X240 End/Insert Fn key woes

[benmonsense]

I am really missing the x220 keyboard.  As a non-mouse based user I find it both quicker and easier to use keyboard shortcuts... the Thinkpad keyboard/Trackpoint used to be one of its strongest selling points.  

While I can accept the chiclet island keys, why are they removing all the keys?!  It is now extremely difficult to undertake basic tasks in Excel/Word without using a mouse.

The resetting of the Delete; Home/End; PgUp/Down keys is extremely annoying along with the loss of the dedicated web browser page back forward keys but the End/Insert key issue is next level irritating and combined with the Touchpad issue makes using the x240 a poor experience.

Working in Excel is requires the Fkeys which leaves you with Insert instead of End... a very poor decision that makes life difficult and regularly means I have to try several times to highlight text, move to the beginning or end of lines.

Thinkpad's are branded as business machines... with form following function... and the functionality for people that could use a keyboard used to be great but is now extremely poor - you have to use the mouse (preferably an external one).  Which reminds me... why remove the mouse right click menu key forcing you to use the mouse?

Where do Lenovo test their keyboard designs?  And how can you provide feedback (other than moaning on a forum)?

[vincitus]

I love the x240, and I am quite sure Lenovo could fix it's only flaw, the End/Insert key issue, with a simple BIOS (or whatever this piece of firmware is calld now, maybe UEFI?) update. It should be possible to introduce an option called "Flip End/Insert key behaviour" quite like the existing "switch Fn/Ctrl key" option. Let the non-programmer business-users or whoever likes the keyboard as it is have it, and let us productive people have the old, useful behaviour. It would cost you a few lines of code and a small amount of programmer-time and bring at least a few hundered more sold machines, not to talk about the added reputation as professional-user-oriented company. If you do not listen, we must assume you have a contract with apple that requires you to introduce design-flaws to scare off buyers :-/

Just my 2 cents

[madduck]

End/Insert is not the only issue. PgUp/PgDn are misplaced and often hit in error, PrtSc (which on Linux is SysRq with the Alt key right next to it) is in a bad place, and the touchpad/mouse buttons are a disaster. I hope Lenovo will see the light and return the X-series into professional domain.

The Esc key could be made smaller and all the function keys moved left to make room for a fourth key for Insert (make Delete a bit smaller too). Move PrtSc to a fn-key! And find some way to improve the arrow keys and PgUp/Dn (which should be above/below each other!)

[shinobul]

In case someone else is looking to disable the INSERT key without using any software, you can do it from the registry. I noticed that someone else mentioned this in the topic, but the link is not working anymore.

Below are the changes you need to make that worked on my X240. Note that the changes won't take effect until you reboot. 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,4f,e0,52,e0,00,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,4f,e0,52,e0,00,00,00,00

Cheers.

[radolang]

This worked for me - without any registry tweaks or additional software:

In Windows 8.1 try typing "Keyboard" on the Start screen to open Keyboard properties, and there use "ThinkPad F1-F12 keys" tab, to select "Legacy" option. It seems to be an option selected after using Fn Lock (Fn+Esc) as well. After playng with those settings the Home and End key keep their Home and End functions, without being affected by FnLk setting.

This started working properly after running full Lenovo System Update (Apr 10, 2015) to get latest system drivers (including all optional items).

In my opinion the X240 keyboard is one of the best keyboards for programmers as of early 2015.

See screenshot:

[cloudgao]

The lastest  firmware has fixed End/Insert, now it always act as "End", cheers!

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-x-series-laptops/thinkpad-x24...

CHANGES IN THIS RELEASE
  Version 2.30-1.14

[Important updates]
- Mitigate risk of security vulnerability related to DRAM Row Hammering.

[New functions or enhancements]
- Updated the Diagnostics module to version 2.06.00.

[Problem fixes]
- Fixed an issue where the End/Insert key did not work correctly in Fn Key Lock
  state.

[john_beasley]

Aside from whether or not Lenovo should have designed it this way, or indeed whether they should have offered a solution, the following will allow the "End" key to work as most people would expect even when the F1-F12 functions keys are enabled...

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,52,e0,4f,e0,4f,e0,52,e0,00,00,00,00

Copy the above into a notepad file, save with a .reg file extension. Then double click the file from windows explorer and the change will be made.

Anyway, it's an approach that works for me, involves minimal effort and fixes what is otherwise a real irritation.

[rafaelnonato]

If you update your bios to the latest version, the problem you report regarding the end/insert key goes away. Namely, end/insert stops being sensitive to fnlock, only really giving you ins if you press Fn alongside it no matter what. Moreover, this update gives you an option on the bios to make the Fnumber keys the default, which then basically equates to having Fnlock by default without the led on the Fn key being on (it will only be on when you do the fnlock thing, which then gives you the multimedia funcions).