Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista
The caps lock key is one of those remnants of another age of computers, back when people used to shout at each other more often. Since it’s not entirely useful anymore we’ll learn how to disable it. If you aren’t interested in the explanation you can skip to the bottom for the registry files.
Windows doesn’t have a default setting to allow for disabling the key, so what we have to do is re-map the key to something non-existent so as to completely disable it.
Here’s the format of the binary data, with the important parts in bold and various colors:
00000000 00000000 02000000 00003A00 00000000
Here’s how it works:
- The first 16 zeros are just there to waste space.
- The “02″ in bold represents how many keys you are going to re-map plus 1. (It really represents the length of the data, but whatever)
- The orange bolded “0000″ is the key we actually want Windows to map TO, which in this case is nothing, or 0.
- The blue bolded “3A00″ is the key we are mapping from, in this case the caps lock key.
- The next 8 zeros are there to waste space as the null terminator.
You can map between multiple keys by incrementing the “02″ and then adding another of the colorful bold blocks in the middle. The 3A00 in the mix is the scan code. For example, if you wanted to disable the caps lock key and then change scroll lock into a caps lock key:
00000000 00000000 03000000 00003A00 3A004600 00000000
Now that you’ve learned how these things work internally, you can download and extract the zipfile which contains the following files:
| ChangeCapsToControl.reg | Changes Caps Lock to be a Control key |
| ChangeCapsToShift.reg | Changes Caps Lock to be a Shift key |
| SwitchCapsToScrollLock.reg | Disables Caps Lock and swaps Scroll lock to be Caps Lock |
| KillCapsLock.reg | Disables Caps Lock |
| DisableKeyboardRemap | Uninstalls the preference by deleting the key |
Once you’ve applied one of these registry files, you’ll have to reboot your computer for it to work. To uninstall, you can use the uninstall registry tweak, or you can simply delete the Scancode Map key entirely.
Download Keyboard Mappings Registry Tweaks
Update: Thanks to lisa for pointing out – This should work in any version of Windows, including XP. We specialize in Vista / Windows 7 here, so I often forget to mention that =)
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Awesome tip, Geek. Great for my hubby, who has a Vista laptop. My laptop is still on XP and I have the key set so it sounds a beep upon caps lock. Only problem is, I usually have my sound turned off. So do you or perhaps anyone else know any way to disable caps lock key in Windows XP? I’d LOVE that.
Lisaweb,
Doh! I completely forgot to add something saying that it should also work in any other version of Windows as well. Will update!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
I installed your “ChangeCapsToShift.reg” registry tweak on my XP Laptop, and it works perfectly! I couldn’t be happier! I live with a crooked pinkie, and Caps Lock has plagued me for years. You’ve earned a fan for life! I’m gonna save the file so I can install it on future machines as well. Thanks Geek!
I don’t recommend using this because, when you are talking with Kids you are going to press the SHIFT key so many times…
is there a way to map a key to be a combination of other keys? for example, changing my capslock to winkey+d or some other combination like that?
combinations should be remapped by external utilities (that are launcher all day-long), such as autohotkey.
the mine problem is that i cannot map “pause” to “home” on my laptop since “pause” is quite a queer key
I believe that there is on too may “00″ after the “02″ or the “03″ in your example. There file may be correct, but I think the count or length has one too many “00″ after it. Thanks!
I used the change caps to shift and it works great. Thanks.
I have a new lap-top but there is no caps lock key on the keyboard. Is there any combination of keys that turns letters to capital from small and the opposite?
Just in case someone else may need this: If you don’t need to disable the Caps Lock key, but you want to have the Shift Key turn it off instead (which I much prefer because I actually use the Caps Lock key. Seldom, but I do), this is the procedure:
Control Panels > text Services and Input Languages > Advanced Key Settings > To turn off Caps Lock: Press Shift Key – Radio Button.
This way, there is much less of a chance, especially in the English language, to press Shift and turn off Caps Lock before long.
Microsoft, keeps on hiding and changing the location of this switch, but it’s one of my first tweaks on a new computer.
I’m not sure if I do it right. I downloaded, extracted and run the killcapslock and it says that some of the keys are in use by the system and can’t be changed. nothing happened.
Hi, thanks for the TIp.
CapsLock has been irritating me for EVER.
Sadly, the Reg file to Kill it, or remap it (to scroll lock) seemed to do nothing.
Any advice?
(running VistaHP x64+SP1)
I was wondering if there was any way to remap the enter key. Recently I spilled water on my keyboard(I have a gateway running windows 2000xp) and the only button that was affected was the enter key. I think i shorted the circut to that key and am left without an enter key. Is there any codes like this one i can download to remap that key to say F1 or something like that?
also not mentioned in the post above it is a laptop computer. So i dont have any other enter buttons because there is no num pad.
