How to change key values on a laptop keyboard. Tired of the standard key layout

Good day to everyone, my dear friends. Dmitry Kostin is with you again, and today I want to show you one very interesting feature. There are times when a key on the keyboard breaks, and you really needed it. Keys fail for a variety of reasons, and not necessarily one at a time. What to do?

Of course, one of the easiest ways would be to run to the store for a new keyboard, but this will take a lot of time. If you need to write some text right now, you can simply use . But I would recommend this method to you if your entire keyboard is broken.

If only one or a few keys do not work for you, then it is best to use the method described below. A special program for reassigning keys on the keyboard, called mapkeyboard, will help us in this whole matter. And now I will show you how you can use it very conveniently. Personally, this helped me a lot at the time. Forward!!!

MapKeyboard

First of all, download the program from here, and then just this utility. Well, now strictly according to the instructions.

If after the article you still have some misunderstandings, then watch the video that I made specifically for this lesson.

After all this, look at the operation of the key in action. Beauty, isn't it? I think so too. And if, God forbid, something happens, then you can always use such a temporary solution without losing your former productivity.

Speaking of productivity. If you want to really optimize your computer workflow and do your work 2 times faster, then I highly recommend you watch this wonderful course. Everything is told clearly, in simple language and without unnecessary fluff.

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.

Surely every owner of a personal computer or laptop who has had it for a long time has encountered a problem when a key on the keyboard stops working. The reasons can be very different, and we will not voice them, because... it would take too long. Let's move straight to solving the problem. It should be noted that we will look at several ways to reassign keys on the keyboard. Therefore, you must solve your problem anyway.

Of course, the easiest and most obvious way is to go and just buy yourself a new keyboard in a store or even order it on the Internet (if you are too lazy to leave the house). But, firstly, this will require certain time and financial costs from you, and secondly, for the same laptops it is quite problematic to find a suitable keyboard, and replacing it is not the easiest task. In addition, it may be that all your keys work, but you would like to add some new functions to them.

Let's look at several ways to reassign keys on the keyboard, which will allow you to solve all the problems described above.

Remapping Keys Using MapKeyboard

There is a small utility called MapKeyboard that allows you to use the registry to disable keys or change their value. In this case, the changes made will work in any application. No need to install MapKeyboard! Also, it is enough to launch it just once, reassign the necessary buttons and safely remove it from the computer.

To reassign keys using MapKeyboard you need to:

Download the utility (unfortunately, the developer does not have a website, but you can download it on the website), unpack it (if it was in the archive) and run the executable file as administrator (to do this, right-click on it and select “Run as administrator name").

A virtual keyboard will appear in front of you, in which you need to select a key to make a change (click on it with the left mouse button), then find the “Remap selected key to” item and specify the key (using the mouse) that will be pressed instead of the selected key.

Now click on “Save Layout” and restart your computer. You may not need to restart your computer because the selected key can start working without rebooting.

In order to return the original value of the keys, you will have to run the utility again and click “Reset keyboard layout” there.

In general, the utility is simple and convenient, and it works great even on the latest versions of Windows.

Reassigning keys (as well as disabling them) using the SharpKeys program

SharpKeys is another utility that allows you to not only reassign keys on the keyboard, but also disable them completely (for example, some PC users need to disable the F1-F12 keys). You can download it from the official website.

SharpKeys doesn't require installation, and once you make changes, you don't have to run it again.

In order to carry out the reassignment, you need to run the program, in which you will need to add keys to the initially empty list (using the “Add” button).

Now in the left column select the key to which you want to give a new value, and in the right column - the button or task that will now be called using our reassigned key (this could be, for example, calling a calculator, opening “my computer”, starting mail client, etc.). After these simple manipulations, click “OK”.

After you have reassigned all the necessary buttons, click “Write to registry”, and then restart your computer.

