How to disable windows key windows 10

 
Procedures to Disable and Enable Windows Key in Windows 10 with steps. – On the Keyboard, Windows key performs multiple tasks such as open Start menu, Supports other keys to work as shortcuts. Some users find the key in the disabled state on Windows 10. Moreover few want to disable it for their own reasons.

So you will see here a guide explaining How to Disable / Enable Windows Key on Windows 10 with different methods. You should know that Ctrl+Esc functions as a substitute for the key on the keyboard. So in absence of the Windows key, you can effectively use this shortcut combination. See a very interesting article How to Create Keyboard Shortcut for a Website on Windows 10 in this regard.

This will take a few minutes to perform. Just read the steps given below to accomplish the task.

Method 1 – Using Registry Editor

Step 1 – Click the Start button, type regedit and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor on your screens.

Read this guide to find more ways to Access Registry Editor in Windows 10.

Step 2 – Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> System> CurrentControSet> Control> Keyboard Layout

Step 3 – Go to the right pane, right click on an empty field and select New followed by Binary Value. Name the value Scancode Map.

Step 4 – Right click on the Scancode Map Binary value and select Modify.

Step 5 – Edit Binary Value pop up appears. Type the following value data manually in the value data field –

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0
00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00

and click OK.

Step 5 – Close the Registry Editor and restart the system. When you need to again enable the key just delete Scancode Map value and restart the PC.

Method 2 – Again Disable / Enable Windows Key on Keyboard Windows 10 using the Registry editor

Step 1 – Access the Registry Editor (Click Start, type regedit, and press Enter).

Step 2 – Navigate to the following keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Step 3 – Navigate to the right pane, right-click on an empty space and select DWORD (32-bit) value from the list. Name it NoWinKeys.

Step 4 – Double click on NoWinKeys, and put value 1 under Value data and select OK. Oppositely, use the value data 0 to restore the previous status.

That’s it. Simply close the system and restart it.

Method 3 – Using the Group policy Editor

Step 1 – Press the shortcut key Win+R. Run dialog box will appear in the bottom left of the screen.

Step 2 – Type gpedit.msc and click OK.

Follow the additional methods to Open Group Policy Editor in Windows 10.

Step 3 – Navigate to the following path in your Group Policy editor

Computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

Step 4 – Check in the right pane, an entry name Turn off Windows + X hotkeys. Double click on it and select Enabled.

That’s all done now.

Finalizing words

So these are the ways leading to Disable / Enable Windows Key on Keyboard Windows 10. Once you make the key working it supports you perform the above-said works. And disabling the same you prevent using to open the Start menu, pay supportive role as keyboard shortcuts.

Nearly every Windows PC features a Windows key on the keyboard. The Windows key can be pressed to bring up the Start menu immediately. As useful as it sounds, it can be quite annoying at times. If you’re playing a game and mistakenly press it, it’ll kick you out of the full screen. On old systems with limited resources, it may cause your PC to suddenly freeze up. Luckily, there’s a way to disable the Windows key on your PC.

1. Disable Windows Key Using PowerToys Tool

The easiest way to disable the Windows key is by remapping the key. This means assigning it to another function that doesn’t interfere with what we are doing. You can remap the key using Microsoft’s free PowerToys utility.

To disable the Windows key on your PC, follow the steps below:

1. Download and install Microsoft PowerToys on your PC. You will also need .NET Core to install it. You can download it straight from the link provided in the installer if you don’t have it already installed.

2. Once installed, launch the utility.

3. Click on “Keyboard Manager” from the menu on the left.

4. In the “Keyboard Manager” window, click the “Remap a key” button.

5. Click on the “+” plus icon. This will allow you to add a mapping customization.

5. Select the key in the left column (in this case, the Windows key). You can also select “Type key” and press the Windows key on your keyboard. In the right column, select “Undefined.”

Here, selecting “Undefined” will remove the functionality of the Windows key, and nothing will happen when you press it. If you’d like to remap it to perform another function, you can select that from the right column.

6. Click OK and then “Continue Anyway.”

After that, the Windows key should be disabled. The settings save automatically, so you can close the utility and use your computer as usual.

However, if you’ve previously disabled your Windows key and want to re-enable it, you can use the same PowerToys utility to do so:

1. Open the PowerToys utility and navigate to “Keyboard Manager -> Remap a Key.”

2. In the listing, locate the “Win -> Undefined” mapping and click the nearby trash icon. This will delete it. Press OK to confirm the setting.

2. Disable Windows Key Using Group Policy Editor

If you are an advanced user, then you can remap the Windows key using the Registry Editor. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Press Win + R keys to open the Run command and enter gpedit.msc to open the Group Policy Editor.

