If you've ever run a Mac as your host computer and used Remote Desktop, VNC or VMWare then chances are you've somehow gotten into Overwrite mode in a text editor by accident and couldn't figure out how to get out. There are quite a few documented cases out there: here and here. The problem is as Apple's documentation suggests this cannot be done with an Apple laptop keyboard. Well I have found the magic incantation! At least it works for me (some of the time):
Fn + Right Command + delete
This will put my cursor in and out of insert/overwrite mode. Hopefully it works for you. If it doesn't work for you and you have a better version please post a comment.
Update: Today I finally figured out the key combination that makes me enter into Overwrite mode: Fn. So if you press Fn again it brings you out of it. Apparently the scan code for the Fn key and the Insert key are quite similar in some cases.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
No Insert Key on Mac Keyboard
5 comments:
Awesome! I've gotten stuck this way in VNC several times. Can't wait to try this the next time I mysteriously get into this mode.
FN+Enter toggles the mode for me on my Macbook Pro keyboard
:( not working on my iMac via Windows Remote Desktop :(.
Doesn't work on my MBP (Trying it via Remote Desktop to a Windows 7 pc).
wiki saves the day! To toggle the INS/overwrite mode using an Apple/Mac keyboard on a PC machine: FN+0 [ zero on the numeric keypad].
Works like a charm.
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