F11 Key stopped working for full screen in both browsers

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I have Win 10 Pro Version 21H1.

Maybe three days ago (before I installed last month’s Windows updates), the F11 key stopped working for full screen mode in both Firefox and Edge (both of which are the most current versions). I can still get to full screen in Firefox via the relevant button on the toolbar and in Edge via the zoom menu.

On this computer the F11 key in combination with the Fn key mutes the sound. That still works, notwithstanding the full screen problem, so I know that F11 hasn’t stopped working altogether.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be and how to fix it?

Thanks.

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Not sure about Firefox, but in Edge there’s an option under the 3-dots menu to enter full screen mode.

Other users who’ve experienced your problem have indicated using this alternate method to enter/exit full screen reset their F11 key.

Another possibility is some other program/shortcut may have hijacked the F11 key function.

Also, if your keyboard includes an FN key lock, make sure it’s not enabled.

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BobStr

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The option in Edge’s zoom menu does work, but I’d like to get the F11 back to working.

When I enable the Fn key, F11 operates to mute the sound as it’s supposed to. It just doesn’t work when Fn isn’t enabled.

But thanks for the suggestions.

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I am using the latest Firefox on my Win7 computers. No F11 full screen issues. Just curious, are you using a logitech mouse or keyboard, and do you have the Logitech SetPoint software installed? If so, you might want to check if F11 has been configured to do something else or to do nothing at all.

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BobStr

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The mouse is the basic Dell model that came with the computer, and I haven’t done anything to reconfigure the F11 key. It just stopped working for full screen purposes.

Where would I look to see if Windows simply acted up and reconfigured that key all on its own?

Thanks.

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You can use the free Shortcut Key Explorer by RJL Software to display all the “shortcuts” which have shortcut keys assigned to them.

• Shortcut Key Explorer v1.04

If one of them is using F11, right click it, select Edit Shortcut, and either assign it a different shortcut key or simply delete the F11 shortcut key.

Another free utility that’ll display the actual codes being generated when you press the F11 key is Aqua’s KeyTest.

• Aqua’s KeyTest

Note, this program can’t detect “FN + a key” presses.

The proper codes for the F11 key are Bios Key Code: 87 (0x57) and Window Key Code: 122 (0x7A). If the codes are different, then most likely F11 has been remapped by something.

As for how to find what program may have hijacked F11 and how to reset it, can’t help you there.

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BobStr

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Well, that got me an easy answer: the keyboard is simply broken.

I used Aqua’s KeyTest first, which showed that some seven keys didn’t work. All seven (and only two others) serve dual functions by working with the Fn key. I didn’t realize that the other six weren’t working, because I just hadn’t had occasion to try to use them during the short period of time that the problem existed.

But when I saw the results in Aqua’s KeyTest, I tried using each such key and confirmed that none worked. All of these keys are grouped close together on the keyboard, so I’m guessing some physical issue occurred in that general area. Anyway, I confirmed that it wasn’t a software issue by doing something I perhaps could have done earlier (except that I had to dig through stuff in the basement to find an older computer): I changed keyboards. Sure enough, the replacement works fine. The only problem being that the replacement doesn’t have an Fn key. But it’ll do while I spend some time looking around for a new keyboard.

On that latter subject… The keyboard that failed is a Dell (it’s original equipment that came with this Dell computer). If I replace it with a different manufacturer’s product, can I expect the Fn key on the new keyboard to work the same way? I don’t know why it shouldn’t (I’d expect it all to be a matter of how everything is mapped through whatever software governs these things), but the question seems worth asking, especially since I know nothing.

Finally, although the way I finally identified the problem made it unnecessary to use Shortcut Key Explorer, it sounded as though it could be a useful app in the future, so I was going to download it. However, Malwarebytes blocked it, with this message: “Website blocked due to trojan. Website blocked: http://www.rjlsoftware.com. Malwarebytes Browser Guard blocked this website because it may contain malware activity.”

I know that malware protection can be over-protective at times, but it seems prudent to ask here before proceeding. Do people think Malwarebytes is being over-protective in this case, and it’s OK to go forward? I realize that there are no guarantees, and that I’m on my own if I decide to go to that site, but, as before, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

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None of the dozens of security vendors flagged this URL as malicious at virustotal.com

Windows 10 Home 22H2, Acer Aspire TC-1660 desktop + LibreOffice, non-techie

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BobStr

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I keep it handy as well and downloaded their new version yesterday (my old one was 1.02) and neither Edge’s “safe browsing” feature (which blocks access to sites it thinks use malware) nor my 3rd party Anti-virus alerted me of any problems.

As for the FN key, as long as the new keyboard contains one, it’ll work.

The catch will be finding a replacement keyboard where the “FN + F keys” have the same functions as your old keyboard.

i.e. the F1 — F4, F9 — F10 and F12 keys on my Corsair K63 keyboard have a secondary FN function but the others (including the F11 key) don’t.

To exactly duplicate your old keyboard, you may have to buy a Dell replacement keyboard.

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BobStr

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Downloaded it just now, and nothing on my computer exploded.

Thanks.

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My thanks to all who helped me in this thread.

And now, for a confession of a lapse of clear thinking that I attribute to the fact that I’m old and tired.

This morning I uninstalled the keyboard driver and rebooted, thus reinstalling it. Problem solved.

So… if anyone happens to encounter the same sort of problem, let me recommend trying this simple solution.

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it didnt help

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