Query about Pause/Break key on the Keyboard

Question

Like Saroseus,

I have a program that uses the Pause/Break to continue to function and without it I can't continue to use it to work. The company work for gave us keyboards with the Pause/break key but it isn't ergonomic and it hurts my wrist to use it. This is why I purchased this keyboard. This is a great keyboard and it works well, but I need that "Pause/Break" Key. So Microsoft can you do something about this.

Answer 1

Hi,

Let me ask you;

• What exactly are you referring to when you say, "I need that "Pause/Break" Key"?
• Isn't Pause/Break key in the keyboard you have purchased, working?
• Doesn't this keyboard have a Pause/Break key?
• Are you saying you have now bought Ergonomic keyboard?
• Does the keyboard have Pause and Break keys separately?

It could be possible that some newer keyboards may have separate keys for the pause function and the break function. Instead of both functions being on the same key, the keyboard has a PAUSE key separate from the BREAK key.

On many keyboards, the key that commands the pause and break functions is typically labeled as the BREAK key. Therefore, many keyboard shortcuts instruct you to "press a key plus the BREAK key." However, when you press only the BREAK key, the default behavior is to pause.

This behavior that many people are familiar with can cause some confusion on newer keyboards that have separate PAUSE and BREAK keys. For example, newer portable computers may have separate PAUSE and BREAK keys.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Follow these steps on a keyboard that has a single PAUSE/BREAK key:

1. Open a command prompt window. To do so, click Start, click Run, type cmd.exe, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type dir, press the ENTER key, and then immediately press the PAUSE/BREAK key.

Notice that the listing of files in the directory pauses. This behavior shows that the default behavior of the key is to pause. To notice this behavior for a directory that has a short list of files, you must press the PAUSE/BREAK key very quickly after you press the ENTER key. 3. Press CTRL+PAUSE/BREAK.

Notice that the listing of files in the directory stops and returns you to the command prompt. This shows that the secondary behavior of the key is to break.

Additionally, if you follow these same steps, and if you press the CTRL+Windows Logo+PAUSE/BREAK keyboard shortcut to open the System Properties dialog box, the dialog box does not appear. This behavior is additional proof that the default behavior of the PAUSE/BREAK key is to pause.

If the keyboard does not have Pause/Break key, you can use On-screen keyboard and check.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Startbutton , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

You can refer to: Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type

Hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to reply in case you face any other issues with Windows in future.