10 August 2007 ~ 20 Comments

Using your Apple Remote In Bootcamp

Technology

Last month when my boss wanted a new laptop we did lots of research and then he settled on an Apple MacBook. He was not ready to make the switch yet though, so we installed bootcamp and got Windows XP up and running. My boss spends a lot of time traveling and giving presentations, so powerpoint is probably the application he uses most on his mac. And while we were visiting yesterday we came across and idea. He already has a usb remote he uses when giving presentations, but how cool would it be if he could control powerpoint with his apple remote.

After just a little searching I found an application EventGhost which is an application which allows you to hijack the events of your system and redirect them to other things. With EventGhost I was able to add an HID device to the app. And then in the event window I could see the event that was fired when I pressed buttons on the remote. Next step was just to add a action for emulating left and right arrows on the keyboards. Then you just drag the event from the left window (HID.button2) on to the action you want fired (left arrow) and EventGhost will start to send the correct button presses for you.

Just like that he can now use his apple remote to guide his presentations in Windows XP in bootcamp on his MacBook.

20 Responses to “Using your Apple Remote In Bootcamp”

  1. Peter Boughton 13 August 2007 at 12:46 pm Permalink

    Oooh, interesting! Now where did I put my remote…

  2. Peter Boughton 13 August 2007 at 1:01 pm Permalink

    Did you have to do something to get your Apple Remote detected?
    The only “Generic HID” options I get are “Touchpad” and “Apple Internal Keyboard”.

  3. simeon 13 August 2007 at 2:36 pm Permalink

    Hey Peter,

    In the devices section, I found one actually called “HID” and I added that one. If you didnt figure it out I can check again and do a screen capture when I get back to the office. I am at 360Flex in seattle till wednesday.

  4. Peter Boughton 13 August 2007 at 5:16 pm Permalink

    Found it now – I was on an old version of BootCamp.

  5. Peter Boughton 14 August 2007 at 2:48 pm Permalink

    Only buttons 2/3/4 (prev/next/play) seem to work on my remote.

    Is that the same with yours, or do you know how to get 1/3/5 working (vol up/down and menu)?

  6. Joe 6 January 2008 at 12:45 am Permalink

    Thanks! That worked so well!! I’m a novice programmer (i.e. am afraid of code) and the tutorial online was VERY helpful in allowing me to edit the program to run my powerpoints with my apple remote.

    I am now able to begin my slide show from any slide, and move forward and back.

    However, the “Menu” button, and the “Up” and “Down” keys do not seem to register. I would like to enable a few more features (start / exit slide show) but I cannot without the use of at least 1 additional key.

    Any suggestions?

  7. Erick 26 March 2008 at 6:44 pm Permalink

    Can I control my Windows WITHOUT Apple MacOSX interference?

  8. Erick 26 March 2008 at 6:51 pm Permalink

    ….with Apple Remote, offcourse ;)

    I’ll wait your response on my mail, thanks!

  9. Abdulrahman 19 April 2008 at 1:08 pm Permalink

    Thanks a lot for this info,
    I have been searching for such info and you saved my day. The good thing is I CAN USE MY TOUCH PAD with two fingers to scroll up and down.
    To do this just add HID Plugin for Touchpad and you are done. Unfortunately No other events for the Touchpad is shown. Why is that ?

    Amazing

  10. doug 24 April 2008 at 6:33 pm Permalink

    Awesome. I made the center button start the slide show in PowerPoint by linking it to F5.

  11. Rod 27 July 2008 at 2:23 am Permalink

    Hey Semon,

    I installed ARW.exe Apple Remote for Windows so that drivers are emulated in Windows XP for my Apple Remote. I also installed EventGost but I still cannot seem to configure it right. I followed you instructions in this post but it’s still not working. My configuration tree in EventGhost 0.3.5c 908 is as follows:

    Autostart
    Start Program: POWERPNT.EXE
    Plugin: HID (IR Receiver, Apple Computer Inc Connected Yes)
    Trigger Event: set to “o”
    Left mouse button

    However when Power Point launches and I go to “show” mode my Apple Remote still won’t “left click” to change slides.

    What am I doing wrong?

  12. Simeon 27 July 2008 at 9:34 am Permalink

    Hi Rod,

    Unfortunately I am not running this anywhere anymore so i can’t test to show you where you might have gone wrong. Sorry.

    Good Luck

  13. Rod 17 August 2008 at 1:50 am Permalink

    Thanks Simeon, but I finally figured out how to get it working with Power Point 2008 on my MacBook Pro. The critical step was setting the HID settings in EventGhost to “use raw data as event name.” Once this was done, when I pressed the remote I could see the signals generate events in EventGhost in the left pane. (For example HID .2587EE4509) which is a left click of the remote. A right click generates an ID of
    HID .2687EE4506. After this I only needed to “add macros” in the right pane and set them to “keystokes” (left arrow/right arrow) and then drag the HID events from the left pane to the macros that I wanted them to bind to in the right pane. I saved my configuration and minimized EventGhost & launched Power Point 2008 and wholla it worked like a charm. If any of your posters need a screen-cap of my configuration just let me know. Take care.

    Rod

  14. Simeon 17 August 2008 at 9:21 am Permalink

    Hey Rod,

    Thanks for posting back with the magic combination. I am sure that will be useful for other folks trying to make this work.

    sim

  15. Alex 17 May 2009 at 3:23 pm Permalink

    AWESOME THANKS!!! Works perfect!!!

    No clue why apple did not include this from the start….

  16. Tim 28 October 2009 at 2:57 pm Permalink

    Cheers, been meaning to get this sorted for ages and have finally got around to it. Works like a charm inside my XP Virtual Machine in Parallels 4.0 (if you make sure the IR Receiver is attached to the Windows side – Select under Devices -> USB). I installed the Boot Camp drivers as well for this, but I don’t know if that’s an absolute must (just not keen to mess about now it’s working).

    Thanks once again,

    Tim

  17. Rudi 1 January 2010 at 11:57 am Permalink

    Great application – thanks a lot Simeon.
    But Joe is right. The up, down, and menu button is not
    available.
    Does anybody have a solution for this?
    Rudi

  18. Tim 12 January 2010 at 7:20 pm Permalink

    Hey, it took me a while to re-discover it, but I found this as a solution to enable the use of all 6 buttons (menu and +/- included):

    http://coderhump.com/archives/214

    Another note on a rather specific glitch, anyone having trouble with coherence not working properly in Parallels (4) after installing the bootcamp drivers: the problem seems to disappear after removing the Apple files in the windows System32 folder (I got rid of AppleControlPanel, AppleOSSMgr and AppleTimeSrv)

    Hope some of that’s helpful

  19. Zelduy 29 January 2010 at 9:22 am Permalink

    I can’t opened the website = http://coderhump.com/archives/214
    anyone can post the trick to use all 6 buttons of apple remote in Eventghost??

  20. tifacil 7 June 2010 at 3:13 am Permalink

    Good afternoon, thanks for the post? Is your blog a free theme or paid? I am interested by your blog. Is it possible to include this article on one of my blogs?, i will of course linkback to this page. regards


Leave a Reply

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