7 Free Tools to Move and Remap Keys on Your Keyboard [want to change Windows keyboard keys? Even CapsLock to copy instead? See comment also]

Raymond.CC Blog ^ | 1 year ago | HAL9000

[daniel1212]

Broken keyboard keys are quite a common occurrence on laptops and netbooks. Although it’s not a terrible problem if the keypress still registers without the key, it is quite difficult if a common key doesn’t work at all. Maybe there’s keys you keep hitting by mistake such as Caps Lock, or would just like a certain key to be in a more convenient location. Or, there might be a key on your keyboard you never seem to use or need.

In all those situations, a simple solution would be to change the keyboard keys to do something else...or run a shortcut/hotkey utility.
Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

1. Microsoft PowerToys For Windows 10

The old utility suite for Windows XP and 95 called PowerToys was resurrected in 2019 for Windows 10 users...

Open PowerToys and enable the Keyboard Manager. Click “Remap a key” and choose the key to change (Key column) and then what to change it to (“Mapped to” column). You can either find the key in the dropdown menu or type it in manually. Map a key to “Undefined” to disable it entirely.... Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

Download Microsoft PowerToys For Windows 10

2. SharpKeys

SharpKeys is an easy tool to use but it lacks a keyboard interface layout which could make it quicker to identify the keys you want to change. The main interface is pretty empty to start with and only the edits you have made will show up here...

Use the Load/Save keys buttons to save the list of key changes so they can be loaded again later on. SharpKeys is available as a zipped portable version or an MSI setup installer, the .NET Framework 4 needs to be installed for Windows 7 users.

Download SharpKeys
Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

3. MapKeyboard

MapKeyboard is a portable and tiny keyboard remapper that is under 100KB in size....
Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

Download MapKeyboard 1.5

4. Key Mapper

Key Mapper is an easy to use and intuitive tool that can remap a key or disable it completely. To disable a key all you have to do is click on it and drag it off the program’s window, which will then turn the key a brownish color.
Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

Download Key Mapper

5. Keytweak...

As KeyTweak is effectively abandonware and only one executable and pdf help file, we’ve extracted the setup installer and zipped the files to make it portable.

Download KeyTweak Portable
Read More: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/make-certain-keys-on-a-keyboard-to-act-like-other-keys/?unapproved=1191718&moderation-hash=caf69f24b993b428981030a251ac7275#comment-1191718

6. Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator...

Windows 10 requires the .NET framework version 3 to be installed.

Download Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

7. RemapKeyboard

This last tool is a portable standalone executable and only 79KB in size....

Like all other tools using the registry scan code method, you have to log off or restart the system for the changes to take effect.

Download RemapKeyboard

[daniel1212]

Due to my stiff arthritic fingers and frequent copy and paste operations (and no real need for the CapsLock key) then I use AutoHotkey to remap the CapsLock key to ctrl+c, and Esc to ctrl+v and NumLock to Esc, and the middle mouse button to ctrl+x - all which is very easily coded (as separate lines)

CapsLock::^c

NumLock::Esc

Esc::^v

mbutton::^x

After installing AutoHotkey, right-click on any empty space in a folder or desktop and go to New > AutoHotkey Script. Then right-click on the resulting file (AutoHotkey Script.ahk) and choose edit in Notepad or equivalent. Below the section that you see above in it with lines that are prefaced with ; and maybe # then place your scripts such as my list above in separate lines. Then add the word return as the last and final line after all the commands you want to make.

You can then right click on the AutoHotkey Script and hit Run Script.

You can also add (in your section) other hot key commands that increase efficiency. For instance

#5::Run powercfg.cpl

means if you hold down the Windows key (next to Ctrl, with the flag on it) which is always represented as # (while + means Shift, and ^ means Ctrl and ! means Alt) and then tap the number 5 key (you can put another one) then the Windows 10 power options will open up. Likewise

#7::Run control.exe

will hot key the old Control Panel to open up via Windows key and the number 5 key. Among other commands I use are

#U::Run C:\Windows\System32\appwiz.cpl

which opens up Add and Remove programs.

