Can't get Stream Deck hotkeys to be recognized in DCS

[GregP]

Could use some help here from anyone else who's using a Stream Deck in DCS.  I got a SD XL a few weeks ago and have downloaded several profiles found here and other places; I've also grabbed ctyler's plugin, and DCS-ExportScripts, etc.  The problem I'm having is, I think unrelated to any of those scripts.  All I'm trying to do is setup a basic profile by assigning the Function keys to the SD in order to control comms in-game.

 

From looking at other people's profiles, it appears to me that I'm setting up the F-keys just like everyone as, i.e. using the System Hotkey option in SD.  The keys will register in other apps such as Notepad++ or Chrome, but when I go into DCS, it's like the SD is entirely invislble to it -- DCS isn't seeing any of the keypresses.  If for example I then press F1 on my keyboard, it works in-game as normal; but pressing the SD button that I've set to F1 does nothing.  This happens whether I use other peoples' profiles or my own -- nothing gets recognized in DCS.

 

I've been struggling with this for several days now.  I've tried running SD in Admin mode, trying DCS in fullscreen and windowed, etc to no avail.  It's been a while since I've tested a SD command that relies on any kind of export script, so to be honest I can't recall right now whether I've ever gotten those kinds of commands to work.  But right now my focus is these simple keypresses, and I'm having no luck.  I've tried more than just the F-keys -- briefing screen, controls indicator, auto start etc.  Nothing gets recognized by DCS.

[GregP]

Got it sorted thanks to frostycab in the other thread -- I had DCS set to run in Admin mode, which was apparently preventing external apps from feeding keypresses into DCS.  Turned off Admin mode and SD now works as it should.

[CrashAlot]

I have this exact same issue. The SD buttons that I have programmed with DCS Exports scripts were perfectly, but none of my SD buttons that I programmed as regular hot keys matching DCS keyboard shortcuts are working. The SD buttons with hot keys work fine in MS Word and MSFS 2020 and other applications, but not in DCS. I have tried a million fixes over the past 24 hours but so far nothing has worked, including running SD as admin. I’m going to try this admin fix right now. I pray that it works. 

[CrashAlot]

Unfortunately this fix didn’t work for me. I checked to be sure, but I wasn’t running DCS as administrator.  i have tried running DCS and the Stream Deck software as administrator and I’ve tried running them not as administrator. No matter which I try, the SD hot keys still don’t work in DCS, but they work in every other application. 

Edited October 31, 2021 by CrashAlot

[Bailey]

It is working for me for the F-14B. You can use "Hotkey" to do the binds.



If that does not work you can try this below. It's basically a more feature rich Hotkey feature.
https://github.com/BarRaider/streamdeck-supermacro/blob/master/README.md

[Toni Carrera]

Not that this helps you really, but I too use the complex DCS Interface for 99% of the dozen or so pages I have setup. Via the HotKey or HotKey Macro when using commands for like where I have set it up for intent to refuel, or ready pre-contact etc, only saves two or three keystrokes, but worth it

Although I do not really use it, the only thing I can't get to work is any combination involved with using the Win Key, obviously I have tried specifying Left and Right, and it recognises the key combination in the StreamDeck software, but refuses to in Sim, like the Auto-Start / Auto-ShutDown

F Keys and other keys are all fine in Sim

Toni 

[frostycab]

On 10/30/2021 at 9:46 PM, CrashAlot said:

I have this exact same issue. The SD buttons that I have programmed with DCS Exports scripts were perfectly, but none of my SD buttons that I programmed as regular hot keys matching DCS keyboard shortcuts are working. The SD buttons with hot keys work fine in MS Word and MSFS 2020 and other applications, but not in DCS. I have tried a million fixes over the past 24 hours but so far nothing has worked, including running SD as admin. I’m going to try this admin fix right now. I pray that it works. 

Check that both DCS and the SD software are both running in administrator mode. I couldn't get any keystrokes to send from the SD when I first got it, but that fixed it for me.

[marcwoolery]

How do you check ADMIN mode ?

