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Tech News Today
Home»Hardware»Peripherals»How to Disable a Key on Keyboard

How to Disable a Key on Keyboard

Deependra PangeniBy Deependra PangeniNovember 19, 2022
how-to-disable-a-key-on-keyboard

It might be a good idea to disable a key on the keyboard if it keeps spamming and limits you from typing correctly. Also, if you recently shifted to a new keyboard and not used to the position of a particular key, the best bet is to disable it.

MS-PowerToys is a general go-to option to disable a key for most Windows users. However, there are also methods you can easily use without installing any applications. Keep reading to know more!

Table of Contents

  • How to Disable a Key on Keyboard?
    • Disable Using MS-PowerToys
    • Disable Using Registry Editor
    • Use Third-party Apps

How to Disable a Key on Keyboard?

Disabling a key on your keyboard is not that cumbersome. You can either use the customization tool from Microsoft, modify registry settings, or opt-in for other applications.

Here, we have compiled the best 3 proven methods to disable a key on your keyboard. Let’s get straight into them.

Disable Using MS-PowerToys

The first method we will learn is disabling a key using Microsoft’s PowerToys application. The application is available on Microsoft Store and lets you customize overall Windows. It has different functionalities like changing the color format, resizing images, and customizing File Explorer including modifying the keyboard settings.

Follow these steps to disable the desired key on your keyboard.

  1. Open Microsoft Store application on your computer.
  2. In the search box, type Microsoft PowerToys and hit Enter.
  3. Click Install button.
    install powertoys from microsoft store
  4. Once the installation is complete, launch the application.
  5. On the left pane of the PowerToys application window, search for and click Keyboard Manager.
  6. Then on the right pane, toggle on Enable Keyboard Manager.
    enable keyboard manager
  7. Click Remap a key under the Keys section.
    remap a key option
  8. It will open up a new Remap keys window.
  9. Click (+) symbol under Physical Key.
    plus symbol to add physical key
  10. Click Type button under the same Physical key section.
    type button under physical key
  11. Now press the key that you want to disable. It will be shown on the screen after you press it. For instance, I pressed “A.” If you can not type the key, select it from the dropdown.
  12. Click OK.
    pressing a key on selected keyboard
  13. Now click the dropdown under Mapped To section.
  14. Scroll all the way up in the dropdown and click Disable.
    disable key using powertoys
  15. Click OK.
  16. Confirm disabling in the popup, and you are done. You don’t even need to restart the computer, and the key will stop working afterward.

Disable Using Registry Editor

Another method to disable a key on your keyboard is using the Registry Editor. This method works like a charm every time. You don’t need to use any applications or third-party tools to use this method. However, make sure you create a backup of your registry before proceeding with this method.

  1. Hit Windows + R key on the keyboard.
  2. Type regedit in the text field. Then press Enter key.
    regedit-command-on-run
  3. Click Yes in the popup.
  4. Once the Registry Editor window opens, copy and paste this location into the address bar and hit Enter key. Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
  5. Right-click the empty area on the right pane and click New > Binary Value.
    new-binary-value
  6. Click the empty space once.
  7. Now double-click and open New Value #1.
    new-value-1-in-registry
  8. Enter eight pairs of zeroes (00) on the first line.
    eight-pair-of-zeroes-on-first-line
  9. In the second line, you first need to enter 02 or 03.
  10. If there is a single key you want to disable, type 02, and if there are a pair of keys you need to disable, type 03. 
  11. For example, If you wish to disable the letter key “A” which is a single key, type 02. Likewise, if you want to disable the Ctrl key, which is in pairs, type 03.
    enter-02-or-03-hex-code
  12. Next, enter five pairs of zeroes (00).
    enter-five-pair-of-zeroes
  13. Then enter the Hex code for the key you want to disable. You can see the Hex code for each key in the keyboard from the table below.
  14. For instance, I want to disable the letter key “A” on my keyboard. It means I should type “1E 00”.
    enter-letter-specific-hex-code
  15. Now on the third line, enter four pairs of zeroes (00).
    enter-four-pair-of-zeroes
  16. Click OK and exit from Registry Editor.
  17. Restart your computer. The key will stop working now.
KeyCodeKeyCodeKeyCodeKeyCode
Q10001!0200Left Windows5BE0Spacebar3900
W11002@0300Right Windows5CE0Power5EE0
E12003#0400Backspace0E00Messenger11E0
R13004$0500Escape0100F13B00
T14005%0600Num Lock4500F23C00
Y15006^0700Scroll Lock4600F33D00
U16007&0800Up Arrow48E0F43E00
I17008*0900Down Arrow50E0F53F00
O18009(0A00Left Arrow4BE0F613E0
P19000)0B00Right Arrow4DE0F74100
A1E00-_0C00Insert52E0F84200
S1F00=+0D00Page Up49E0F94300
D2000[{1A00Page Down51E0F104400
F2100]}1B00Left Alt3800F115700
G2200;:2700Right Alt38E0F125800
H2300‘“2B00Volume Up30E0Wake63E0
J2400,<3300Volume Down2EE0Forward69E0
K2500.>3400Play/Pause22E0Back6AE0
L2600/?3500Home32E0Refresh67E0
Z2C00\|2800Stop24E0Save57E0
X2D00Enter1C00Prtsc37E0Print58E0
C2E00Right Shift3600FN63E0Delete53E0
V2F00Left Shift2A00Sleep57E0Caps lock3A00
B3000Tab0F00Mute20E0Undo08E0
N3100Left Ctrl1D00`~2900Next track19E0
M3200Right Ctrl1DE0Calculator21E0Prev Track10E0
Keys and their respective Hex code

Use Third-party Apps

If you do not prefer or have hands-on experience using the Registry Editor, you can opt-in for third-party apps like Keytweak.

The application makes it easy to customize the functions of keys on the keyboard with its simple interface. It also works by making changes in the registry of your computer. Simply download the application from the Internet and install it. Then follow the steps below to disable the key.

  1. Launch Keytweak on your computer.
  2. Hover the mouse pointer over the keys on the on-screen keyboard of KeyTweak. It will show you the key mapping.
    keytweak-home-screen
  3. For instance, I hovered the pointer over 31 and clicked it. It shows Key selected: 31 is currently mapped to “A”.
  4. Click Disable Key.
    disable-key-from-keytweak
  5. Then click Apply button.
    apply-changes-in-keytweak
  6. Click Yes in the popup to restart your computer. This application will do the same in the registry settings we did in the second method to disable the key.
how-to
Deependra Pangeni
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Meet Deependra Pangeni, A professional Computer Engineer who has been writing about technology for many years. He is also involved in different robotic projects and loves tinkering with circuit boards. He is always researching new ways to improve the website's user experience and make it easy for people to find the information they need. At TechNewsToday he mainly deals with how-to and fixes contents for a range of TV and TV products like remotes, cables and streaming devices. Along with the TV, he also specializes in hardware and software troubleshooting for printers and Windows. Deependra's passion for simplifying complex technical information for non-technical audiences is evident in his work and he is dedicated to producing high-quality content that is easy to understand. When he is not working, he enjoys gathering with his friends, partying and traveling. He is also an active member of the technical community groups and regularly participates in tech meetups. You can contact him at deepen@technewstoday.com

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