2. Head over to the below-mentioned path:

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> File Explorer

3. From the right pane, locate the entry “Turn off Windows Key hotkeys.”

4. Double-click on “Turn off Windows Key hotkeys” and make sure to select “Enabled” in the new window that opens. Hit OK and Apply to save changes.

Note: Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows 10 Home edition, so you need to install it manually.

3. Disable Using Third-Party Tools

There are multiple third-party tools that you can download to disable the Windows key on your Windows 10 PC. In our case, we are using a tool called SharpKeys. It is a popular tool that makes it easier to disable keys on your keyboard.

1. Download SharpKeys on your PC and open it.

2. Click on the Add button.

3. Press “Type Key” located on the left pane, then press the Windows key.

5. Click on OK to select the pressed key.

6. From the right pane, you need to select “Turn Key Off” and click on OK to save the changes.

8. Finally, hit the “Write to Registry” button and restart your PC.

In order to enable the Windows key again, open the SharpKeys tool and delete the desired key from the main menu. After deletion, click on Write to Registry to store the changes.

Wrapping Up

These are some of the methods to disable the Windows key on Windows 10. There are also several other software you can use to remap the Windows button. Check them out.

Windows shortcuts are an integral part of the PC experience, and many of us use them on a daily basis. The Windows key is used in many keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10, like opening the Settings menu (Win key + I), accessing the Run dialog box (Win key + R), locking the computer (Win key + L), etc. However, it could sometimes be a bit of a nuisance while gaming if you accidentally press the Windows key and end up pulling up random menus or minimizing the game. So today, we will show you how to disable the Windows key for an uninterrupted gaming experience.

You can disable the Windows key using a variety of methods on Windows 10 devices. That includes using native methods like the registry editor and group policy editor, as well as a whole host of third-party programs. Microsoft’s power-user tool, PowerToys, is another utility that lets you disable the Windows key effortlessly. So without any further delay, let’s check out all the ways you can use to disable the Windows key on your Windows 10 PC.

1. Disable Windows Key Using Registry Editor

There are two methods to manually disable the Windows key on your keyboard using the registry editor. While one will only disable the Windows key, the other will disable all Windows key shortcuts. We have discussed both methods in this article.

Method 1: Disable Only the Windows Key

• First, open the Windows Registry Editor. To do that, search for ‘regedit’ in the Windows Search Bar and click on the first result.

• In the Registry Editor window, use the left sidebar to navigate to the following key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlKeyboard Layout. In the right pane, right-click on the empty space and choose New -> Binary Value from the menu. Name the new key ‘Scancode Map‘ (without quotes).

• Now double-click on Scancode Map and enter the following value in the data field: 00000000000000000300000000005BE000005CE000000000. Hit ‘OK‘ when done. Then, restart your PC to apply the changes.

That’s it. You have successfully disabled the Windows key on your PC. To re-enable the Windows key, go back into the Registry Editor and delete the Scancode Map key (right-click -> Delete).

Method 2: Disable All Windows Key Shortcuts

• Open the Windows registry editor as described above. Now navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer. Next, right-click on the empty space in the right pane and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Enter ‘NoWinKeys‘ (without quotes) as the name of the DWORD.

• Next, double-click on the DWORD key, and change the Value Data to “1” (without quotes) in the pop-up window. Hit ‘OK‘ and restart your PC to apply the changes.

Well, those are the steps you need to follow to disable all Windows key shortcuts on your PC. To re-enable Windows key shortcuts, go back into the Registry Editor and delete the new key (right-click -> Delete).

2. Using a Reg File

If editing the Windows registry is too much work or if you are afraid of messing up your Windows installation, you can use a registry file to disable the Windows key. For that, download this reg file (courtesy of Ten Forums) and run it on your Windows 10 PC. You will get a warning message about making changes to the registry. Click on ‘Yes’ to get the job done.

This method is the fastest and the simplest way to disable the Windows key on your keyboard. To revert the changes and re-enable the Windows key, download and run another reg file, also courtesy of the folks over at Ten Forums. Restart your PC after running the file, and the changes should reflect after that.

3. Using Group Policy Editor

The following process disables Windows key shortcuts rather than the key itself. If you want to disable the Windows key entirely, move over to the next method.

• Hit Windows key + R simultaneously to open the Run dialog box. You can also search for ‘Run’ in the Windows Search Bar. Now type ‘gpedit.msc’ and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor.

