If you like to play with your computer and you have realized that this key becomes more of an advantage than an advantage , or you accidentally give it a lot and it activates without you wanting to, or you simply want to change it for another, there is various reasons why you may want to disable Windows Win on your keyboard. For this reason, we will tell you how you can do it.
First of all, it is convenient that you know what it is for because you may think that it does not interest you, but you end up realizing that you use it more than you think or you may need it on certain occasions. In any case, if you disable it, we will also tell you the ways to recover it again in case you need it. It may also be clear to you that you do not need it at all and you do not want to have it, or you prefer to change it for something that you do use.
You should know that you can disable this key from your own keyboard on some occasions, with system tools or with external applications that are simple to use and safe. We tell you about all the ways you can get rid of it and work or play with your computer without it bothering you anymore.
What is it for
Win has a large number of functions in combination with others, so it is usually very practical. It alone can open and close the start menu , this is in fact its main function. Also, it has many shortcuts under its belt in combination with others. Win + A opens the activity center, with B go to the notification area, with C open Cortana, with D show the desktop, with E open the file explorer, with F open the opinions center, with G open the toolbar games, with H you start a dictation, with I you open the configuration, with R you open the run mode, with S you start searches. Each of the letters in combination with this key has its own function. You can also create shortcuts in combination with symbols or different keys.
In your day to day you may be using various combinations with it, or you may only do it occasionally and it will be more annoying than practical if it is so. However, if you are playing it, it may be annoying because if you accidentally hit it you can end up accidentally leaving the game, and this could ruin more than one game. You may also want to disable it if you tend to accidentally hit it very frequently or even if you don’t need it and prefer to change it to another function.
With system tools
You can deactivate the key with the system’s own tools, so we will discuss the different ways in which you can do it. You just have to follow the steps and, once you have done it, you would get rid of the inconvenience that can be caused by using it or giving it to you inadvertently.
With the registry editor
You can do the same from the registry editor. The fastest way is through the Run command, which curiously you can access with the Windows + R shortcut. Don’t worry that you can still use this shortcut if you disable it by searching for it. Once it is, type regedit and confirm.
In the subfolders that you will find or in the path above you will have to reach HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetKeyboardLayout. You will come across a file called Default. Once you get to it, you will right click and make another entry with New. Binary value . It is a map of a barcode. Open it and in value write 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00. Finish the entry with OK and restart the computer.
If you want to activate it again at some point, you just have to search for regedit or run in the search box and follow the same steps following the indicated path. In the end, you will remove Scancode Map and restart the PC.
From the registry editor and in another path you will be able to block the Windows hotkeys in this path HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer. You right-click in the empty space. Give New DWORD (32-bit Value), write NoWinKeys, open its properties and put 1 in the data value and give Ok. Restart and you will no longer be able to use keyboard shortcuts.
With Group Policy Editor
If you want to do it from the Group Policy Editor, the easiest way is to go run using Win + R (or searching for it) and type gpedit.msc . Give Ok and navigate to User Configuration, then go to Administrative Templates, then Windows Components and finally select File Explorer.
In the right pane, find and double-click Disable hotkeys. Click On, Apply and OK. Reboot. It is a simple solution to disable shortcuts, but if you want to totally get rid of Win it may not be enough.
With keys
If you have Game Mode on your keyboard because it is gaming or is configured like that, you can get rid of the annoying Windows key while you are playing by pressing it. This is the practicality of having this type of accessories if you like to play with the computer a lot or if you dedicate yourself to it.
You can also do it with Fn , specifically in many cases (see the F6 function) you can do it if you press Fn and F6 together. Be careful that on some computers this restarts. Sometimes many people do not realize that the key is not working because they have pressed Fn at the same time. It is best that you look at the image in F6, since it will only go if it has the Windows image next to it, otherwise it will make the function appear there.
If your keyboard is old, gaming or you see that it appears, you can do it by pressing the Win Lock key. If you want to activate it again, you will have to do the same.
With apps
If some of these options do not work for you in your specific case or they are complicated for you, you can also do it with trusted external applications that will do it for you and you will be able to play or use your computer calmly without having problems pressing the key that you should not. For this reason, we will tell you about some of the most interesting and trustworthy ones to turn to.
With Microsoft PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys is a tool that can be downloaded from the GitGub repository that requires you to have .NET Core installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, it will detect it and offer to install it. Once it’s installed, launch it and hit Keyboard Manager on your left. You will find Remap Keys and give the option that appears. Click on the + icon in the lower area and look for the Windows key on the left.
You can also give Tyke Key and press it on your keyboard to identify it. On the right it faces Undefined . If you want to use Win again , you will return to the same place and delete it in the trash that you will see. Another thing you can do instead of disabling it completely is to give it another function.
With SharpKeys
To start using this free and portable third-party tool, you just have to download and start it. It will allow you to deactivate, assign keys to certain functions or redo them. To disable Windows you have to start and click Add. You will see two columns and you must give to Type the key in the left panel. Hit the Windows key . Press OK to select the one pressed. Then select Turn Key Off in its right panel and click Ok. Click on Write registration (below).
Reboot and the changes will be applied. As you can see, they are very simple steps that will allow you to get rid of both it and its shortcuts and that you can take with you wherever you want.
With WKey Disabler
This is another free, portable application that will run from your inbox, but it doesn’t have any advanced features. Getting started is as simple as downloading and starting it. As soon as you start it, the key along with its shortcuts will automatically deactivate . You just have to have .NET Framework 2.0 or higher installed on your system for it to work.
It is very simple to use, you do not have to do practically anything more than download and activate it . If you want to recover Win again, you will have to deactivate the app. Therefore, it is one of the easiest solutions to use that you will find, however, the downside is that you will not find it from its official download page since it is old, so we leave it as the last option despite everything.