But you can make combination keys in commands such as

#+::Run (Win and Shift)

#^::Run (Win and Ctrl)

#!::Run (Win and Alt)

#>+::Run (Win and Right Shift)

Thus #+s::Run services.msc means Windows key and Shift, but ^+ could also be used Ctrl and Shift, etc.

You can open many programs at once as by making the first line #+f1:: (or whatever you choose) and then add on separate lines the programs, etc you want to run, such as I do (partial list)

Run C:\Program Files (x86)\BPBible\bpbible.exe

Run C:\Vivaldi\Application\vivaldi.exe

Run C:\Program Files\ProcessExplorer - 1\procexp64.exe

And as said, add the word return as the last and final line after all the commands you want to make.

To make this script automatically run every time you boot up, place a shortcut to your .ahk script in the Windows' startup folder, located at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Or copy the .ahk script file, then hold down the Windows key and tap the r key to open the Run command and paste shell:startup. Then in the Startup folder, right-click inside the window and hit Paste Shortcut.

As for Linux, while I do not use certain multimedia codecs due to qualms about the legality of them here in the US, I have tried many distros and run two PC with Linux, but have not been able to remap the CapsLock to ctrl+c, at least after reboots, despite the many "try this/should work" suggestions (and we have dealt with this before on this thread.

However, I just came across this recent page, which I may try in the future: Key Remapping in Linux — 2021 Edition Duane Johnson Nov 19, 2021

Hope this helps. . Grace and peace thru Jesus. Key Remapping in Linux — 2021 Edition

[daniel1212]

For your ping lists.

[daniel1212]

Note that the posted article are excerpts: see whole article here:

[aimhigh]

I keep waiting for a keyboard with LED covered keys, allowing each key to display its value, which is changeable.

[Fiddlstix]

Bookmark!

[KevinB]

PFL

[Organic Panic]

I tried many of those utilities and none seemed to work. It drove me crazy when I got a newer model of my computer and they swapped where the ctrl alt and windows buttons are. So all my hot keys I had been using for years were in a different spot on the new machine. Instinct kicks in and the stupid windows key (whoch I never use) is right where the ctrl key is on the older machine.

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

Thanks. Very helpful.

[Magnum44]

I never understood why I would want to remap keys....heck, I cant even find what I’m looking for when they are labeled correctly.

[The Chid]

I remember ansi.sys back in the days of DOS...

[daniel1212]

"I tried many of those utilities and none seemed to work.

Well, the AutoHotKey has always worked for me on Windows PCs.

It drove me crazy when I got a newer model of my computer and they swapped where the ctrl alt and windows buttons are. So all my hot keys I had been using for years were in a different spot on the new machine. Instinct kicks in and the stupid windows key (whoch I never use) is right where the ctrl key is on the older machine."

Yes, I do not like the switch-a-roo either! There are programmable keyboards that allow you to electronically move keys from one position to another, but they are expensive.

[daniel1212]

I do not know if this is close to what you want: https://kinesis-ergo.com/programmable-keyboards/

[daniel1212]

"I never understood why I would want to remap keys....heck, I cant even find what I’m looking for when they are labeled correctly."

Well, there also is speech-to-text software are I described here. Try here . However, for me it is inconvenient.

[daniel1212]

"https://freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=4027215,10"

And you likely still have floppy disks!

[The Chid]

You’re just guessing. :)

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[dayglored]

Key Remapping for Windows ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to daniel1212 for the ping!

[daniel1212]

Thanks. Note also Key Remapping in Linux — 2021 Edition https://medium.com/@canadaduane/key-remapping-in-linux-2021-edition-47320999d2aa

[ptsal]

Bkmk floppy

[Red Badger]

Are you old enough to remember the old DOS days and all those ‘Hot Key’ freeware programs (what we call ‘APPS’ today) that were all over the BBS worlds?. There were ‘remapping’ apps and programmable key apps so that you could save a string of commands under one key.....

Everything old is new again.........................