Skip to content

How To Blog

  • How to Remove Your Contact Number Search From Truecaller? How-To
  • How to Fix “Windows Could Not Configure One Or More System Components” Error Help Desk
  • Best Video Editing Software for YouTube Videos Reviews
  • 7 Ways to Child Proof a Computer Computer Tips
  • 5 Cool Things You Can Do With Automator App on macOS macOS
  • Router vs Switch vs Hub vs Modem vs Access Point vs Gateway Networking
  • How to add IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes Ratings on Netflix How-To
  • Change Windows Startup and Shutdown Sounds Computer Tips

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

Posted on September 12, 2021 By blog_786 No Comments on How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7.

Have you ever wondered what you are going to do with two Shift keys, two Alt keys and a Caps Lock key. Quite a useless right! Every Windows keyboard has repetitive keys, and the only purpose it serves is you can use them with both hands. But wouldn’t it be more efficient if you could remap those duplicate keys to open apps? For example, I mapped my Caps Lock to open the calculator and a menu key to open Google Chrome. This trick really helps me as I don’t even have to lift my hand off the keyboard to grab the mouse. This is quite easy to do, you just need to remap the Windows keys. This can be done manually or using third party applications like SharpKeys, KeyExtender, etc.

Before we start

To find the least used keys on Windows, use an application such as KeyCounter. Just download the app, it’s free, and install it on your computer just like you install any other Windows software. When you’re done, launch the app and select specific keys to track, or you can control all keys on your keyboard. Let it run for a day or two and click Stop Monitoring to prevent the application from reading your keys. This will give you a list of keys with an indication of how many times they have been pressed.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

Change key functions in Windows

1. Edit the registry entry

Editing registry keys is a tedious method of reassigning keys and can lead to minor problems if you’re not careful. I would suggest making a backup before proceeding. If you have no idea about Windows Backup, check out this article.

In this case, we will try to disable the Caps Lock key (simply because I find it useless!). To do this, we will need to change the Scancode Map entry. It is located in the Computer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Control Keyboard Layout folder. You can start modifying the file right away, but I’d rather create a registry entry and merge it with the original file.

First we will create a notepad file and add the following to it. Windows Registry Editor 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Control Keyboard Layout] “Scancode Map” = Hexadecimal: 00.00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00, 00,3a, 00,00,00,00,00

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

Before we proceed, it is important to understand the meaning of these numbers. Each key on the keyboard is assigned a hexadecimal code. Better known as Scan Code, it is extremely important to know the scan code of the key you want to reassign. You can check the scan codes of all keyboard buttons here . In our case, the scan code for the Caps Lock key is 3A.

So the first 4 entries 00,00,00,00 denote the header version , and the next 4 entries 00,00,00,00 denote flags. For the next entry, we must specify the number of buttons that we want to remap. Since we only disable the Caps Lock key, we need 1 entry to specify the Caps Lock key, and a blank default entry at the end, which does 2. So the next 4-digit hexadecimal number would be 02,00,00,00. Now I need to specify the scan code of the Caps Lock key and the action that will be performed when it is pressed. I want no action to be taken when a key is pressed, so action is zero which means 00.00. Therefore, our entry will be 3A, 00.00.00. The last entry is empty by default and should be 00,00,00,00. Scan Code Map = Hexadecimal: 00.00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00,00,3a, 00,00,00,00,00

Save the file as disable_capslock.reg and that should convert it to a registry file. We now need to merge these records with the current scancode map record. To do this, right-click the file and choose Merge.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

The changes have now been made to the registry and you need to restart the system for them to take effect. If you are not good at manual work, you can try to do the same with third party apps.

2. SharpKeys

SharpKeys are a popular choice when it comes to key remapping. It is an open source utility and I have also recommended it as the main utility for Windows. It has a simple and minimal user interface. When you launch the application, you get a traditional dialog box. To add key remapping, click the Add button. Another dialog box will open.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

Here, you just need to specify For Key and To Key. For example, let’s reassign the Caps Lock key to open our own Calculator app. We will specify Caps Lock for For_Key and App: Calculator for To_Key. You can scroll through the list of buttons, or just press the enter key and press the key you want to reassign.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

When done, click OK. You will be returned to the main dialog where you can see the entry you just configured. Click Write to Registry and restart your computer when prompted.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

Thus, SharpKeys allows you to indirectly modify the Scancode Map registry, skipping all the manual work and problems. But the only problem with SharpKeys is that you cannot set the trigger action as a custom application or multi-key combination.

3. KeyExtender

KeyExtender is a paid app that takes key remapping to the next level. Not only does it handle all the basic functions like SharpKeys, but it also provides advanced trigger actions. You can customize the launch of a special application with one click of a button, or reassign a keyboard shortcut to one key. The only problem is that the free version allows you to run the application 18 times, and later you have to pay for it. Prices start at $ 30 per user.

