Turn Off Caps Lock

Press Caps Lock once, and no one will take you seriously until you turn it off. If your key is stuck in the "on" position, there are a few ways to fix it and return to normal typing. You can also disable Caps Lock entirely so you can stop worrying about, but this is difficult to do on Windows.

Steps

Fixing a Stuck Caps Lock Key

1. Fix-a-Jammed-Keyboard-Key. If the Caps Lock button doesn't turn off when you press it a second time, it might be stuck in a lowered position. Clean it with a can of compressed air, or wipe it carefully with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
2. Turn off accessibility settings. Windows has several settings intended for people who have physical restrictions on how they can use the keyboard. Hotkeys can activate these settings accidentally, changing the behavior of your keyboard. Some settings, especially Sticky Keys, can cause an unexpected caps lock effect. Make sure these settings are disabled:
   • Search for "Ease of Access" in the search bar. On Windows XP and earlier versions, type in "Accessibility" instead.
   • Select the "Keyboard" tab or scroll to the Keyboard area.
   • Turn off all "Useful Keys" settings, especially Sticky Keys
3. Set your computer to turn off Caps Lock with Shift. Most versions of Windows have an option to turn Caps Lock off (but not on) using the Shift key instead of Caps Lock. Here's how:
   • Windows 10: Control Panel → Clock, Language, and Region → Change input method → Advanced settings (in the left pane) → Change language bar hot keys → Advanced Key Settings (tab name at top of window) → Click the button next to Press the SHIFT key → Apply → Okay.
   • Windows 8: Control Panel → Languages → Advanced Settings → Change language bar hot keys → Advanced key settings → Press the SHIFT key → Apply → Okay.
   • Windows 7: Control Panel → Regional and Language Options → Keyboards & Languages → Change Keyboard → Advanced Key Settings → Press the SHIFT key → Apply → Okay.

Disabling Caps Lock Permanently (Windows)

1. Create a restore point. Disabling Caps Lock requires you to edit the Windows registry. A mistake in the registry could cause major problems, so create a backup before you begin. Type "restore point" in the search bar, click "create a restore point," then follow the onscreen prompts. If your attempt to disable caps lock leads to issues, you can use the System Restore feature to return your computer to this restore point.
   • For more details, see these specific guides for Use-System-Restore-on-Windows-7 and Create-a-Restore-Point-in-Windows-8.
2. Log on to an administrator account. You will need an administrator account to make this change.
3. Download a pre-made tool. Unfortunately, Microsoft's official tools will not allow you to change the Caps Lock key. However, there are third-party tools that can save you time and effort. A couple popular options are this AskVG tool and SharpKeys. Both of these are getting old, and may not work on newer operating systems.
   • A malicious tool could seriously harm your computer. Download from trustworthy sties only.
4. Use the tool to disable caps lock. The tool you downloaded might come with instructions in a text file, or on the website where you found it. Here's the process for the two examples mentioned above:
   • AskVG: Open "Disable Caps Lock.reg" and confirm that you want to run it.
   • SharpKeys: Open SharpKeys and click Add. Select "Caps Lock" in the left (Map this key), and "Turn Key Off" from the right column (To this key). Select OK, then Write to Registry, and confirm the change.
5. Restart your computer. You will need to restart your computer before the change takes effect.
6. Edit the registry manually. If you cannot find a trustworthy tool that works on your computer, you can make the change yourself. This is not recommended unless you have edited the registry before. The process is difficult and can cause problems for some users. Make sure you have a backup, then follow these instructions:
   • Note — these instructions were written for Windows 7, but the process is similar for other modern versions of Windows.
   • Open "regedit.exe"
   • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout using the folders in the left pane.
   • Right click "Keyboard Layout" and select "New" → "Binary Value" from the drop-down menu. A new object should appear with the type "REG_BINARY."
   • Rename this new object "Scancode Map"
   • Right-click your new Scancode Map and select "Modify."
   • Change the Value Data field to exactly this series of numbers: 00000000 00000000 02000000 00003A00 00000000
   • Hit OK and close the registry editor.
   • Restart your computer.

Disabling Caps Lock Permanently (Mac)

1. Open System Preferences. You can find System Preferences from the Apple logo on the top menu. It is usually found in the Dock and Applications folder as well.
2. Click the Keyboard icon. If you don't see this, type "keyboard" into the System Preferences search bar and click the highlighted option.
3. Select Modifier Keys. This button is in the lower right corner of the Keyboard options. Pressing it will open a pop-up window.
4. Change the Caps Lock key to No Action. Click the drop-down menu to the right of "Caps Lock Key." Select No Action, then OK. Caps Lock is now disabled.
   • If you want to undo this change, return to the same menu and click "Restore Defaults" in the lower left corner.

Tips

• If you only have a problem with capital letters in a specific program (such as Word), look in the settings for that program.
• The value on that Windows registry key mapping is easier to understand than it looks. The "2" tells the computer the length of the data being edited. "00003A00" means "map the null result (0000) to the Caps Lock key (3A00)."

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• Click a Computer Mouse
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• Copy and Paste
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• Turn off Firewall
• Check Computer Specifications
• Restart a Computer

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