[sys req] -- shift Esc -- does not work -- iSeries Access for Windows

Frank

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Apr 6, 2011, 4:07:09 PM4/6/11

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Computer is XP Pro SP3
IBM iSeries Access for Windows Ver 5.4 Service Level S137892

Shift-Esc ( [sys req] ) in the workstation screen only works a few
times then stops. I've tried remapping another key to rule out a
keyboard problem, and it does nothing no matter what key I map. I've
tried other keyboards with no success. Users are limited users, but
they have full access to C:\Program files\IBM.

I've renamed the keyboard file and recreated another, and it worked a
few times then stopped working. I've logged on as three different
users with the same results.

I support 300 computers, many exactly like this one, and I do not have
this problem on any others.

Any advice would sure be appreciated.

JTF

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Apr 6, 2011, 4:43:02 PM4/6/11

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It could be that the user has a customized shortcut key set on SHFT-ESC.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310417
"A keyboard shortcut does not work if it conflicts with a keyboard combination that is used in the program that is currently active."

Keyword "CURRENTLY ACTIVE"
The article talks about setting a shortcut for launching a program, but the quoted statement above is also true for a running program with internal keybd shortcuts.

Close all other programs and see if the keybd shortcut works...Then figure out which program has a custom shortcut and remove that shortcut from the OTHER program or programs

This is the only thing I can think of which would cause this behavior.

Frank

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Apr 6, 2011, 5:10:55 PM4/6/11

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Since above post, I have removed IBM iSeries Access for Windows and
erased the C:\Program Files\IBM folder and reinstalled.

I can log on and Shift-Esc will work from 2 to 5 times then stop. I
can log off and back on, and it'll work again a few times then stop.

Frank

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Apr 8, 2011, 9:09:37 AM4/8/11

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I appreciate your response. I have tried remapping the tilde (~) to
[sys req] just as an experiment, and it doesn't work for that either.
I would think that would rule out keyboard problems, but I'm not
really sure of anything at this point.

CRPence

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Apr 8, 2011, 9:56:45 AM4/8/11

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On 4/6/11 4:10 PM, Frank wrote:
> I can log on and Shift-Esc will work from 2 to 5 times then stop. I
> can log off and back on, and it'll work again a few times then stop.

Just signing off and then signing on again at the same device
emulation session [at the active emulation session which was not
stopped\restarted] of the PC5250 emulator enables the SysRqs feature to
start functioning again? With regard to how the feature "stops", does
the emulation show the System Request command line, but nothing happens
when Enter is pressed? Or instead, does the SysReq line does not even
get displayed?

If the SysRqs simply fails to perform the requested action when
requested [e.g. by Enter with no option to present SysRqsMenu, by
option-1 to effect the TFRSECJOB, or by option-2 to effect EndRqs], but
the SysRqs line does appear, that symptom would seem to suggest an issue
in the OS software; i.e. the job is "masked" from receiving and
processing the System Request "event".

Regards, Chuck

John Yeung

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Apr 13, 2011, 10:23:15 PM4/13/11

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On Apr 8, 9:56 am, CRPence <CRPe...@vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
> If the SysRqs simply fails to perform the requested action when
> requested [e.g. by Enter with no option to present SysRqsMenu, by
> option-1 to effect the TFRSECJOB, or by option-2 to effect EndRqs], but
> the SysRqs line does appear, that symptom would seem to suggest an issue
> in the OS software; i.e. the job is "masked" from receiving and
> processing the System Request "event".

It sounds OS-related to me too. I wonder if it has anything to do
with the Windows accessibility features. Try opening Control Panel-
>Accessibility Options->Keyboard. Maybe one of those is interfering
with iSeries Access. Or perhaps some other memory-resident software
on the PC.

John

xyzzy

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Apr 14, 2011, 8:14:56 AM4/14/11

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> It sounds OS-related to me too. I wonder if it has anything to do
> with the Windows accessibility features. Try opening Control Panel->Accessibility Options->Keyboard. Maybe one of those is interfering

I'm thinking along the same lines as John, something Windows related.
Could you log on to that PC under a different user account and see if
iSeries Access still exhibits the same issues? I've remember having a
problem similar to this (not iSeries Access though) and it had
something to do with the users settings on a particular PC. Other
users on the same PC were fine. Couldn't find the issue in the end so
simply performed a software rebuild from Windows up, which resolved it.

Frank

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Apr 14, 2011, 9:19:49 AM4/14/11

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In response to Chuck, I meant I could log off the computer and back
on, it'd start working again. Just closing the session has no
effect. And "does not work", I mean it does absolutely nothing that I
can tell.

John, I have not checked accessibility features, but every user I've
tried have the same results. Shift-Esc works two to four times then
stops until the user logs off the computer and back on.

I appreciate the responses. I've been embroiled in another problem
this week and have had to put this one one hold, but I need to get
back on it.