Classic Shell: Forum

I start with a functioning Win 7 SP 1 system. The main know operating system problem is an excessive number of Windows Explorer crashes followng file searches.

I also use Macro Express for macros and Keytweak to remap some keys on the keyboard.


I install CSM 4 3 1 for the first time.

After a few days of no problems and finally getting my menu right, I notice that my keyboard quits working. I key a key and nothing happens in any application. Windows + r continues to open the run box. The mouse and Windows otherwise seem to be OK.


I restart Windows, and my keyboard works fine. I go awhile and suddenly my keyboard stops working. I have to restart Windows. One day this happened five times.

Following the CSM installation, I saw more Windows Explorer crashes.

I ran system file check and Norton Security. They revealed no problems.

I could not live with the no keyboard restart Windows cycle. I restored the Windows checkpoint before the CSM installation. Since the restoration, the loss of keyboard problem hasn't hapened. I think the number of Windows Explorer crashes has gone down.

I didn't find this problem in the forum.

I like CSM, but losing the keyboard and having to restart Windows is a show stopper.

Any suggestions?

I wondered if some post Win 7 fixes might not work under 7. Is there a pre Win 8 version around that I could try.

Show stopper indeed.. I haven't heard of it happening thusfar (maybe IVO has), and windows 7 compatibility should be pretty high, as it hasn't changed much. (unlike windows 10) but consider trying an older version of classic shell just in-case one of the new features broke compatibility.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/classi ... 20release/ being the most likely to work correctly, assuming you dont need the windows 7 style, or a customized taskbar.


You mention that they keyboard still works for 'win+r' does that mean that the keyboard functions normally for everything outside of classic shell when the error occurs? If-so you can right click and select exit to close classic shell, and then run it again from the default start menu.

I havnt used macro express, but I have used keytweak with classic shell and without incident. *IIRC all it does is write the changes to the registry anyways*

Since I still use Win 7 Pro and never had a single trouble using Classic Shell, first of all, given that you're using a program to remap some keyboard keys, I would start disabling this last one.
The fact that Win+r is still working may be the prove that you haven't really "lost" the keyboard...

After looking up confirmation. I cant seem to quickly find the method keytweak uses to remap, so I would actually agree that trying an alternative like Sharpkeys https://github.com/randyrants/sharpkeys which does in-fact only write to the registry (which lets windows do the remapping itself)
This may solve your issue, if it is with keytweak.