@Zachary
You can use this to remap the key: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto.....-xp-vista/
Hmm, iv tried using that before. I just tried again, I will write out the steps, maybe im doing something wrong? opened the program and for MAP THIS KEY I chose Special: Enter[00_1C] and chose to map it to Arrow: Down[E0_50]. clicked Write to Registry and it said i should exit out or shutdown for changes to be made. I exited the program and restarted my computer but even now the down arrow key does nothing. Will it not work on the Enter button because it is a special key? Not really sure what to do, iv tried a couple different key remapping programs none have worked yet.
Any suggestions after the above post?
Hi Geek!
Thanks for the tip.
For those of us that are having troubles with this, or want an easier way try KaneBT Caps Lock Disabler.
(Type KaneBT caps lock disabler into google)
What would be the best way to disable the f2 key in Windows? My key is stuck-on or faulty and I guess the keyboard needs replacing as it’s also not working at boot (fortunately there’s another way to enter bios setup). Once windows in booted any time an icon is selected it wants to rename it, other annoyances occur elsewhere, until I do an alt-click, but it comes back. For that I thought it would be useful to disable it entirely via software/registry until I replace the keyboard.
I read on some other site that for laptops the key codes could be different …
Sharpkeys does the job – you can remap or disable any key
On a lenovo thinkpad R61 the mapping from Fn to Strg does not seem to work. The Fn key is recognized correctly by the type key function
crap! i did the registry edit for the changing caps lock key to scroll lock. Didn’t work, but has messed with my arrow keys…?
I have a vaio laptop. Is this likely the problem? How can i put it back to noraml or do the caps lock change on my laptop?
In my case, the one that I need to disable is the Num Lock key. I still don’t find any useful purpose for it and, what’s worse, I always press it accidentally instead of 7. Do you have any piece of advice on this issue? Thanks a lot, I hope you find the time to solve this out.
Instead of taking a chance that some newbies will try this and screw up their computer’s registry beyond all recognition, why not just make an application that will do it for them. Have a check box in there to disable it or uncheck to re-enable it? Millions would applaud your name throughout time.
I guess someone did make some apps for this.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads24.html
Definitely like that Dwight! Let someone make a little application!. I’m exhausted of searching the web and don’t find solution for this problem. I’ve seen lots of guys who just want their Windows XP to start-up with the numeric pad enabled… but that’s not my case!. I just want that bloody key to stop existing since I don´t need it…. or please someone explain what use it has….. The numeric pad should be enabled always, always without exception, always forever, from the very beginning ’till the day of judgement
.
Greetings!
Is there a way to UNDO the KillCapsLock.reg???
@Gexea
There’s an included file disablekeyboardremap.reg which should undo it.
Ok… Thank you very much!!!!!!!
HowToGeek,
Thanks, you’re a lifesaver!
I got a new(used) laptop from someone, and the capslock has been driving me insane!
Now that the problem is solved (mapped to shift) I can stop cursing myself for fatkeying the caplock!
Thanks again,
- Rodney
I am still plagued with a full size keyboard that some brain dead engineer thought needed a Fn key. Unfortunately it is set in a way my media keys are set to my Fn + F-keys. Is there any way to find out what the key codes are to the Fn+F# keys? I would like to map them to the row of keys above my numpad(easy getting those codes) like every other full size keyboard with media buttons. I just want to have my F-keys for foreign language input and my media keys without using the Fn key for either one.
Disable CAPS LOCK? Why? Okay, I’m all for customizing your machine the way you want, but did you never learn to touch-type, or just never have the use to TYPE A LONG STRING OF ALL CAPS TEXT? Labeling CAPS LOCK as a remnant from another age is ignorant–it is integral to typing and is useful even for ONE OR TWO words, unless you like getting your fingers all in a knot holding down SHIFT with your pinky and typing with the nine remaining fingers–or maybe you hunt and peck?
Yeah, I know about the password annoyance; and I’m sometimes annoyed that my wireless keyboard has no CAPS LOCK indicator (there are programs for that). Honestly, though, I think that NUM LOCK on a full-size keyboard is far less useful than CAPS LOCK. Of course, my worst complaint is so-called “enhanced” multi-media keyboards that mix-up and move all the keys into non-standard positions!!!
I especially like the options to “swap” keys–boy, have fun going back to a “standard” keyboard after you get used to that!
Zak– This utility will reveals the key codes for your Fn+F# keys: http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/home/t.....eyview.exe — the output is in decimal, so make sure to convert to hex.
The new Vista has me completely confused. It locks me out of secure sights.
I don’t know how to turn it on.
I don’t know how to get the cap locks and num locks from changing. Really hurts when I’m putting in a password. I’ve had this computer about a month, and don’t know how to use it. The new keyboard turned me (who used to type 100 words to minute…..back to hunting and picking. PLEASE HELP ME…BIGTIME.
Thank you! MS should have fixed this decades ago. What a pleasure not to have that key.
I still don’t get people that want to get rid of an important function on their keyboards. I suppose none of you ever learned to type correctly? Whatever–if it makes you happy, I’m for it, but calling this a “fix” is silly. More like a mod for people that can’t touch type or something… Still, it’s good knowledge, I suppose.
