How to Enable and Disable the Windows Key

How to use WinKill to disable the Windows key

The Windows key is one of those things we just don’t think about anymore. We use it every day, but most people never even notice it’s there. If you’re like me, though, you’ve probably spent countless hours trying to find ways to disable it. Well, I’m here to tell you that there are actually quite a few options out there. Some require software installation, while others are completely free. So let’s take a look at some of the best ones.

WinKill

This is my favorite way to disable the Windows key. You can download WinKill for free from Microsoft’s site. Once installed, you’ll see a small icon in the lower left corner of your screen. When you press the Windows key, WinKill will pop up and ask you what you want to do. Simply choose “Disable,” and you’re done.

Windows Registry Editor

Another option is to edit the registry. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Keyboard Layouts\English\NoFunctionKeys. Then simply add a DWORD value named Disable to the NoFunctionKeys subkey. Set the value to 0x1, and you’re good to go.

Autohotkey

If you’d rather not mess around with the registry, Autohotkey is another great tool for disabling the Windows key. To start, navigate to the Autohotkey folder located in your Program Files directory. Open the AutoHotkey.ahk file, and paste the following code into the script editor:

^Space::

Send {LWIN}

return

You can now close the script window and run it whenever you want to disable the Windows key again.

How to disable the Windows key through Registry editing

The Windows key is one of those things we use every day without thinking about it. But did you know you can actually turn off the Windows key? If you don’t like having to press the Windows key to switch apps, you can do it yourself. All you need to do is open up the registry editor and make some changes. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Start menu and type “regedit.” Click OK.

2. Locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. Name the new key “DisableHotKeys”. Double-click DisableHotKeys.

3. Enter 0x01000000 into Value Data.

4. Close the registry editor.

5. Restart your computer.

6. Press the Windows key again. Your keyboard should now work normally.

How to use PowerToys to disable the Windows key

The Windows key is one of those things you either love or hate. If you’re like me, you probably use it every day without thinking twice about it. But what happens when you want to turn it off completely? Well, there are ways to do it. Here’s how to disable the Windows key.

First, let’s start with the basics. You’ll need to know where the Windows key is located on your keyboard. On most keyboards, it’s next to the number pad. On some laptops, it might be on the side of the laptop. In any case, once you’ve found it.

Hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE to bring up the Task Manager.

Then, go to Processes and find “winlogon.” Right-click on winlogon and select Open File Location.

Navigate to %windir%\system32\config\SystemProfile. Now, look for the following registry value: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

There, you’ll see three values named DefaultUserName, DefaultPasswordHash, and AutoAdminLogon. Delete each of them.

Next, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Win logon. Find the same three values and delete them too.

Finally, navigate to HKEY _LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\EnableLanMan. Double-click on EnableLanMan and change the value to 0.

After doing all that, restart your computer and try pressing the Windows key again. Hopefully, it won’t work anymore.

If that doesn’t work, we need to take another step. Go back to the Task Manager and locate the process called wuauclt.exe. Right-click on it and select Open file location. This will take you to the folder %ProgramFiles%\WUDF\wudf.exe. Inside of this folder, you’ll find a file called WUAUCLT.EXE. Double-click on it and follow the instructions inside. Once done, reboot your computer and try pressing Windows key again. Hopefully now it works.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why you’d ever want to disable the Windows key in the first place. Well, here’s my reasoning. When you press the Windows key, you’re actually activating the Start menu. So, if you really wanted to avoid opening the Start menu, you could simply press the Windows key and hold it down. Doing so will activate the task switcher, which allows you to quickly switch between running programs. However, if you’re looking for something specific, such as searching for a program, you’ll still have to press the Windows key. Also, if you’re trying to launch a game, you’ll have to press the Windows button and wait for it to load.

So, there you have it. Disable the Windows key and never have to worry about accidentally hitting it again.

How do I make the Windows key inactive?

The Windows key is one of those things that most people just assume is there. But it isn’t actually necessary to use Windows 10. You can turn off the Windows key entirely without affecting anything else about your computer. Here’s how to do it.

Utilize the Group Policy Editor

Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc into the text field and press Enter. This opens the Group Policy Editor. In the left pane, double-click Turn off display screen saver. Double-click Set idle timeout. Select Never. Click OK twice. Close the Group Policy Editor. Restart the computer.

