techsupport @lemmy.world imaradio @lemmy.ca 6 mo. ago

Windows: remap caps to control (work computer)

At work I have a Windows PC. I don't have much personal experience with Windows which is why I am asking.

I want to remap the caps lock key to function as a control key. Ideally, on a per-user basis as sometimes other people use the workstation and I don't want to confuse them.

Was able to install Auto Hot Key. A test script worked. However I couldn't find working instructions about how to do this specific remapping. Example scripts I found seem to have some conflict between v1 and v2 of AH.
I don't have admin access however I could probably ask for something, but it would have to work immediately without a lot of fooling around. I will not be granted admin access to try a bunch of things til I find something that works.

What's the best way?

17 comments

The Microsoft PowerToys Keyboard Manager tool should allow you to do this.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager

You will probably need admin access to install it, however.

Edit: Actually, apparently you don't? I just installed it on my work PC here, and did not get any UAC prompts or anything. It can indeed reassign your caps lock key -- I just tested this, and it works. (I mapped it to left ctrl.)
- I tried installing Power Toys a while ago but the version of windows is too old to support it.
Okay, so make a script, name it whatever you feel like and paste this:

; The keyboard hook must be installed. InstallKeybdHook SendSuppressedKeyUp(key) { DllCall("keybd_event" , "char", GetKeyVK(key) , "char", GetKeySC(key) , "uint", KEYEVENTF_KEYUP := 0x2 , "uptr", KEY_BLOCK_THIS := 0xFFC3D450) } ; Disable Alt+key shortcuts for the IME. ~LAlt::SendSuppressedKeyUp "LAlt" ; Test hotkey: !CapsLock::MsgBox A_ThisHotkey ; Remap CapsLock to LCtrl in a way compatible with IME. *CapsLock:: { Send "{Blind}{LCtrl DownR}" SendSuppressedKeyUp "LCtrl" } *CapsLock up:: { Send "{Blind}{LCtrl Up}" }

Save it, run it and you should be good to go.

edit: This is V2, just in case.
- Thanks I will do this!
  
  Does this first line mean anything? I didn't install anything except the basic AH package:
  
  ;The keyboard hook must be installed.
  
  It is just a comment for the InstallKeybdHook command just bellow it, as it is crucial for this magical code (that I don’t fully grasp yet) to work.
  
  But it does.
I use SharpKeys for that

https://github.com/randyrants/sharpkeys
Not at my PC to confirm this https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-do-i-reassign-hot-keys-for-my-keyboard-703f897c-ad72-db5d-8e64-0928873d712f#

There is (or used to be) a Power Tools utility for it, too
- Oh sweet if there was a native windows option that would be best.
  
  Tho I feel like I might have tried this and it didn't work somehow. I will try again when at my workstation.
Sorry for asking but is there any reason why caps lock? Because.. You are a lucky winner of “choosing one of the most problematic keys to remap” award..
- I have small hands that makes certain key combos involving ctrl difficult/uncomfortable to reach
  
  at home I have caps lock remapped and therefor I am constantly using it by muscle memory
  
  Even before I had remapped it at home, I would sometimes enable it by accident which is annoying
  
  in previous versions of windows (I think windows 8?) I could disable caps lock entirely in a system setting but it seems they have removed this option from more recent version
  
  it's right there
  
  Okay, all makes sense. When you are using the keyboard a lot, your comfort is most important. The worst part about Caps Lock is that it is more embedded into the system inner-workings, as for example — it is used for certain crucial shortcuts, especially when using Chinese language.
- I don't see how it would be a problem unless you reassigned it while caps lock was enabled, in which case you would have to reboot (or temporarily revert your remap) to turn it off.
  
  I can think of precious little software that actually requires caps lock for anything, and otherwise for normal typist tasks you can just use shift. I never use caps lock for anything, personally. (Ditto with num lock. My keyboard has a full number pad and a full set of arrow/insert keys. There is no reason for my number pad to ever not be a number pad.)
  
  I was asking because it is actually a problem for two reasons, one is that capslock has more states than other keys, plus it is more complicated to tinker with via AutoHotKey, they even documented it nicely ~~buuut.. the official method did not work for me — I just tested it.~~
  
  ~~I did it in a hurry so there might be “me” problem somewhere too.~~
  
  Okay, it works.
  
  At home, once in a while caps lock turns itself on somehow. I have a shell alias to fix the problem:
  
  UNCAPS='xdotool key Caps_Lock'
  
  Should this happen at work I was thinking to either temporarily disable the application that is doing the remapping, or use some sort of onscreen keyboard to inactivate the caps lock.

You've viewed 17 comments.