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Back in February I introduced CapsLock Warning, a program written by our very own Rob. Since February Rob has made improvements to CapsLock Warning, based off feedback he has received and new ideas he has conjured on his own. This new version of CapsLock Warning – which I am calling v2 – includes three main new features:
- Audio Warnings – CapsLock Warning now has the ability to play a sound along with the popup warning it already provides.
- Choice of Popup Color – You are now allowed to change the color of the popup warning.
- Watch NumLock Instead – CapsLock Warning now allows you to set it to watch NumLock instead of CapsLock. Take note that CapsLock Warning can only do either or – it can’t watch both at the same time. However, if you would like CapsLock Warning to watch both NumLock and CapsLock, download CapsLock Warning two times and place each copy in a separate folder. Configure one copy to watch NumLock and the other to watch CapsLock. Both copies will run together at the same time, one watching NumLock while the other watches CapsLock.
As per Rob’s request, CapsLock Warning is still only available to dotTechies. In other words, you must be a registered member on dotTech in order to download CapsLock Warning. If you are already a registered member, please login and come back to this post; if you are not a registered member, register, login, then come back here.
NOTE: Rob took his own time to create this very handy program for us. Please respect his wishes. Please do not host CapsLock Warning on any other website/server, and please do not directly link to the file on dotTech. If you want your friends and family to know about and get CapsLock Warning, simply provide them a permalink to CapsLock Warning homepage.
To get CapsLock Warning, simply download it from the following link:
Version reviewed: v2.00
Supported OS: All Windows
Download size: 23 KB
Thanks Rob!
P.S. Please provide feedback to Rob in the comments below. For example, if there are any bugs with CapsLock Warning, please say so or if there are any features you want added in CapsLock Warning please say so.
Login gadget doesn’t seem to be active Ashraf (the white word top right).
Thanks for the great program. :)
Things I noticed
1. No sound/beep.
2. IMSTEAD, did you mean INSTEAD??
3. I selected flash 5 times after depressed (for both num and caps), and they both flash constantly.
I followed the dl according to instructions and put in separate folders and they both reside in the tray, as well as show the display on the screen and they do work together. Nice :)
Ebony
Thank you Rob. Version 1 is great and has saved me hassles many times over. I look forward to using V2 and the new features.
Thank you!!! :-)
COLOURS!!! LoL
~Joji~
Take a look at this: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/disable-caps-lock-key-in-windows-vista/
It works in all versions of Windows as mentioned in the last sentence of the article.
@Graham: What do you mean it doesn’t work? It works fine for me. What browser are you in? (You can access the login page manually via http://dottech.org/wp-login.php.)
@ebony: The sound works fine for me and the only-show-5-times option works fine for me also. And I have informed Rob about the misspelling – he has already fixed it, we will be releasing v2.1 soon.
@J. L.:Yeah, there are plenty of tricks for disabling Caps Lock. However, I think the idea for CapsLock Warning is not to disable Caps Lock (some people still use it) but to provide warning when it is turned on.
Jippieh. Last time registration didn´t work for me. Now it did. I´ll have a look at this as soon as i´ve transferred the file to my windows pc.
@Ashraf
The icon in the tray constantly flashes after I depress either num or caps lock.
The screen notification is fine. It is the tray icon that I was referring to.
I have been worked with it most of the morning and I did not get a beep/sound but that is not issue since I have the visual notification.
I was just providing feedback. Not criticism.
@ebony: No, no don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t “scolding”. I was simply commenting that I didn’t face the same problems. All feedback is highly welcome. That said, OK I see what you mean about the system tray icon flashing constantly. Maybe Rob will add an option to stop that from happening.
@Ashraf:
That will be great, the flashing is a bit of a distraction, I keep thinking I am getting a warning about something going on with the machine. I look forward to the fix. Thanks for responding.
@ebony:
I had been working on some changes, as suggested by Ashraf.
Just noticed the posts on this page.
I have just sent an update to Ashraf.
There is now an Option on the bottom Left, of the Options screen, which can prevent the Sys Tray Icon from flashing.
