see on the screen at the time.

Answer 8

dude I definitely don't have that key.