keyboard assignments don't stay

I have a MS Natural Ergonomic 4000 plugged into my Inspiron 8600 laptop running XP. When hubby finally let me get dsl, I though it would be a nice surprise to plug in his oft-used websites onto those favourites keys. Seemed simple ... I went into Keyboard Properties and typed in addresses like http://www.rense.com on each of the keys, then tried it out with IE running. But when he came home later and clicked on IE, and I made a big show of telling him to hit the little silver "1" button ... zilch. Nothingsville.

I searched this forum under intellitype and didn't really find an answer, altho Halo or Bazza (I forget) did link to MS update page so I updated it.

Is there some really OBVIOUS thing I left out? Because what worries me is that, in the Settings tab of the Keyboard Properties box, the "apply" button is dis- dis .. er, brain malfunction, you know what I mean, it's greyed out.

Grammaw

 

I don't really understand about Admin stuff; when we first got this laptop last year Hubby just invented a user name for me. I know when I start in Safe Mode and stuff I can choose to be the admin, but am poking around trying to figure out how to tell the control panel keyboard settings that, yes, I want to keep these key assignments. It doesn't erase them or return to default every shutdown; it just won't apply them unless EVERY time I open IE, I have to go to contol panel and OK the Keyboard Properties.

I realise there is something veeeeerrry simple I am missing here. Other than whacking the computer with a sock full of dental floss and saying, "Remember!!! Remember!!!"

What is the basic every-dummy-knows-this fact which seems to be escaping me? (You know, like when your friend calls and you say, "Is it plugged in? The right way? Power on?" That sort of obvious.)

GrammawNewbie, frustrated but determined

 

I started in safe mode and logged in as admin, but apparently my screen account *HAS* admin privileges already. I tried changing the keyboard properties whilst in admin acct safe mode ... no luck.

There has to be some tiny little checkbox buried waaaaay in some Advanced setting that's messing me up. Everything else works (eg, the handy-dandy Zoom button I thought I'd never use but do), so I'm quite hesitant to uninstall and reinstall.

*Sigh*