 

[marcwoolery]

On 11/1/2021 at 2:28 PM, frostycab said:

Check that both DCS and the SD software are both running in administrator mode. I couldn't get any keystrokes to send from the SD when I first got it, but that fixed it for me.

I haver focused on running anything in ADMIN mode and all has worked ... still nothing happening with Hotkeys ... any one ?

On 11/1/2021 at 9:09 AM, Toni Carrera said:

Not that this helps you really, but I too use the complex DCS Interface for 99% of the dozen or so pages I have setup. Via the HotKey or HotKey Macro when using commands for like where I have set it up for intent to refuel, or ready pre-contact etc, only saves two or three keystrokes, but worth it

Although I do not really use it, the only thing I can't get to work is any combination involved with using the Win Key, obviously I have tried specifying Left and Right, and it recognises the key combination in the StreamDeck software, but refuses to in Sim, like the Auto-Start / Auto-ShutDown

F Keys and other keys are all fine in Sim

Toni 

I haver focused on running anything in ADMIN mode and all has worked ... still nothing happening with Hotkeys ... any one ?

On 10/30/2021 at 1:46 PM, CrashAlot said:

I have this exact same issue. The SD buttons that I have programmed with DCS Exports scripts were perfectly, but none of my SD buttons that I programmed as regular hot keys matching DCS keyboard shortcuts are working. The SD buttons with hot keys work fine in MS Word and MSFS 2020 and other applications, but not in DCS. I have tried a million fixes over the past 24 hours but so far nothing has worked, including running SD as admin. I’m going to try this admin fix right now. I pray that it works. 

I haver focused on running anything in ADMIN mode and all has worked ... still nothing happening with Hotkeys ... any one ?

On 3/30/2021 at 5:02 AM, GregP said:

Could use some help here from anyone else who's using a Stream Deck in DCS.  I got a SD XL a few weeks ago and have downloaded several profiles found here and other places; I've also grabbed ctyler's plugin, and DCS-ExportScripts, etc.  The problem I'm having is, I think unrelated to any of those scripts.  All I'm trying to do is setup a basic profile by assigning the Function keys to the SD in order to control comms in-game.

 

From looking at other people's profiles, it appears to me that I'm setting up the F-keys just like everyone as, i.e. using the System Hotkey option in SD.  The keys will register in other apps such as Notepad++ or Chrome, but when I go into DCS, it's like the SD is entirely invislble to it -- DCS isn't seeing any of the keypresses.  If for example I then press F1 on my keyboard, it works in-game as normal; but pressing the SD button that I've set to F1 does nothing.  This happens whether I use other peoples' profiles or my own -- nothing gets recognized in DCS.

 

I've been struggling with this for several days now.  I've tried running SD in Admin mode, trying DCS in fullscreen and windowed, etc to no avail.  It's been a while since I've tested a SD command that relies on any kind of export script, so to be honest I can't recall right now whether I've ever gotten those kinds of commands to work.  But right now my focus is these simple keypresses, and I'm having no luck.  I've tried more than just the F-keys -- briefing screen, controls indicator, auto start etc.  Nothing gets recognized by DCS.

I haver focused on running anything in ADMIN mode and all has worked ... still nothing happening with Hotkeys ... any one ?

[frostycab]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:14 AM, marcwoolery said:

How do you check ADMIN mode ?

 

Find your DCS.exe file, right-click on it and select Properties, Then open the Compatibility tab. Near the bottom there is an option saying "Run this program as an administrator." Make sure that is checked, click Apply and then close the properties window. 

Now do the same thing for your Streamdeck.exe.

Once I set both to administrator mode I had no more problems with hotkeys.

[AsBurli]

Have the same problem. Running both programs (DCS.exe V2.7.18 , Streamdesk.exe V5.3.1) as administrator does not solve the problem.
Left and right shift key is still recognized by DCS but not the windows or e.g. pause key.
If a previously defined Streamdeck hotkey is pressed, e.g. with L-Shift - L-Win and Pause, only L-Shift is recognized by DCS.
A complete reinstallation of the Streamdeck software did not solve the problem.