To disable any keys (for example, F1-F12), you must also run the program and click “Add”. Now to disable, for example, F1, find the line “Function: F1” in the left column and click on it, and in the right select “Turn Key Off”. Now click “OK” - “Write To Registry” and restart your PC.

Remapping keys using MKey (Media Key)

The third program we'll look at now is called MKey. With its help, you can not only set different values for the buttons on the keyboard of a computer or laptop, but also configure mice, gamepads and other equipment. The utility is entirely in Russian. You can download it from the official website of the developer http://www.seriosoft.org/download.php.

After downloading, double-click on the file and install, following the instructions that appear. Please note that if your keyboard uses any special programs, they will definitely need to be disabled. When the “Additional options” window appears in front of you when installing the program, check the box “Save settings in the program folder” and continue installing the program

Now we launch the program (it is located in the tray, where the clock is). Click the “Add” button, and then click the button with which you want to change the value. Check the name of the button in the pop-up window, then confirm the action by clicking on the “OK” button.

Now we are interested in the middle column of the program, where you need to click “Keyboard” and select “Keys”. Mark the line “Emulate pressing” with a marker and open the list that begins with the word “Backspace”. Here we select the key that needs to be emulated (you select it with the mouse). To save the changes made, click on the floppy disk icon (located at the bottom right), which will allow us to save the changes.

It is noteworthy that this utility allows you not only to reassign keys, but also to assign a key combination to a button (for example, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Alt+Del, etc.). This is done in a similar way.

We looked at three useful utilities that will help you reassign the buttons on your keyboard and replace, for example, broken ones with ones that you hardly used. In addition, you can now assign a combination of buttons or calls to the necessary programs (calculator, mail, etc.) to any keys. The most important thing is to read the instructions carefully so as not to accidentally harm your system.

Question from a user

Hello.

My laptop is about 4-5 years old now. And the "I/z" key stopped working (more precisely, if you press it hard, only then will it work). I wanted to replace the keyboard, but there is no exactly the same one (to install a similar one means ruining the laptop).

Can you tell me how to reassign a key instead of “I”, say, to the left “Ctrl” (I hardly use it anyway, I’m used to the right one). I tried the utilities KeyExtender, SharpKeys (and some other one, I don’t remember the name), but they For some reason it didn’t work for me (maybe the system protection doesn’t allow it).

PS I'm currently using Windows 8...

Good day!

I will also add that a similar problem is faced not only by those for whom a certain key does not work, but also by those who want to improve the character’s controllability in the game, set a sequence of presses on one key at once, those who want to disable unnecessary buttons altogether (for example, these may be on a multimedia keyboard).

In the article I will look at several utilities and show you on screenshots how to perform this task. Let's get down to business?..

“Change” one button for another

MapKeyboard

Developer: http://www.inchwest.com

One of the most reliable utilities in terms of operation. At least for me it worked both in the “old” Windows 2000/XP and in the relatively new Windows 8/10 OS.

The utility is very compact and does not require installation. After starting, to replace the key, you need to perform only 3 steps (they are marked in the screenshot above):

select a key to replace the non-working one (for example, left Ctrl);
then indicate in the “Remap selected key to” column the key that does not work (i.e. left Ctrl will be used instead);
Click the save button "Save layout" (the system will reboot). After a reboot, instead of Ctrl, the "Z" button will work.

If you want to reset all changes made: use the "Reset keyboard layout" button.

KeyTweak

Developer's website: http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/

KeyTweak main window: action #1

A simple but reliable program that allows you to change the assignment of keys on the keyboard. Allows you to change the scan code of keys among themselves, or even disable individual keys.

I note that the program is extremely easy to use (despite the fact that it does not have a Russian translation). First, select the key that does not work well for you, then in the “Choose New Remmaping” column, indicate the key to replace it, and press the “Remap Key” button (see screenshot above).

Then accept the changes (the "Apply" button in the lower right corner of the screen) and agree to restart the computer.

