Disable the Capslock Key in Windows

Almost anyone who has used a word processor has accidentally hit the Caps Lock key and changed the case of what they were writing. This article describes a simple way to disable the Caps Lock key on your keyboard. Note: There is a related article on how to Disable the Insert Key in Windows that discusses disabling the insert key, along with an explanation of how it works. These instructions are specific to disabling the Caps Lock key. A method to disable both keys simultaneously is also provided. Make sure you read the warnings section before you continue.

Steps

Disable Caps Lock

  1. Go to Start → Run → regedit
  2. Go to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
  3. Right-click on the right half of the screen and choose New → Binary
  4. Name the new entry "Scancode Map"
  5. Enter 00000000000000000200000000003A0000000000
  6. Close
  7. Reboot.

Disable Insert & Caps Lock Simultaneously

  1. Go to Start → Run → regedit
  2. Go to HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
  3. Right-click on the right half of the screen and choose New → Binary Value
  4. Name the new value "Scancode Map"
  5. Enter 000000000000000003000000000052E000003A0000000000
  6. Close regedit
  7. Reboot.

Hardware version

  1. Physically remove the key. Pry the Caps Lock key from the keyboard. This will leave a hole where the key used to be, but you don't need administrator privileges to do this.

Using KeyTweak

  1. Download the KeyTweak program. This is a free program that allows you to remap and disable any key on your keyboard, including the CapsLock key. You can download KeyTweak from a variety of locations online.
    • Make sure to pay attention during the installation of KeyTweak. Depending on where you downloaded it from, you may be prompted to install adware during the installation process. Make sure to read every screen and uncheck any additional software that you don't want to install.
  2. Run the program. After installing KeyTweak, open the program. You will see a display of a virtual keyboard. The keys will be numbered instead of displaying the characters normally printed on them.
  3. Select the CapsLock key from the diagram. You can ensure you have the right key selected by looking at the Keyboard Controls section. There you will see what function is currently assigned to the selected key.
  4. Click "Disable Key". This button is located in the Keyboard Controls section. This will turn off the selected key, which will keep Caps Lock from activating when you press it.
  5. Reboot your computer. In order for the changes to take effect, you will need to reboot your computer.
  6. Turn Caps Lock back on. When you want to re-enable the CapsLock key again, open up KeyTweak, select the CapsLock key from the diagram, and click the Restore Default button in the Keyboard Controls section. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Tips

    1. Remember to update the number of keymap fields if you disable or map more keys.
    2. Delete the value HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout\Scancode Map if you mess it up. Reboot and start over.

Warnings

  • If you are using a non-standard keyboard (including laptop keyboards) look up the key scan codes, as they may be different.
  • Do not confuse HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout with HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layouts (notice the plural).
  • This affects all users on the computer. It cannot be applied on a per-user basis. Since the settings are stored in the registry, you can't change this behaviour by changing the keyboard.
  • You must have administrator privileges to do this.
  • You should back up your data before making changes to the registry.
  • You must be computer literate to try this. If you mess this up, your keyboard will misbehave.
  • You will need to reboot for the changes to take effect.

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