• In the Group Policy Editor window, go to the following path using the left sidebar: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer. In the right pane, locate the entry that says: ‘Turn off Windows Key hotkeys‘.

• Double-click on the ‘Turn off Windows Key hotkeys’ setting and select ‘Enabled‘ in the pop-up window. Finally, click ‘OK‘ or ‘Apply‘ to save your changes.

Note: Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows 10 Home. So if that’s what you are using on your computer, follow our step-by-step guide to enable Group Policy Editor on Windows 10 Home.

4. Using Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is an immensely useful free utility that offers power users many options to tweak Windows 10. We have already written a detailed tutorial on how to use PowerToys on Windows 10, including how to use the built-in keyboard manager. And today, we will show you how to use that feature to disable the Windows key on your computer.

• First off, download Microsoft PowerToys from GitHub (Free) if you don’t already have it on your computer. Now launch the app and click on ‘Keyboard Manager‘ on the left sidebar. Now click the ‘Remap a Key‘ button on the right pane.

• In the ‘Remap Keyboard’ window, click on the ‘+‘ sign under ‘Key’ to add a custom mapping rule.

• Next, use the drop-down menu on the left to select the ‘Win‘ key. You can also click on ‘Type’ and press the ‘Win’ key. Now move over to the ‘Mapped To’ drop-down menu on the right and select ‘Disable‘. Hit ‘OK‘ once you are done. This will set the new mapping rule for both left and right Windows keys at once.

• Windows will warn you that you won’t be able to use the Windows keys after disabling them. Hit ‘Continue Anyway‘ to proceed.

• Both Windows keys on your keyboard will be immediately disabled (no restart needed). But remember that you will need to keep PowerToys open at all times for this mapping rule to work. To re-enable the Windows keys, simply ‘Exit’ the app from the system tray, and the Windows keys will work once again.

5. Using Third-Party Applications

There are plenty of third-party applications that allow users to remap keys in Windows 10. One such utility is the open-source app SharpKeys (Free). It comes either in an installable package for x86 and x64 systems or an installer-less package (ZIP file) that works on both x86/ x64 and ARM-based Windows 10 computers. Here’s how you use it:

• Open SharpKeys and click on ‘Add‘ at the bottom-left corner.

• You will now see the option to remap keys on your keyboard. Click on the ‘Type Key‘ button at the bottom-left.

• You will get a popup prompting you to ‘Press a button on your keyboard’. Press the Windows key. The app will immediately read the keypress and let you know which key you are going to remap. Click on ‘OK‘ to confirm your selection.

• On the right pane, select the ‘Turn Key Off‘ option and then hit ‘OK‘.

• Finally, click on ‘Write to Registry‘ to seal the deal. Repeat the process with the second Windows key on the keyboard if you so want. Now restart your PC to apply the changes.

• To enable the Windows key(s) again, select the target key(s) from the SharpKeys menu, and then click on Delete -> Write to Registry. Now restart your PC to get your Windows key(s) back in working order.

Other Third-Party Tools to Disable Windows Key

If you want a simpler one-click solution, you can use a utility that blocks the Windows key on your Windows 10 PC. We recommend the free and portable WinKill app, which lets you temporarily disable the Windows key without rebooting your computer. To use it, download it from GitHub (Free) or MajorGeeks (Free) and then install it on your PC. Now click on the WinKill icon in the system tray to toggle the Windows key on or off.

WinKill is a nifty utility that works as advertised. It uses almost zero resources, requires just one click to enable or disable the Win key, and is simple enough for your grandma. However, if you still need other options, there are various other similar applications you can check out. They include WKey Disabler (Free), Disable Windows Key (Free), AutoHotkey (Free), etc.

6. Activate ‘Gaming Mode’ on Your Gaming Keyboard

One of the fastest, simplest, and safest ways to disable the Windows key on your Windows 10 computer is through the custom software that comes with your gaming keyboard. These utilities typically offer you options to configure various settings such as macros and lighting.

Most gaming keyboards ship with custom software that includes, among other things, a ‘Gaming Mode’ that allows you to block the Windows key while gaming. If you are unsure of how to activate the feature, check your keyboard manufacturer’s support site for detailed instructions. Do note that not every gaming keyboard supports this feature, so make sure to check if your keyboard offers this function.

Meanwhile, if you don’t use a gaming keyboard or thinking of getting a new one, check out the best gaming keyboards you can buy in 2021. Also, check out our ultimate gaming keyboard guide to learn about different mechanical switches, keycaps, and more in gaming keyboards.