Actually, after rebooting, your keys will begin to perform “new” assigned actions. Convenient, simple, and effective tool!

Key Remapper

The main window of the program (after installing and launching the program).

I simply could not help but mention this program in this article. It not only allows you to reassign individual keyboard keys, but also allows you to set entire combinations of presses: how would you like, for example, if you put Alt+Shift+Esc on the mouse wheel (quickly switch programs)?! You can also use the buttons on the keyboard to emulate the operation of a mouse.

And one more important detail: you can set up a replacement only in certain applications (which will undoubtedly appeal to game lovers: after all, you can get some advantage and speed up your reaction if pressing one button will execute a whole combination!).

The program supports several profiles (for example, you can create a set of substitutions for each game separately).

Important: the program does not make any changes to the system registry and does not require a PC restart for the changes to take effect.

As for use: everything is simple here:

first indicate the key you want to change;
and then, in the second column, the key that will replace it. See screenshot below.

Please note that the full version of the program is paid. However, you can safely start your acquaintance with a free product. I recommend!

Additions are welcome...

All the best!

As you know, most PC and Mac computers or laptops use standard keyboards with preset key layouts and language layouts. For many users, for example, when changing the operating system or the hardware itself, it can be quite difficult to get used to the new position of the buttons. In this case, you can reassign them so that they correspond to the layout to which the user is accustomed. But most often this applies only to those situations when, when entering text, the user does not look at the characters, but uses the so-called

Why is it necessary to reassign keys on the keyboard?

But the matter is not limited to the above situations. Quite often you can come across cases where a key on a computer or laptop is out of order.

In the case of standard equipment in the form of PS/2 keyboards, the issue can be resolved quite simply by simply purchasing a new one. But what to do if a breakdown occurs on your laptop - it’s not a cheap pleasure. Here, as an alternative, you can simply reassign the keys on the keyboard, abandoning rarely used buttons. However, you can also encounter even more primitive situations when it is necessary to change combinations corresponding to switching languages and layouts.

How to change keyboard shortcuts: Windows Tools

First, let's look at the simplest option related to language layouts. By default, all recent Windows systems use the left Alt button in combination with Shift to change the language. But many users prefer to change the language and layout using the Ctrl/Shift combination, considering it more convenient.

To change the switch, you must use the standard “Control Panel”, in which you select the language section (Windows 10) or languages and regional standards (Windows 7, for example). Next, you go to additional parameters and select changing the language bar keyboard shortcut by pressing the corresponding button in a new window, after which you simply specify the Ctrl/Shift combination from the list.

In principle, you can reassign the keys for changing a character or action using a small keyboard and mouse control program called Layout Creator, which can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft website. After starting the application, it is enough to select a list of all actions, and if necessary, change them for each individual button, up to completely disabling the keys. You can also change the assignment of operating keys like Shift, Alt, etc.

Reassignment via the system registry

You can also reassign keys on the keyboard using a more complex method without using third-party utilities, using the settings and parameters of the system registry, the editor of which is called by the regedit command through the “Run” console.

Here you need to find the KeyboardLayout directory in the HKLM branch through the SOFTWARE directory. Here you will have to create string parameters indicating button codes for reassigning from one key to another. The process is quite labor-intensive, so it will not be useful to most users, since without knowledge of the reassignment, disabling codes and the order of entering characters, it will be quite problematic to perform such operations. The methodology is simply given for the general understanding that this can also be done in the registry.

MapKeyboard

This program allows you to reassign keys on your keyboard as quickly and easily as possible. After starting the utility, an on-screen keyboard will appear.

Let's say you need to reassign a button or Shift. On the (virtual) keyboard, press the desired button, select a new symbol or operation of another key through the Remap selected key line, and then save the settings by pressing the Save Layout button. Upon completion of all actions, a system reboot will be required.

