More odd behavior:

Since there is no Favorites area on the MX-890, I want to use a couple of the Main hard buttons for quick access to some basic functions like toggling through receiver sound fields. My first choice was to use the four color buttons.

If I use those buttons for learned or aliased codes, they test OK through the remote connected to the notebook PC. BUT --- when the remote is disconnected, the codes no longer work!

Any of the other Main hard buttons can be used. Just not the four color buttons.