Kevin, be civil or leave. Condescending remarks like that are not needed. There is nothing “important” about caps lock unless you type in all caps daily. It only enables kids to shout in forums and games. I have to look at my keyboard and I have taken 2 years of typing not everyone can touch type and hitting the button by accident is easy.
I have a question. My parents fairly new Dell computer (Vista) keeps typing in all caps and can’t be shut off. When they send me an email via outlook, it’s in all caps and when I type a reply, it makes all my letters all caps even though I don’t have the caps lock on. Any ideas?
In my experience Dells are pretty shotty more often than not often have something wrong with them out of the box. My parents went through 3 until 1 worked, a customer had theirs crash right away and XP had to be reinstalled, another got BSOD from a bad video card…you get the point.
Try 2 things,
hold the sift key and see if it goes lowercase on you current keyboard.
Try and make a new account on the machine and see if that one has the same problem.
If those don’t work, you might want to try another keyboard and see if you still have the problem. If not your keyboard may have a short in it call Dell or just go to a store and save yourself hours on the phone and buy one, you can usually get one for around $10 if you want a basic one.
Thank you so much for making this so easy for people fearful of going into the registry. Changing my caps lock key to shift is even better than disabling it.
I have a HTPC that’s running Vista Ultimate and a have a media center keyboard and a media center remote. I downloaded an alternatice media center software called XBMC and would like that when I press the green button my remote or keyboard it starts up the XBMC software instead of the Windows media center one.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Tried your suggestion on disabling the Cap Lock key and it works like a charm. Tried it on June 5th 2009.
Joe
i’ve read all the comments here and it seems like someone might know the answer to what i’m trying to do. i would like to map a combination of keys e.g. Alt+Space or whatever to a string of text so that when i hit the key combination it will auto-type the text in whatever program/screen i am in. i have seen lots of freeware stuff like AutoHotKey etc but i don’t really want yet another TSR program running in the background if i can help it. i’m sure windows must have the ability to do this somehow – even if it meand editing the registry manually, i don’t mind that if someone tells me what to do. I’m using a Dell XPS laptop with Vista on it. thanks all
Jeremy
i have a new laptop and when i hit f2 or example it shuts my inter net off i have to hit fn f2 it does stuff like that for all my f#s i realy hate it
Can’t anyone just give a simple answer as to how to disable this dinosauric wast of keys called caplock………..please just show us how to do it……for instance, where do we go for the zip files we need and will it do it automatically or what……..simplify please…….simplify.
Thank you so much for the “Shift Key” tip. Saved me from buying a new keyboard!
Was looking for something just like this! I hit the Caps Lock key by accident quite frequently, and don’t know if I’ve ever used it on purpose in the last 10 years. So, I used the script you provided that moved it to Scroll Lock. Works wonderfully!
Thanks so much for putting his out there!
can you please make a turtorail to disable the hotkey: ctrl + left arrow + arrow up , which lowers your sound (you have to press it in this order). i hate that hotkey but i have to use that buttons for the game i play. i would like to keep all my other hotkeys but i only want to get rit of that.
thanks
Ps: almost forgot to say: nice job!
Too many Zeros !!! Must be 40 in total yo have 42, this:
0200000000 should be this 02000000 (6 zeros after 02)
I find it just a bit strange that you claim that this article was written on 08/04/07 for Windows 7 (I quote your words: This article was written on 08/4/07 and tagged with: Disabling Features and Annoyances, Vista Tips & Tweaks, Windows 7, Windows Vista)
Was Windows 7 really available 2 1/2 years ago?
anolalies like this make one very suspicious of its authenticity. Is there an explanation?
@Tom Hall
Well this apparently work for the other systems so in my commonsense judgement tells me that this was added for those systems and then the maker just came back and added Win 7 to it.
@Sergio
You are right there is 2 0’s after the 2 that need to be earased or it wont work.IDK bout XP/Vista but it doesn’t in 7
Tom, Tom. I expect it was initially a Vista hack that was updated to include 7. I’ve downloaded it from here, and it didn’t do anything to my computer other than advertised.
My question is, where’s the donate button?
@Tom
Pity that I let your unfriendly and useless comment slip through – normally I would have deleted it on sight.
We went back and verified all the old tips that still work in Windows 7, and updated them, which you would know if you took 5 seconds to think before leaving a comment.
I’ve used this trick on my copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, and it does not work.
Could you give me the registry path for this trick?
I agreed with Kevin Rice comments, capslock key should be in place where is at.If anybody doesn’t like it, pop it out, dissable it, glue it to the Kbd, or change it for another key. I’m not an IT Wiz but I know how to take care of my PC. I have a Vista Premium Compaq laptop and my capslock key light indicator went off forever, but the key still working.
Is there any trick [reg., software]that will pop up a wording as “Caps On” or “Caps off” as Logitech Kbd’s do!! I admired Billy Mays, but I really don’t want his face poping out if I use his software.
Thanks in advance,
Catmusiu
Thank you so much for the solution to my problem of how to disable the CAPS LOCK KEY, i changed it to a shift key instead, since that is where it really bothers me the most.
THANK YOU