SharpKeys

Here is another simple program. The procedure is almost the same as in the previous case. First, a key is added (Add), then a new character or action is selected from the list (complete shutdown - Turn Key Off), after which the changes are saved by clicking the Write To Registry button, and then, again, a complete restart of the system is performed.

The only and most important problem with this utility is that it does not work with and reassignment of Cyrillic characters must be done using their counterparts in the English layout.

MKey

Finally, another small application (this time in Russian) that allows you to reassign any button and even change standard combinations or set your own combinations.

As usual, the original key is first added, then the press emulation line is used, the letter or action of another key is selected from the list, and the changes are saved by clicking on the button with the image of a floppy disk. By the way, this program differs favorably from the two previous ones in that it allows not only reassigning keys, but can also be used when setting up various kinds of manipulators, gamepads, or actions with software players.

Conclusion

That's it for reassignment operations. In principle, depending on the situation, the system's own tools can be used. In the literal sense, you can only reassign standard combinations that were initially included in the OS parameters. If you do not use third-party utilities, you will have to deal with the system registry, but this is quite difficult. Therefore, if the question arises of quickly carrying out all the necessary operations, it is better to give preference to the applications described above. And the MKey program (short for Media Key) in this regard looks more convenient in all respects, only it constantly “hangs” in the system tray. But its resource consumption is minimal, so this will not affect the performance of a computer or laptop.

A broken or tea-stained key or keys often means you need to buy a new keyboard. And if replacement is not difficult for a desktop PC, then for a laptop this can become a serious problem, since you need to select a specific model. But don’t rush to the store, try reassigning the non-working key first.

Let's look at programs that allow you to reassign keys. This is necessary not only in case of a button failure, but also for convenient customization of the keyboard.

Method 1: MapKeyboard

The utility is free, but its support has ended. Now it is part of the HotKeyControl project, which allows you to freely use the program for 15 days. However, MapKeyboard itself can still be downloaded online.

Changes will only take effect after you log in again.

Method 2: KeyTweak

KeyTweak is a simple program that has more functionality compared to MapKeyboard. Requires installation on a computer.

Method 3: SharpKeys

This program has the greatest number of possibilities - it not only reassigns, but also allows you to add certain functions to any key.

Method 4: “Registry Editor”

The most difficult method, since all registry changes will need to be done manually. Suitable for those who are especially curious and for those who for some reason cannot or do not want to install third-party software on their PC.

8 pairs of zeros;
number of reassigned keys +1;
3 pairs of zeros;
key scan codes;
4 pairs of zeros.

Let's look at this with a specific example. Let's say we want to swap the keys "Page Up" And "Page Down", disable "End". First you need to find out their scan codes. This can be done in . We are interested in the first column "Keys" and second "Touch code XT". Let's write down the codes of the keys we are interested in:

Page Up - E0 49;
Page Down - E0 51;
End - E0 4F.

Now you need to make small transformations - swap the bytes. Thus we get:

Page Up - 49 E0;
Page Down - 51 E0;
End - 4F E0.

If the code consists of one byte (for example, "Enter" — "1C"), it must be supplemented with two zeros: "1C, 00", and then swap them: "00, 1C".

To change the values of the keys, you need to perform two operations: first, assign the value of the second to the first, and then assign the second to the value of the first. To disable a key function, you must write 2 pairs of zeros before its code. For our example it will look like this:

replacing Page Down with Page Up - 49 E0 51 E0;
replacing Page Up with Page Down - 51 E0 49 E0;
shutdown End - 00 00 4F E0.

Let's fill in the value of the binary parameter completely. For our example it will look like this

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 04 00 00 00 49 E0 51 E0 51 E0 49 E0 00 4F E0 00 00 00 00

Now click the button "OK" and restart your computer for the changes to take effect. If something doesn't work, remove the parameter "Scancode Map" and start again.

Remember which keys you are reassigning so you don't get confused. You can always return the default values, but then you will have to start the setup procedure again.