Edited September 28, 2022 by AsBurli

[Stewmanji]

On 9/28/2022 at 2:14 PM, AsBurli said:

Have the same problem. Running both programs (DCS.exe V2.7.18 , Streamdesk.exe V5.3.1) as administrator does not solve the problem.
Left and right shift key is still recognized by DCS but not the windows or e.g. pause key.
If a previously defined Streamdeck hotkey is pressed, e.g. with L-Shift - L-Win and Pause, only L-Shift is recognized by DCS.
A complete reinstallation of the Streamdeck software did not solve the problem.

 

As Toni mentioned above, the issue is that there is some underlying difference in the way the streamdeck software differentiates Left-Win and the way DCS does.

The only workaround right now is to change the DCS hotkey to something else (that doesn't use the Win Key). 

Note: I believe this also affects the PAUSE key too.

Toni, Bailey and I previously discussed this in these threads:

 

[Count von Altibar]

I had been battling for a few hours a few evenings past checking this and that making sure all the coding looks correct and nothing is interfering between stream deck and DCS and of course it turns out I was opening DCS in admin mode. Schoolboy error I know but this singular cockup wasted so much time. It's not even as if I wasn't aware of admin mode and W10 causing stuff like this.

[YoYo]

Thanks for this topic. Just bought a Stream Deck Mk.2 and had the same problem, Hotkeys (set radio com ie F1...F12), didn't work. I run DCS MT always as admin but Steam Deck soft not, so I set StreamDeck.exe as Admin and it's ok, hot keys work, thanks for the advice!

 

[YoYo]

On 11/1/2021 at 11:20 AM, Bailey said:

It is working for me for the F-14B. You can use "Hotkey" to do the binds.



If that does not work you can try this below. It's basically a more feature rich Hotkey feature.
https://github.com/BarRaider/streamdeck-supermacro/blob/master/README.md

Btw. sorry, how to install this plugin? I downloaded "streamdeck-supermacro-2.2".

I see that Elgato software doesnt see RAlt key (for radio for example), so I have to install something better.

Ahh ok, perhaps from Elgato software:

Edited July 14, 2023 by YoYo

[YoYo]

Ok, done. SuperMacro works.

{{RALT}{oem_5}}

Works for me as RAlt+\. Thx! 

[marcwoolery]

On 3/30/2021 at 5:56 PM, GregP said:

Got it sorted thanks to frostycab in the other thread -- I had DCS set to run in Admin mode, which was apparently preventing external apps from feeding keypresses into DCS.  Turned off Admin mode and SD now works as it should.

How do you TURN OFF ADMIN ?  Im having the same issues in XPLANE which has always worked, but like everything else if you dont use it it breaks ! But its digital how on earth does this <profanity> happen?

On 11/1/2021 at 3:20 AM, Bailey said:

It is working for me for the F-14B. You can use "Hotkey" to do the binds.



If that does not work you can try this below. It's basically a more feature rich Hotkey feature.
https://github.com/BarRaider/streamdeck-supermacro/blob/master/README.md

Github is evil, and discord... its some kind of chat cabal that never allows you to login.

[GregP]

Sorry for the late reply. To turn off admin, just right click on the DCS.exe, go to properties, then compatibility tab, and make sure 'run this program as an administrator' is unchecked.

Edited February 29, 2024 by GregP

[jackd]

That's also the general advice for Streamdeck: NOT to use admin mode.

added: connect your streamdeck to a mainboard USB 3.2 v1 (blue) bus, solved a lot of button errors with my streamdeck.

 

ADDED jan 27th 2025 - Streamdeck should be running as administrator according Elgato support !

Edited January 27 by jackd

[jackd]

Now this beats me, i just had advice from Streamdeck Elgato support to turn ON power management windows USB hubs (device manager).

But that seems to always mess up my Joysick ID numbering, especially after plugging USB hardware in and out.

Advice from Microsoft on this: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/ever-since-i-swapped-to-windows-11-my-usb/25c69aa2-0657-4780-86ab-3268b82b0871