El keyboard of our PC It contains all the keys that we could find on old typewriters, with the classic "qwerty" layout. But there are also a series of specific keys to access certain functions of the operating system. In this post we will see How to disable sticky keys in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
These keys (Win, Shift, Ctrl, Alt…) are very useful, especially when we combine them with others, since they allow us to access certain commands and thus improve our efficiency and productivity. So, What reasons could we have for disabling them?
Disabling Windows special keys can be a useful action in some specific situations. For example, it is very practical for avoid accidental interruptions, activating unwanted commands or shortcuts that can close windows or activate applications. If this happens, for example, while we are playing on our PC, it can be very annoying. That is why many Gamers choose to disable Windows special keys before starting their gaming sessions.
These keys can become an endless source of confusing situations for novice users, which inadvertently open functions you don't want to launch, such as the Task Manager or the Start Menu. And it's not just a simple annoyance: unintentional use of these combinations can lead to interruptions or data loss.
What are the special keys in Windows?
These are the special Windows keys that can be very useful for performing certain functions, but which sometimes should be disabled:
- Windows key (Win), which is used to open the Start Menu and other combinations well known to most users: Win + E to open File Explorer, Win + R to open the Run dialog box, etc.
- Shift key, which is used to switch between uppercase and lowercase when typing.
- Ctrl (Control) key, used for numerous combinations: Ctrl + C to Copy, Ctrl + V to Paste, Ctrl + F to search within documents or web pages and many others.
- Alt Key (Alternative), which gives us access to various menus and commands when combined with other keys. Some of these combinations are Alt + Tab, to switch between open applications, or Alt + F4, to close an active window or application.
- Alt Gr (Graphic Alt) key with which you can activate alternative characters on some keys, such as the @ or € symbols.
- Fn (Function) key, present on laptop keyboards. It gives access to secondary functions such as adjusting screen brightness, volume, and enabling or disabling Wi-Fi.
- Print Screen Key Its main function is to “Print Screen”, but it offers other combinations. For example, Alt + Print Screen to capture only the active window.
- Esc (Escape) Key to cancel a running process, close a menu or pop-up window, etc.
Main function: Cancels or closes an ongoing operation or dialog. - Delete key to delete the selected item or character.
- Home and End key.
- Page Up and Page Down Key, to move around documents or web pages.
How to disable Windows special keys
If we want to disable those special keys on our Windows keyboard, this is what we should do (these instructions are valid for both Windows 10 and Windows 11):
Disable sticky keys
These keys, also known as «Sticky Keys» These are the ones that allow you to use key combinations by pressing one key at a time. When they are accidentally activated, we can deactivate them like this:
- First we use the Win + I combination to open the Settings menu.
- Then we will "Accessibility" o «Ease of access».
- There, in the section Keyboard, we are looking for the Special Keys option or Sticky Keys.
- Then we deactivate the option «Enable sticky keys».
- Finally, we uncheck the option «Allow sticky keys to be activated with the Shift key», thus preventing them from being activated by pressing Shift five times.
Disable toggle keys
The toggle keys or Toggle Keys are those that They make a sound when pressed.. These are Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock. This is how we can disable them:
- We again access the Settings menu.
- Then we open the section of "Accessibility" and we are going to "Keyboard".
- Finally, we select the option Toggle keys and we deactivate it.
Disable the Windows key
This is perhaps the key that offers us the most options and utilities and, therefore, the one that can cause us the most trouble when it is activated involuntarily. To deactivate the Windows (Win) key we have two options: do it by editing the Windows Registry, which is explained below, or by using third-party software:
- To start, we use the Win + R combination to open the Windows search engine. In it we write regedit and we press Enter.
- Then we followed the following route: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ Keyboard Layout
- In the right panel, we right-click and select "New" y «Binary value».
- We name this value as Scancode Map and we double click on it.
- Next, to disable the Win key, we write the following data: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 00 00.
- Finally, we restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
This process is considered an advanced Windows feature. You have to be very careful when using it, because if you make mistakes, you can cause damage to the system.