Regards,
Rob
CapsLock Warning v2.5 was just released. Here is official changelog:
just use audio warning)
popup warning
CapsLock
Visit http://dottech.org/capslock-warning for more information and download link!
Wonderful little program.
I have two different Logitech SetPoint drivers installed for two different devices, but I don’t let them startup.
But I’m one of those that uses that Caps lock a lot for different things and always forget to turn it off. So, CapsLock will be useful for me.
I’d only like to see one addition; a CTRL key alert. I hate this keyboard: I have since I’ve gotten it. I’m always having to search around for things, hitting the wrong key; it just doesn’t fit my hand well and doesn’t feel natural, like the last Logitech I had. But the worst thing is that there has been keys on it that stick or are hard to press down and it has been that way since I got it, and I’ve had the CTRL key stick on me several times. You don’t even know it until you go to type something and it acts like the keyboard is disconnnected. After you try typing enough it gives you a warning to let you know what the problem is, but by that time I’m already freakin out and ready to throw the danged thing against the wall; maybe that would unstick the CTRL key.
Great little program; Thank you.
@JonE:
I reckon building it in to the Capslock program might be an inconvenience for most of the users (the ones without sticky keys, who don’t want the Options screen confusing them).
I may be able to knock up a special version for you, that only monitors the Ctrl keys.
You would place it into it’s own folder, and you would tell Windows to autostart it.
I am leaning towards the following Rules -
- No visible interface
- No Icon in the SysTray
- It just runs all the time, and there is no option to shut it off (Closes when Windows shuts down)
- It senses when Ctrl is pressed, and starts timing how long it has been down.
After it has been down for 5 seconds, it starts warning you.
And it keeps warning you, until the Ctrl key is unstuck.
- The warnings could be similar to the CapsLock Warning.
Except the Visible Text PopUp would be bottom Leftish (above the start button)
You can tell me what color you would like, and what the Audio settings should be.
(You could experiment with your existing program, to get unique audio sound)
Also indicate whether you wish BOTH visual and sound warning ?
What are your thoughts on those Rules ?
How about the 5 seconds tolerance ?
So we don’t clutter up Ashraf’s web page, with our discussions, you could email me direct at BobbyScotland AT gmail DOT com
@RobCr:
I made note of your comment not to clutter this web, but I must commend you on your attitude regarding JonE’s request. That is awesome of you to be so helpful so that he can know when his crtl keys are sticking. With that attitude, I look forward to the great things that I know you will do in the future. I predict you will go far. :)
@ebony:
Thanks for your comment.
Does the latest version, fix your need(s) ?
@Ashraf:
I haven’t heard back from JonE
I wonder whether he forgot to tick that wee box, that ‘subscribes’ us to receive Notifications ?
A nice benefit for members, would be the ability to send emails to each other.
If you had that, I could contact JonE, to ensure that he was aware of my questions to him.
@RobCr:
Yes it does to an extent. I still do not have any audio/beeping, but I can live with that. It maybe something on my end. I am not very good at trouble shooting. The beeping is not a deal breaker for me. I like the program.
Thank you again. :)
@ebony:
Which OS do you have ?
My program plays sounds through the PC’s internal speaker, not through a sound card (and not through external speakers).
There is a program called Beep.exe that does the same (Plays sound via the internal speaker). Here is a link -
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/Beep-Exe.shtml
I have downloaded it, and scanned it.
It opens a brief DOS window (you do not have to touch that window), and gives about 5 very quick tiny chirps.
Let me know if that works on your PC
@RobCr:
You may have just hit on something.
Vista 64 OS and I do have external speaks with a sub-woofer.
That said, I am thinking that my internal speakers have been disabled.
Does the sound ONLY work through internal, if so, that may be my problem right there and if that is the case, now we know the problem is on my end. Again sound is not a deal breaker.
Your efforts are very much appreciated. You go above and beyond.
@ebony:
I have something you might like ?
I have enhanced the program to play a wav file.
