QuicKeys 5 (Classic) FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why can't QuicKeys 5 can't find my existing version 4.1 upon install?
A. If you have QuicKeys version 4.1 on your computer and the 5.0 update installer will not find the 4.1 version get this file. This installer is only for users that have the upgrade not the full version.

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Q. Does Microsoft Office Manager conflict with QuicKeys 5?
A. Some users are seeing a problem with QuicKeys and Microsoft Office Manager (MOM) 2001. Are you using Office 2001? If so, you can try to change the load order of the QuicKeys Control Panel and MOM and some have had success with that. We've had different users report that both forcing the QuicKeys Control Panel to load before MOM and that forcing it to load last have been effective. On MacFixIt one user reported success with moving the MOM extension to the main level of their System Folder and renaming it with a leading asterisk (*). You can also try disabling the QuicKeys Control Panel, restarting, enabling the QK Control Panel and restarting again.

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Q. How can I back up my QuicKeys (for MacOS) keysets safely:
A. To copy, save, and back up your shortcut sets, use Export in the QuicKeys File menu. Startly Technologies does not recommend copying the Keysets folder to back up your shortcuts/sequences. The link between the Keysets folder and Sequences folder may not be preserved, making your sequences unusable.

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Q. Some keys don't work as hotkeys, why is this?
A. Please read Apple's technical Q&A item on this issue.

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Q. Can I use AppleScript to activate my QuicKeys shortcuts?
A. QuicKeys shortcuts can be easily run from within AppleScripts. You can activate Shortcuts, Sequences, and even open and close Toolbars. Simply have the AppleScript tell the QuicKeys Backgrounder application to run a specific shortcut by its name.
In the example below, AppleScript tells the QuicKeys Backgrounder to PlayByName the shortcut named "Folders".
tell application "QuicKeys Backgrounder"
PlayByName "Folders"
end tell

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Q. Can I use Filemaker Pro to activate my QuicKeys shortcuts?
A. The following instructions take you through the creation of the FileMaker Pro side of things and assumes you have a working knowledge of QuicKeys.

1. First you'll need to create a script with FMPro's ScriptMaker™. To add the QuicKeys trigger, scroll down to the Miscellaneous Steps section and select "Send Apple Event".
2. Double-clicking on "Send Apple Event []" in the right-hand pane will open the dialog below. From the Popup menu, select "Send the "Other..." event with:", which will bring up the Specify Event dialog.
3. Enter QKy2 in the Event Class field, and QPNm in the Event ID field. This defines the Apple Event as class QuicKeys and Event ID of Play By Name. Hit OK button to continue.
4. Next you will need to specify the name of the QuicKey to activate. In this case I've got a QuicKey defined which I have named "Example QK". You will have to select the "Script Text" radio button to make this field active. After you get the name entered into the Script text field, click on the "Specify Application" button at the bottom of the dialog.
5. Clicking the Specify Application button puts you in a standard Open/Save type dialog. Follow the path shown in the dialog below (of course your hard drive might not be named "Boot") to locate the file called "QuicKeys Backgrounder", select this file, and hit the Open button.
6. When you have completed all of the steps above, you are left with a ScriptMaker™ step set up as shown in the image below. Basically it says we're sending an Apple Event to the application called "QuicKeys Backgrounder" of Class QKy2 and ID QPNm.
7. Just OK the script window and you're ready to test it. I tied my script to a button in FMPro, clicked the button and the following dialog appeared. This dialog is a "Message" shortcut, part of the "Sequence Tools" submenu off the Create menu in the QuicKeys Editor.

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Q. Can QuicKeys shortcuts be triggered remotely?
A. As an administrator or user of multiple machines, you may at times wish you could trigger events on remote machines. QuicKeys can help with this! What follows is an example of how to set this up on an OS9 machine running QuicKeys 5.
How it works: QuicKeys uses an invisible helper application called "QuicKeys Backgrounder" which is constantly running when QuicKeys is enabled. This helper app can respond to Apple Events from sources such as Apple Script, FileMaker Script, and QuicKeys itself. Apple Events can not only be sent to local applications, but can also be sent to applications running on remote machines, provided Program Linking is enabled on those machines. So, QuicKeys (or AppleScript, FileMaker Script, etc.) on the local machine can be set up to send a command to the QuicKeys Backgrounder on a remote machine, which will invoke a QK shortcut on that remote machine.

• Preparing the access rights on the Remote Machine:
  • On the remote machine, open the File Sharing control Panel (Start/Stop tab) and hit the Start button for Program Linking. File Sharing need not be turned on. You may want to Enable Program Linking clients to connect over TCP/IP, depending on how your network is set up.
  • Switch to the Users & Groups tab (in older operating systems, open the Users & Groups control panel) and ensure you have a user set up. Set up a New User if one is not already defined.
  • Make sure the user is given permission to connect and also to link programs.
  • Prepare QuicKeys shortcuts on the remote machine. Set up the desired shortcuts on the remote machine. Take note of the Exact name of each shortcut you wish to trigger from the local machine.
• Preparing the local machine:
  • Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Create->Scripting Tools->Apple Event menu item.
  • Select "Remote Application" from the "Send Event to:" popup menu.
  • A chooser-like dialog will appear. Choose the Zone, then the (remote) Macintosh, then the Program (QuicKeys Backgrounder). This directs the Apple Event towards the correct application on the correct remote machine.
  • Clicking OK will close the chooser-like dialog and bring you back to the Apple Event dialog. Click on the Select Event button to proceed with the setup.
  • From the "Suite:" popup, select "QuicKeys Suite". Click on the "PlayByName" Event to highlight it, then click the "Select Event" button to close the dialog.
  • The Apple Event dialog now looks like the figure below. Click the "Edit..." button to edit the Apple Event parameters. You may also want to set the Return Value popup to "Ignore".
  • Setting the Apple Event parameters consists of selecting the "Data:" radio button and entering the exact textual name of the QuicKeys shortcut to be run on the remote machine. Click the OK button.
  • The Apple Events dialog should now look something like the figure below. Give the shortcut a Keystroke and click the OK button. Make sure this newly created shortcut is in the Universal keyset or the correct application keyset for your needs.
  • You're done! Sort of... Pressing the assigned keystroke on the local machine to trigger the event on the remote machine might bring up a login dialog. Depending on the version of the MacOS you are using, you should have options to save your login data in your Keychain or otherwise so you don't have to enter your username and password every time you want to run the QuicKeys shortcut across the network.

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