How To Change Keyboard Bindings Windows 10

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The standard Windows keyboard layout hasn't changed much in the by few decades, but there'southward a take a chance you don't use every fundamental on your keyboard. If y'all think the Caps Lock key would work improve as something else, or wish you could open up Windows' Task Manager with one keystroke, at that place are a few ways to remap those unused keys.

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Remap Keys With SharpKeys

SharpKeys

If you merely want to remap i key to some other, SharpKeys is a elementary, open-source program that uses the Windows registry. As an example, I use SharpKeys to make my Alt central act as the Ctrl key, and my Caps Lock act as the Windows key.

Since SharpKeys writes this information directly to the Windows registry, it's the best choice for these kinds of 1-to-i cardinal remappings. Y'all don't have to rely on some other software as a middleman, and you'll run across the fewest compatibility issues, since Windows itself is interpreting the keystrokes. Download the plan (I recommend the portable zip version, which doesn't crave installation) and outset it up.

To remap a key, click the Add button and choose your keys from the two columns. The left column denotes the key you'll printing (for example, the Caps Lock primal) and the right cavalcade denotes the action that fundamental will take (for example, interim every bit the Windows key). Y'all tin also press the Type Key button and printing a key on your keyboard if you accept trouble hunting information technology down in the list.

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

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Customize Hotkeys With Your Keyboard'south Software

Logitech's Gaming Software

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

Non only can you remap keys, but many of these programs let y'all create multi-key shortcuts, insert blocks of text, or create different profiles for each of your games. Some will even let you "tape" macros, allowing you to create complex shortcuts merely by recording your actions and assigning them to a hotkey.

Each of these programs are a bit unlike, so we can't go into all of them here, just the gist should be the same across manufacturers: download the software, select your keyboard, and wait for the option to create new hotkeys, macros, or actions. When in doubt, cheque the support page for your specific keyboard, and y'all'll find tutorials on how to get information technology done.

Your mileage may vary with these, as I've institute sure programs to exist jankier than others in the past. But if you already have it on your system, it may be able to do exactly what y'all want without installing whatever other software, so give information technology a shot.

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Create Complex Scripts With AutoHotkey

AutoHotkey

If neither of the above options suit your needs, you tin can create powerful hotkeys with AutoHotkey, a gratis program that comes with its own niggling scripting language for you to describe the actions you want your hotkeys to take. It'due south a flake more hard to use than the software you lot get with gaming keyboards, but if your keyboard doesn't come with its own remapping program, it's your side by side best bet.

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

Create bones hotkeys by adding a line like this:

Capslock::LWin

This remaps Caps Lock to the correct Windows key. You can add together a comment in a higher place it using a semicolon (;) to remind you of what that hotkey does or why.

Again, SharpKeys is a better selection for a elementary remapping like this, only let's say yous wanted to practice something slightly more than complicated, like remap Caps Lock to Ctrl + Shift + Esc, and then you can see the Windows Task Manager with one keypress. You would create a line in your script like this:

Capslock::^+Escape

Where ^ corresponds to Ctrl and + to Shift, as described here.

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

In one case you've finished calculation your hotkeys to the script, salve the file and double-click on information technology. This will launch AutoHotkey in the system tray, and information technology volition run in the background interpreting your hotkeys for you lot. You can quit the programme at any time to set your keys dorsum to their default actions.

(I recommend adding your .ahk script to Windows' startup folder, located at%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Carte du jour\Programs\Startup, so information technology volition automatically run every time you turn on your computer.)

There's more to AutoHotkey than nosotros could ever fit into 1 small article, so check out the AutoHotkey documentation and forums for more avant-garde instructions and ideas. If you can imagine information technology, there'due south virtually certainly a way to make AutoHotkey practice information technology.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/remap-your-keyboard

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