Software
Zboard Merc Drivers Windows 10 Windows 7
#SteelSeriesMercStealth #ThomasTrickst Short and simple PowerPoint-Presentation, an instruction how to install the Keyboard SteelSeries Merc Stealth on Windo. If you still use the Ideazon Fang pad but without the drivers (as in, just plug it in and use the keys that are default on the pad without the Ideazon Drivers that don't work anyway) and have Windows 10 and had problems as of, the reason is the new patch that came out that day. After the recent Windows 10 Cumulative update KB4034674 my Merc Stealth Keyboard drivers has stopped working. Specifically the Alpham164.sys is not being activate/trusted in Device Manager. Uninstalling the update allowed it to start working again. Uninstall Zboard x64 driver package from Steelseries. Reboot and reinstall it. Reboot again with Signed Driver Enforcement turned off (easier to just hold shift, rightclick power button on Start Menu, select Restart). Install drivers for the two Merc devices which now show correctly in device manager from Sc0t33's zip file. This package provides the installation files for SteelSeries Zboard USB Keyboard Driver version 2.5.0.30. It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available. Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver.
The software for the MERC is .NET based. You are required to install the MS .NET framework 1.1 whether you have a later version installed already or not. Once installed the software does take a while to load on startup, and when accessed later on to change modes it does take a few seconds to open. From reading a lot of the comments on ATI's CCC, I know a lot of you don't like waiting or like .NET based apps, but a few seconds is really nothing and I don't see a problem with it being based on .NET.
You can use the keyboard without the software if you'd like but it will simply operate as a regular keyboard, meaning game pad keys, navigation, num pad and hot keys won't work, which defeats the purpose of this keyboard. Sample test case template in excel format.
The software is available on the CD that arrives with the product or you can download the latest version from the internet as I did. You can set the program to automatically download updates or you can manually check yourself, however no updates have been available in the weeks I have had this keyboard. Perhaps this is because there have been no major game releases, but Prey is out now, so maybe a software update to support Prey will be available soon. You can also set the software so that an icon appears in the system tray at startup, like so:
The green icon with the Z is the keyboard software. In the above image the cursor is hovering over this icon and what it's displaying is the current mode of the keyboard. Double clicking opens the software.
What's this mode thing all about then? Well basically, through the software you can program the game pad keys depending on which game you're playing. Simply open the app, find the game you wish to play, double click and you can see on screen which functions have now been assigned to which keys, completely tailored for that game. I think it's probably easier to show you, so here we go:
This is the default layout.
But then I decided I wanted to play HL2. So I opened the app, I expanded the list to find HL2, and I double clicked on it. The key layout has now changed. If you look at the game pad as it's represented on the screen, you can see all the keys have been assigned commands specific to HL2.
Let's get a closer look as that image isn't terribly clear:
Zboard Merc Drivers Windows 10 32-bit
As you can see, each key now has a function specific to HL2. But hey, if you don't want to use these keys, you can still use the regular ones on the main keyboard. If you're a die hard WASD'r. :) Oh and if the game you're playing doesn't have a profile and thus isn't supported, choose the default profile and configure the keys in-game if you deem it necessary.
Zboard Merc Drivers Windows 10 64 Bit
Zboard Merc Gaming Keyboard Drivers
You know what I like best? I think it has to be the quick load and quick save buttons as I can never remember which key it is, it seems to change from game to game. 'Ooh, I know, I'll be clever and save the game here *presses F5.* Argh no, that was the quick load button, now I'm back near the beginning again! D'oh!' It'll save the possible headaches.
What would've been a nice feature for the software is if it was possible to get a profile to load each time that game was launched. For example, when you started FEAR, the FEAR profile for the keyboard would be enabled. That way you wouldn't have to manually select a layout/profile each time you want to play a different game. It'll sound like I'm moaning, but whenever I want to game now I have to change from Entertainment mode to Game mode on my X-Fi, then choose the correct option in the MERC's software to get the right keyboard layout for the game I want to play, and only then can I play the game. It's not exactly much but it's a bit of a pain, especially as I have to change it back again once I exit the game and want to do something else.