Disable the Windows Key for Uninterrupted Gaming

Hopefully, the tutorial above will help you get the chicken dinner that you rightfully deserve. So go ahead, disable the Windows key on your PC and let us know which method you chose and why in the comments section below. Once you do that, also check out how you can optimize your Windows 10 PC for gaming and keep your PC’s temperature under control to prevent thermal throttling. Finally, check out the best budget gaming SSDs and the best DDR4 RAM for gaming you can buy.

Windows 10 key is one of the oldest and the most useful key in Windows OS, it has been serving the users since 1994 and will continue to do. The best thing about this key apart from it being the quickest way to launch the Start Menu, the shortcuts that allow you to do things quickly.

It is very easy to disable the Windows key and in this article, we are going to do just that.

There are a plethora of methods by which you can easily disable the Windows Key. According to many professional gamers, they don’t want any accidental presses, and if the windows key is enabled then the chances of accidental presses increases. Let’s just methods to disable the Windows Key.

1. Disable Windows Key by Registry

The registry is one of the best ways to alter settings in your computer is by Registry. In this section, we are going to use Registry to disable the Windows Key.

Note: Be careful while doing anything with the registry as it can damage some other settings as well.

To disable Windows Key with the help of Registry you need to follow the prescribed steps:-

Step 1: Launch the Registry Editor by either searching it out from the start menu or by RUN(Win + R), type “regedit” and hit enter.

Step 2: Now, we are going to create a backup as it can be helpful if things go wrong by File> Export.

Step 3: From the Export Range section select All, file name: Backup, and click Save.

This will create a backup and will help you in the future if things go wrong.

Now you need to alter the settings with the help of the following steps:-

Step 4: Now, either navigate to the Keyboard layout with the help of the given route by clicking on the drop arrow from the left panel or by copying the given route and pasting it in the search bar.

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlKeyboardLayout

Step 5: Now, right-click on the Keyboard Layout then New> Binary Value and rename the newly created entity to ScancodeMap.

Step 6: Launch the ScancodeMap by double-clicking on it and insert the following value.

Note: You can’t just copy and paste the value, you have to manually enter it.

00000000000000000300000000005BE000005CE000000000

Then click Apply and OK to confirm the alteration.

Finally, restart your PC and you are good to go. 

The best thing about this method is that whenever you feel like you need to enable the Windows Key, just go to the registry and delete the created entity ScancodeMap.

2. Disable Windows Keys by SharpKeys

SharpKeys is a third-party application that allows you to remap the keyboard keys. In this section, we are going to use it to disable the Windows Keys. To do that, you need to follow the prescribed steps:-

Step 1: Download the SharpKey and launch it.

Step 2: On the appeared screen, click on the Add button.

Step 3: Now, from the appeared screen, click on the Type Key of the left panel.

Step 4: On the appeared screen, press the Win key and click OK.

Step 5: Now from the left panel of the Window, choose Turn Key Off and click OK.

Step 6: Finally, click on the Write to Registry option to end the task.

This will turn the Windows Keys off, to get things right you need to restart your computer and hopefully, you will be able to enjoy a seamless gaming experience.

If you want to revert the settings and allow the Windows Key then do as follows:-

Step 1: Launch the application.

Step 2: Select the created entity and then click on the Delete button.

Step 3: Click on the Write to Registry button and you are good to go.

This will enable the Windows Key but you still should restart your computer once, in order to get things in the right place.

3. Disable Windows Key by using a Gaming Mode

If you are someone looking to disable the Windows Key then the chances of you being a gamer are high. If you are interested in gaming and have a Gaming Keyboard then you can use its gaming mode to disable the Windows Keys.

Many gaming keyboards have either a physical manual or a virtual one. In that manual, you can see the shortcuts by which you can enter the Gaming mode which usually disabled the Windows Key.

One thing you should know, this option is temporary and best for gamers as you don’t want to disable the Windows Keys permanently because of its plethora of features.

4. Disable Windows Keys from the Keyboard Applications

This one goes hand in hand with the former method. As we have already mentioned, gaming keyboards allow you to disable the Windows Key with the help of an application that is provided to you by the manufacturer or the one you have downloaded from the manufacturer’s official website.

Many applications allow you to disable the Windows Key, you can either ask your vendor to provide you the software or visit the official website to download the software.

5. Disable Windows Keys by AutoHotKey Script

Now, let’s write some script and disable the AutoHotKey. AutoHotKey is an open-source software on which you can write short scripts and then run it to perform a specific task.

But before going any further you need to download the AutoHotKey. After downloading follow the prescribed steps to disable the Windows Key.

Step 1: Right-click on the desktop screen, New> AutoHotKey Script.

