Windows Key Shortcuts - Enable or Disable

How to Enable or Disable Windows Key Shortcuts in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will allow you to enable or disable all Windows Key + key shortcut hotkeys for all or specific users in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

Pressing the Windows Key by itself will still open the Start menu even when Windows key shortcut hotkeys are set to disabled.

OPTION ONE

Enable or Disable Windows Key Hotkeys using a REG File

1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Enable Windows Key Hotkeys for All Users
NOTE: This is the default setting. A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below. Enable_Windows_Key_Hotkeys.zip

Download


3. To Disable Windows Key Hotkeys for All Users A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below. Disable_Windows_Key_Hotkeys.zip

Download


4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5.Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. Click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC - Windows 7/8) or Continue (UAC- Vista), Yes, and OK when prompted.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg and .zip files if you like.

8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

OPTION TWO

Enable or Disable Windows Key Hotkeys in Group Policy

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Windows Explorer (Vista/Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8). (see screenshot below)
3. In the right pane, double click/tap on Turn off Windows + X hotkeys to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 or 6 below for what you would like to do.


5. To Enable Windows Key Hotkeys A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below step 7)
NOTE: Not Configured is the default setting.
6. To Disable Windows Key Hotkeys A) Select (dot) Enabled, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below step 7)
7. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below)
8. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.

9. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Completely Disable the Windows Key
• A List of Shortcut Keys for Windows 7

 

[traum4u]

Hi Shawn, Many thanks for your quick response. I shall try and do a system restore as suggested by you, however in the above thread people also had problem with alt+tab not working and your solution has helped them, however I am not sure which option to choose. So I need your help to choose any of the best option, after I have tried system restore and if still problem exists.
Thanks and Regards,
Deepak

 

[Brink]

Deepak,

Without knowing what may have disabled your Alt+tab keys, a system restore would be the easiest and quickest way to hopefully fix this without having to do anything else.

 

[traum4u]

Hi Shawn, Thanks for your quick response. Well i tried System restore, however it didn't work either. Since Windows 7 has introduced the WindowsKey+Tab for 3D window selection, maybe we need to give that a try n see whether we get used to it as we did with Alt+Tab. Lets see how it works.

 

[Brink]

You might also see how using CTRL+ALT+TAB or the shortcut below may work.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/64323-flip-2d-shortcut-program.html

 

[trippdup]

No luck yet

64bit Win Ultimate

Windows+ hotkeys still don't work after using using the enable hotkeys registry edit.

 

[Brink]

Hello trippdup, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You, someone, or some tweak program may have used some other method than group policy to disable the Windows hotkey.

If this has just recently started to not work, then you might see if doing a system restore using a restore point (if available) dated before this happened to hopefully fix it for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[david0077]

greetings!

many thanks for this helpful thread, it allowed me to resolve... HALF the problem.

in a nutshell, i'd like an application i'm running to be able to act on all 'win'-key shortcuts. i've disabled win-key interception using the local group policy editor, as described in this thread. this seems to have allowed the application to receive most win-key combinations, but for some reason, the following shortcuts still can't be recognized by the application -win-b
win-c
win-h
win-l
win-p
win-u
to top it off, win-l locks my login, win-p displays an option window for projecting the display onto an external projector, and win-u pops up a convenience window -- which i'm assuming is standard behavior for these shortcuts.

is there any way to allow these key combinations to be used by an application, rather than having windows intercept them?

thanks,
dave

 

[Brink]

Hello Dave,

I'm not sure it's possible, but you might check the free AutoHotkey program to see if it may be able to help any.

 

[david0077]

Hello Dave,

I'm not sure it's possible, but you might check the free AutoHotkey program to see if it may be able to help any.

thanks, brink. i did download autohotkey and try it out. it'll disable those key combinations ok, but doesn't seem like it'll allow them to be used by an application. i.e., win-p no longer pulls up the windows projection menu, but it's still not seen by the application.

i'll post more once i get a more definite handle on what's happening w/autohotkey.

 

[Bobman]

Is it possible to disable only certain Windows Key combinations?

Hi Brink,

I've been reading through this thread and tried to the registry settings, and they work well. A little too well. I noticed that it disabled ALL my Windows key combinations.

I'm curious ... is it possible to disable certain Windows keys (such as: Win-1, Win-RightArrow) and leave other Windows keys intact (such as: Win-E, Win-R)?

Thanks!
- Bob

 

[Brink]

Hi Brink,

I've been reading through this thread and tried to the registry settings, and they work well. A little too well. I noticed that it disabled ALL my Windows key combinations.

I'm curious ... is it possible to disable certain Windows keys (such as: Win-1, Win-RightArrow) and leave other Windows keys intact (such as: Win-E, Win-R)?

Thanks!
- Bob

Hello Bob, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm sorry, but no. It's an all or none setting.

 

[Bobman]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks for the quick reply.
- Bob

 

[vishnusoman]

I tried your fix. But no changes. Win+tab, Win+M, Win+L and Win+D works. But I cannot get Win+R and Win+E working. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Brink]

Hello vishnusoman, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Do you have any 3rd party program installed that may have disabled them.?

 

[vishnusoman]

Thank you for the welcome, Sir.

I installed Lenovo Service Bridge, Lenovo Solution Center and Adobe AIR today, because I am facing some other issues with my keyboard. Also I opted for Avast's free program for 20 days today, after which I was asked to restart the computer.

The funny thing is, I can get Win+R and Win+E to work using my wireless keyboard! Still these combinations do not work from on-device keyboard.

 

[Brink]

Hmm, odd that it'll work one and not the other. That seems to lead to some issue with the on-device keyboard.

If the on-device keyboard has any OEM software installed for it, then you might see if it may have anything in it's settings that could change or disable these keystrokes.

 

[vishnusoman]

I had to download and install the drivers as the machine came with DOS. Since then it was working fine until today. There are some other problems, like the home key getting stuck or the touchpad getting stuck owing to the home key. I did not change any settings too.

I just uninstalled Adobe AIR and Lenovo softwares and restarted the system. But that did not fix the issue. Should I try uninstalling Avast, now?

 

[Brink]

I don't think Avast would be the issue.

It's starting to sound like some sort of incompatible hardware or drive issue. Did you check to see if anything sticky may be under the keys causing issues?

If it was working fine before, then you could see if doing a system restore using a restore point dated when it did work may help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[vishnusoman]

I have not disassembled my keys yet. Having something sticky under the Home button might be causing the 'getting stuck' issue. But the Win+R/E issue? It began today.

Downloaded the driver again from Lenovo's website and while trying to update the driver it says the driver I have installed is up-to-date.

 

[Brink]

If an available option, I'd try system restore first.