There is no visible change to the program, and no need to set anything different in the Options screen.
If you have Ticked the Play Sound to ON, and you have set the
Warning How Many Times to 5 times or to All Times
then the program will play a wav file, provided you have one in the same folder as CapsLockWarning.exe
Thus if there is a wav file, it plays it (through your external speakers).
If it cannot find a wav file, then it plays Beeps through the Internal Speaker.
If you email me direct at BobbyScotland AT gmail DOT com
I can then send a copy to you.
I will also send two wav files for you to place in the folder, to see if you like the sound. Just place one or the other into the folder to hear them, and choose which you prefer.
If you like the new feature, and Ashraf thinks it is a good enhancement, I will forward a copy to Ashraf, for official release. (If others are interested in making it official, yell out.)
PS You don’t have to use my (from Windows XP Media folder) wav files, you can use any file you wish.
It should only be of a short duration, as my program is calling it every few seconds.
Does anyone use the INSERT key ?
If you all say NO, then I may use it in any future enhancement to CapsLock.
If I added a clip storing and pasting ability to CapsLock (or to a standalone program), I would be tempted to ‘take over’ the Insert key.
Pressing the key would popup a list of clips (or whatever), and block that horrible ‘eating characters’ mode).
That would mean the The Insert key would never haunt you again.
Presently if you accidentally press it, it starts eating characters, whilst you are typing.
If my program ‘takes it over’, that will never happen to you again.
I have a program (called ClipList) that runs all the time, and remains hidden.
To show it, I either move mouse to center top of the screen, OR press the Insert key.
Either action shows me a large Form (which fills a 4:3 1024*768 screen).
That form has -
Lists of clips on left and right sides of screen (and there are Tabs to see multiple Lists)
A central area, which can launch Programs, or Files, or Web addresses.
(You can set hot keys, to launch any of those.)
It is also possible to open text files from a List of Text File names.
There is a button to grab the contents of the Windows clipboard (goes in to one of those CLip Lists, I mentioned).
There is also a companion program (called Launch), which provides large lists of Programs or Files or Web addresses, which can be launched using the mouse, or by typing the first character (or two) of the file name, and then you can just press enter, to launch it (no need for mouse).
It has become indispensable to me.
If I am on a web page, I click into say a textbox (on the web page), and I can just mouse the top of the screen, and then click the desired entry on one of my lists. My ClipList goes away, and pastes into the textbox on the web form.
Alternatively, to view the ClipList program using the keyboard, I can just press the Insert key.
If I wanted to show the Launch program, I just press the Insert key one more time.
The Escape key, closes either Form.
All of that took me 5 months to get working properly, so I was not offering to give that away. I describe it for two reasons -
1) To illustrate how the INSERT key can be turned into something good, instead of a PIA.
2) To illuminate what is possible, in case you would like a subset of those capabilities built into CapsLock, or into a separate (free) program.
I keep getting this message: File does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Set Associations control panel.
I know where this is but I do not know what to open it with. When I get to Choose the program that windows opens by default, I do not know what item to choose out of: Set your default programs, Associate a file type or protocol with a program, change auto play settings (I know it is not this one), or set program access and computer defaults.
I have Vista 64 bit
Anna Ruth Love your programs.
@foxygrandma:
I have not used Vista (nor Win 7).
Did you create a folder such as -
C:\capswarn\
And place the unzipped exe into there.
Then right click the exe, and choose –
Create Shortcut
That should have place a shortcut into the same folder as the exe.
Now right click the shortcut, and choose -
Copy
Then right click your Start Button, and choose -
Explore All Users
Then expand the Programs sub folder, and right click the -
Startup folder, and choose -
Paste
The next time you start Windows, the program should start without any intervention, from you.
The above is based on XP, so hopefully any Vista users, will chip in and correct what I have said.
Hope this gets it running,
Rob
@ebony:
There is another user interested in using a WAV file.
Did the version I sent you work ok ?
@RobCr:
I did not get anything from you. I have been checking feverishly. I thought you were busy and I was waiting patiently.