Step 2: A new blank AutoHotkey file will be formed, right-click on it, and then select Edit Script.

Step 3: This will redirect you to the AutoHotKey coding panel, there, you need to type the following commands.

~LWin Up::return

~RWin Up::return

Save the script, right-click on the AutoHotKey file, and select Run Script from the appeared list.

Now, every time you need to disable the Windows Key just RUN the formed script. And you are good to go.

There is a lot more cool stuff that you can do with AutoHotKey other than disabling the Windows Key. read our guide on Best AutoHotKey Script To Make Your Life Easier.

6. Disable Windows Keys by blocking HotKeys with register

In this section, we are going to use the registry editor to block Windows Key hotkeys. To do that, you need to be obedient to the following steps:-

Step 1:  Launch the Registry Editor by either searching it out from the start menu or by RUN(Win + R), type “regedit” and hit enter.

Step 2: Now reach the Explorer by either expanding the folders in the following order or just by copying and pasting the following route.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Step 3: Now, right-click on Explorer from the left panel and then New> DWORD(32-bit) value.

Step 4: Name the newly created value, like NoWinKey.

Step 5: Launch the newly created registry, change the values to 1, and hit enter.

This will disable the Windows Key. Restart your computer to get things on track and you are good to go.

Now, you can enjoy them without thinking about the accidental presses.

7. Disable Windows Keys by Group Policy Editor

Group Policy Editor allows you to alter the settings of your Windows OS and enable or disable features like PowerShell or command prompt. In this section, we are going to disable the Windows Keys with the help of the Group Policy Editor.

To do that, you need to follow the prescribed steps:-

Step 1: Launch the Group Policy Editor either by searching it out from the start menu or by RUN(Win + R), type “gpedit.msc” and hit enter.

Step 2: Now, we need to reach File Explorer from the given path by expanding the folders from the left panel of the screen.

User Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Component> File Explorer

Step 3: After reaching the File Explorer double click on “Turn off Windows Key hotkeys” from the right side of the screen.

Step 4: Now, from the appeared screen, select Enabled and click OK.

Finally, restart your computer and you longer will be able to use the Windows Key.

If you want to enable it, go to the same location, launch the “Turn off Windows Key hotkeys” and select disabled.

 8. Disable Windows Keys by third-party apps

There are tons of applications out there in the market by which you can easily turn off the Windows Key. They may or may not be specifically for this purpose but they get the job done.

Winkill:-

Winkill is one of those applications specifically built to disable the Windows Key and shortcuts associated with it. The best thing about Winkill is that you don’t need to restart your computer as you did in all the previous methods.

You just need to download and launch and Windows Key and shortcuts associated with it will be blocked.

This software was primarily built for gamers in order to save them from accidental presses. Any version of Windows(XP or after) is supported by this application. Therefore download it and use this small and simple tool to disable the Windows Key.

Simple disable Key:-

Simple Disable Key is another of those third-party applications that will allow you to disable the Windows Key. The best part about this application is that you can disable any key on your keyboard with its help.

To disable Windows Key with the help of Simple Disable Key you need to follow the prescribed steps:

Step 1: Download and launch the Simple Disable Key application.

Step 2: Now from the appeared screen, select Windows Key and then click Add key.

Step 3: This will redirect you to the “When to disable Windows”, there you need to select according to your need and then click OK to end the process.

Wrap-up:-

In this article, we have seen different methods by which you can disable the Windows key and at the same time few third-party applications that you can use. All of them work well and you can choose one for you. 

Let’s just quickly go over them:-

• By registry: Launch the registry editor, navigate via ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlKeyboardLayout then right-click on the Keyboard Layout then New> Binary Value, double-click on the newly created entity, enter 00000000000000000300000000005BE000005CE000000000 and click OK

• By SharpKey: Add> Type Key> press win key> OK from the left panel Turn Key Off> OK> Write to registry.

• Using Gaming: Check your keyboard’s official website or provided manual.

• By Keyboard Application.

• By AutoHotKey Script: Right-click on desktop> New> AutoHotKey, right-click on AutoHotKey file> Edit Script> type “~LWin Up::return ~RWin Up::return” > Save,  right-click on AutoHotKey file> Run Script.

• By Registry: Launch the registry editor, navigate via

   HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer

Then right-click on Explorer> New> DWORD(32-bit) value, launch the newly created entity, and change the value to 1.

• By Group Policy: Launch the Group Policy Editor, navigate to File Explorer by User Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Component> File Explorer and then double click on “Turn off Windows Key hotkeys”, select Enabled, and click OK.
• By Third-party app: Winkill and Simple Disable Key.