Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard

Hello Mangoh mate I have the x4 (and the x6) and I just flick the small button - with a light globe symbol on it (just above F12) three times, it dims dims and then out just like a toggle switch you can reverse that - woo hoo!!

The back lights stay off forever for reboot and cold boot etc etc . If you are wondering about the batteries


How-to: Keyboard Battery Lights | Microsoft Hardware

ICit2lol said:

Hello Mangoh mate I have the x4 (and the x6) and I just flick the small button - with a light globe symbol on it (just above F12) three times, it dims dims and then out just like a toggle switch you can reverse that - woo hoo!!

The back lights stay off forever for reboot and cold boot etc etc . If you are wondering about the batteries


How-to: Keyboard Battery Lights | Microsoft Hardware

Hi thanks I know about the little globe symbol that is what I use.

However if I turn off my computer via the mains and then turn it back on again the lights go on.

Is it not possible to disable the lights forever regardless if I turn off the computer via the mains. Rebooting ensures the lights remain off only if I don't press the off switch on the mains computer plug.

Edit:

Opened it up and then closed it again lol.

I suppose I could take the entire backlight out but I do like having it sometimes.

I guess the only solution is live with it and next time research into similar issues when I buy my next keyboard.

Thanks for your help you lot :)

Well I look at it like this mate three little taps when you turn on is about 50 milliseconds out of your life eh is it really worth the grief of pulling it out and then trying to get it back in? Me - nah!

The only thing I think you could try to do but it seems a lot of trouble to go to is install a push toggle switch into the board circuitry yourself but again three taps at boot?

Me I prefer the x6 as it is a nice KB with a swappable end pad for left and right, far better volume and pic quality comtrols and the keys are smoother and slightly larger than those clunky sharp edged things on the x4 but there again I am getting on in years Trouble is they are hard to find now - the keyboards not the keys LOL!!

ICit2lol said:

Well I look at it like this mate three little taps when you turn on is about 50 milliseconds out of your life eh is it really worth the grief of pulling it out and then trying to get it back in? Me - nah!

The only thing I think you could try to do but it seems a lot of trouble to go to is install a push toggle switch into the board circuitry yourself but again three taps at boot?

Me I prefer the x6 as it is a nice KB with a swappable end pad for left and right, far better volume and pic quality comtrols and the keys are smoother and slightly larger than those clunky sharp edged things on the x4 but there again I am getting on in years Trouble is they are hard to find now - the keyboards not the keys LOL!!

Thanks and the thing I hate about the X4 is the size of the keys Too small for my hands.

And I suppose I guess I will live with it :)

Hum that is so right mate I don't like those chunky types like I said before the x6 has keys more like you get on laptops flat wide and smoothed off edges if you want to see them - Google

I don't know where you are so I can't advise you where to get one perhaps Ebay might do some:)

mangoh said:

ICit2lol said:

Hum that is so right mate I don't like those chunky types like I said before the x6 has keys more like you get on laptops flat wide and smoothed off edges if you want to see them - Google

I don't know where you are so I can't advise you where to get one perhaps Ebay might do some:)

I ended up selling the keyboard that was my solution LOL.

No probs then maybe you can get your hands on a x6 as it has a control for the backlit next to the volume control. It just turns down and stays down just like you would turning down the volume to zero for the audio:)

ICit2lol said:

mangoh said:

ICit2lol said:

Hum that is so right mate I don't like those chunky types like I said before the x6 has keys more like you get on laptops flat wide and smoothed off edges if you want to see them - Google

I don't know where you are so I can't advise you where to get one perhaps Ebay might do some:)

I ended up selling the keyboard that was my solution LOL.

No probs then maybe you can get your hands on a x6 as it has a control for the backlit next to the volume control. It just turns down and stays down just like you would turning down the volume to zero for the audio:)

hmm I tried Amazon UK but says they have none in stock.

Can you confirm that the lights remain off even if you turn off your computer via mains and turn it back on?

Edit: I decided to go for this keyboard ---> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermaltake-...pr_product_top

what do you think?

I'm curious why you turn off the power supply. If that's what you mean by mains. Or are you turning off the breakers in the fuse panel? When the PSU is turned off or unplugged, the standby line isn't supplied and the motherboard battery has to maintain CMOS memory. This shortens the life of the battery as well as the PSU. The PSU wasn't designed for repetitive power on/off use.