Use Gaming mode on your keyboard

Gaming keyboards are designed to make playing games easier. They often include extra buttons, dedicated keys, and even lighting effects. But one thing many gamers don’t realize about their favorite keyboards is how easy it is to turn off the Windows key. In fact, some gaming keyboards come with a special button that allows you to toggle the Windows key on or off without having to use the mouse or trackpad.

To find out if your keyboard offers a “gaming mode,” check its manual. If there isn’t a specific section devoted to gaming, look under the “keyboard settings.” You’ll likely see a setting called “Windows key function.” This option lets you turn the Windows key on or turn it off completely.

If your keyboard doesn’t have a dedicated button for turning the Windows key on and off, you might want to consider getting a different model.

Windows Key In Windows 10 Can Be Disabled!

There are many reasons why you might want to disable the Windows key in Windows 10. For example, some people find it annoying because it takes up space on the keyboard. Others just don’t want to see the Windows logo every time they start typing. If you’re one of those people, read on to learn how to do it.

Scroll down to “Show the Start menu,” uncheck the box next to “Display the Start screen.” Click OK to save changes. Now, whenever you press the Windows key, nothing happens.

If you’d rather remove the Windows logo entirely, follow the same steps above, except scroll down to “Use the Start Menu icon” under “Taskbar options.” Uncheck the box next to the word “Start.” Click OK to save settings. When you press the Windows key now, you’ll still see the Start menu, but without the Windows logo.

You can also change the color of the Windows logo in the same section. Just select another color from the dropdown list.

The Windows key is located on the far left side of most keyboards. Depending on where you place it, it could take up a lot of room on your keyboard. If you prefer to use a different keyboard layout, you can always move the Windows key to the right side of the keyboard.

Method 1: Change your keyboard’s settings or activate the gaming mode.

Most gaming keyboards come with their own customizations software. This allows you to customize the keys on your keyboard, including disabling Windows Key, Caps Lock, NumLock, etc. If you want to do it manually, here are some steps to follow.

Step 1: Open up the keyboard settings app.

Step 2: Go to “Keyboard & Mouse”.

Step 3: Click on “Advanced Options”.

Step 4: Scroll down to “Windows Keys”, and select “Disable”.

Step 5: Press OK.

Step 6: Close out of the keyboard settings app. Now go into game play and press the Windows key. You’ll see a pop-up asking you to confirm whether you’d like to enable the Windows key. Select Yes.

Method 2: Employ the Microsoft Registry Hack.

Microsoft removed the Windows logo from the Start menu in Windows 10 version 1809. If you want to restore it, there is a registry hack that allows you to do just that. You’ll need to follow the instructions carefully though, because the hack could cause problems with some programs.

The Windows logo is located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. To add the Windows logo again, open up the registry editor and navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon

You’ll see a value named “Shell”. Name the string “shell”, set the data type to REG_EXPAND_SZ, and enter the following text into the box: %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /c start winlogon.exe -u “”

Save the changes and restart your computer. When you log in, you’ll notice that the Windows logo appears once again.

If you’re worried about losing functionality while running the hack, you can use the following command to revert everything back to normal:

reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windowscurrentversion\WinLogon /f

Method 3: To disable key combinations, use the Group Policy Editor.

The Windows key combination is one of the most used keyboard shortcuts in Windows. However, it seems like Microsoft forgot about some people out there. If you are tired of pressing the Windows key every single time you want to open the Start menu, you might find this trick useful.

In this article, we will show you how to disable the Windows key combinations using the Local Group Policy Editor. This method works on all editions of Windows 10 including Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, Mobile, etc.

Step 1: Open the Local Group Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc into the Run dialog box.

Step 3: Double-click on Disable hotkeys.

Step 4: Select Enabled under Hotkey Settings.

Step 5: Click OK to save changes.

Method 4: Utilize outside apps

There are many thirdparty apps offered which offer similar features as Windows Kill Switch or WinKey Killer. These apps are easy to download and configure. You don’t even need to root your device. All you need to do is install it and run it. Once installed, you just need to open it once and set it up. After setting up, you won’t see any popups asking you to restart your phone.

Here we list some popular third party apps which offers similar features like WinKill or Winkey killer.

1. AppLock – This app locks your screen and disables access to apps. It works perfectly fine on both rooted and unrooted devices.

2. Lock Screen Pro – This app allows you to lock your screen and disable access to apps. It supports both rooted and unroted phones.

3. SuperUser – This app enables you to lock your screen, disable access to apps, and reboot your device.

4. Task Manager Ex – This app lets you kill processes running in background.

5. AppLocker – This app lets you block unwanted applications.