How To Change Key Bindings In Windows 10

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The standard Windows keyboard layout hasn't changed much in the past few decades, but there'southward a chance you don't use every cardinal on your keyboard. If you think the Caps Lock central would work improve as something else, or wish you could open up Windows' Task Managing director with one keystroke, there are a few ways to remap those unused keys.

Remap Keys With SharpKeys

SharpKeys

If you merely want to remap ane primal to some other, SharpKeys is a simple, open-source plan that uses the Windows registry. As an example, I utilize SharpKeys to make my Alt key act as the Ctrl fundamental, and my Caps Lock act as the Windows key.

Since SharpKeys writes this information directly to the Windows registry, it's the best selection for these kinds of one-to-ane key remappings. You don't have to rely on another software equally a middleman, and you'll run into the fewest compatibility issues, since Windows itself is interpreting the keystrokes. Download the program (I recommend the portable cipher version, which doesn't crave installation) and start information technology upwards.

To remap a key, click the Add button and choose your keys from the 2 columns. The left cavalcade denotes the key you'll printing (for example, the Caps Lock central) and the right cavalcade denotes the action that key will take (for example, acting as the Windows key). Y'all tin can also press the Type Key button and press a key on your keyboard if you lot have problem hunting information technology downwards in the list.

When you're done, click OK. Repeat this process for any other remappings, then click theWrite to Registry push. Close the plan, restart your computer, and you lot should find your keys take taken on their new roles. You can even delete SharpKeys when you're washed; the program is but a user-friendly interface for the Windows registry, so once the changes are made, you lot don't need it anymore.

Customize Hotkeys With Your Keyboard'south Software

Logitech's Gaming Software

If your keyboard comes with advanced software, like Logitech's Gaming Software, Corsair's iCUE, or Razer'south Synapse, you may have some key-remapping features already present on your organisation.

Not just can you remap keys, but many of these programs let you create multi-key shortcuts, insert blocks of text, or create dissimilar profiles for each of your games. Some volition even allow you "record" macros, assuasive you lot to create complex shortcuts but by recording your deportment and assigning them to a hotkey.

Each of these programs are a bit different, so nosotros can't go into all of them hither, but the gist should be the same across manufacturers: download the software, select your keyboard, and look for the pick to create new hotkeys, macros, or actions. When in doubt, cheque the support page for your specific keyboard, and you'll detect tutorials on how to go it washed.

Your mileage may vary with these, equally I've found certain programs to be jankier than others in the past. But if you already take it on your system, it may be able to exercise exactly what you want without installing any other software, so give it a shot.

Create Complex Scripts With AutoHotkey

AutoHotkey

If neither of the above options suit your needs, you tin can create powerful hotkeys with AutoHotkey, a free program that comes with its own little scripting linguistic communication for you to describe the actions yous desire your hotkeys to accept. Information technology'southward a scrap more difficult to use than the software you lot get with gaming keyboards, but if your keyboard doesn't come up with its own remapping plan, it's your adjacent all-time bet.

After installing AutoHotkey, create your hotkeys by correct-clicking anywhere in File Explorer and choosingNew > AutoHotkey Script. Correct-click on the resulting file and open it in Notepad.

Create basic hotkeys past adding a line like this:

Capslock::LWin

This remaps Caps Lock to the right Windows key. You can add a comment above it using a semicolon (;) to remind yous of what that hotkey does or why.

Again, SharpKeys is a better choice for a uncomplicated remapping like this, but permit's say you wanted to do something slightly more complicated, similar remap Caps Lock to Ctrl + Shift + Esc, so you tin can run across the Windows Task Manager with one keypress. Yous would create a line in your script similar this:

Capslock::^+Escape

Where ^ corresponds to Ctrl and + to Shift, every bit described hither.

This is where AutoHotkey becomes more than powerful. You tin can create hotkeys to type certain lines of text, run a program or batch file, or create shortcuts for specific programs. Y'all can even have one hotkey perform multiple actions in a series, giving y'all robust control over your shortcuts.

Once you've finished calculation your hotkeys to the script, salve the file and double-click on it. This will launch AutoHotkey in the system tray, and it volition run in the background interpreting your hotkeys for you lot. You can quit the plan at any time to fix your keys back to their default deportment.

(I recommend adding your .ahk script to Windows' startup folder, located at%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, so it will automatically run every time you plow on your reckoner.)

At that place's more to AutoHotkey than we could e'er fit into one pocket-sized article, so check out the AutoHotkey documentation and forums for more avant-garde instructions and ideas. If you can imagine it, there'due south well-nigh certainly a way to make AutoHotkey do it.

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