As soon as you launch the application, a tiny dialog box opens. Below you will see the option to reassign keys. Let’s say I want to launch Google Chrome when I press a menu key. For this I will select Set Key as Menu and To Key will launch the file. This will be the chrome.exe file. The reassignment should look like this:

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

You need to click Activate to register this reassignment. Surprisingly, you don’t need to restart the app to register the changes. You can start using remapping as soon as you click Activate. You can also reassign the keyboard shortcut to one button. To do this, click the two dots next to the “To” field. Go to KeyCombination and press Enter. A pop-up window will appear where you can enter your keyboard shortcut.

How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7

You cannot reassign keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl + Shift + Esc, which are system hotkeys. This is understandable because KeyExtender is not designed for this. If you have a set of customizable shortcuts, you can remap them to one key using this app. For example, I reassigned my own shortcut Ctrl + Alt + D to Numpad Enter, which now opens Google Chrome in incognito mode with DuckDuckGo.

What is the best way?

At any point, I would prefer to use SharpKeys because it is an abstract way of remapping keys without any complications. If you are good with codes and scripts, try the manual method. And if you don’t mind spending $ 30 on KeyExtender, then this is the best key remapping you can get for Windows.

Please comment and let me know if you run into problems.

READ ALSO: Set 2 default search engines in any browser

How-To, Windows Tags:Before we start, change, Change key functions in Windows, Edit the registry entry, How to Change Key Functions on Windows 10/8/7, KeyExtender, SharpKeys, What is the best way?

Post navigation

Previous Post: How to Send WhatsApp Messages Without Saving Contacts
Next Post: How to Stream Audio From PC to Android

Related Posts

  • 6 Ways to Fix Delayed Auto Start Flag Error 87 in Windows 10 How-To
  • Things You Should Know About Flipkart Affiliate Program How-To
  • How to Solve an Error Occurred Please Try Again Later on YouTube How-To
  • Recover BIOS/CMOS Password using CMOSPwd How-To
  • How to Remove Background Noise in Skype Calls How-To
  • How To Setup Your Own VPN Server In Cloud How-To

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives

  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • March 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018

Categories

  • Amazon Web Services
  • Apple Watch
  • Computer Tips
  • Cool Websites
  • Featured Posts
  • Free Software Downloads
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • General Software
  • Google Software/Tips
  • Hardware
  • Help Desk
  • How-To
  • iOS
  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Linux
  • Linux Tips
  • macOS
  • MS Office Tips
  • Networking
  • Office Tips
  • OS X
  • Product Reviews
  • Reviews
  • Safari
  • Smart Home
  • Smartphones
  • Software Reviews
  • technology
  • text
  • Tools Review
  • Troubleshooting
  • Tutorials
  • Uncategorized
  • Urdu Books PDF
  • Web Site Tips
  • Windows
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 7
  • Wordpress

Recent Posts

  • How can I open an audible app for my computer?
  • Which DAW is better? – Fl Studio vs Ableton
  • The best Abelton tips and tricks for beginners
  • How Websites Work: Learn what works
  • Fast implementation of Google Analytics in Squarespace

Recent Comments

  1. How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10 - How To Blog on How to Reset BIOS to Default Settings
  2. How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10 - How To Blog on What to Do When Your USB Drive Is Not Showing Up
  3. Alexa Routines and Skills 2023: A Tutorial - How To Blog on How to Create a Routine With Amazon Alexa
  4. How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10 - How To Blog on How To Enter Outlook Safe Mode To Fix Issues
  5. How I Fix a Clock_Watchdog_Timeout BSOD in Windows 10 - How To Blog on How To Roll Back A Driver In Windows 10
  • How to easily connect AirPods to Chromebook How-To
  • Best chocolate calculator 2020 silver
  • The Best Open Source Software You Should Be Using Free Software Downloads
  • Best 2022 iPad Holders For Your Car iPad
  • sepco online bill

    Check sepco bill online ,sepco online bill, how to calculate via sepco bill calculator you can get easy your’s sepco online bill via link . Bill promises it is going to go away after some hours. You may also search all your WAPDA bills by means of this app as well with Online Utility Bills...<p class="more-link-wrap"><a href="https://blog.pkrtousd.gb.net/sepco-online-bill/" class="more-link">Read More<span class="screen-reader-text"> “sepco online bill”</span> »</a></p>

  • Windows 7 RAM Requirements – How Much Memory Do I Need? Computer Tips
  • How to Automatically Delete Files in Windows Software Reviews
  • Best calculator storage 2020 black

Copyright © 2023 How To Blog.

Powered by PressBook News WordPress theme

Go to mobile version