11 Ways to Disable the Windows Key on Your Keyboard

Windows key is on all keyboards, and many gamers like to know how to disable the Windows key. If you hit the Windows key, you will enter the Start Menu, and different windows will open if you hold it with another key, like holding the Windows key + E to enter Explorer or holding the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

These shortcuts are practical and easy to access, but they can be annoying when you do something important like a game, video call, or intensive work. Moreover, two Windows keys are available on your keyboard, which increases the probability to press one of them in an inappropriate circumstance. To solve these problems, we need to disable the Windows key.

How to disable the Windows Key during Gaming?

1. Hold Windows Key + R and input regedit.
2. Hit OK or Enter.
3. Optional: Create a backup before make any changes. To do this, select File > Export.
4. Choose All as Export range.
5. Find a safe location.
6. Input the file name that you want.
7. Click on Save.
8. Navigate in the left panel to.
9. Right-click in the right pane on the empty space and from the menu select New > Binary Value from the menu.
10. Input Scancode Map as the name of the new value.
11. Click on Scancode Map value and in the Data Field, enter 00000000000000000300000000005BE000005CE000000000.
12. Be careful to enter the value correctly and then hit OK.
13. Now, close Registry Editor, and restart your system.
14. Now, the Windows Key must be disabled completely.

Note: To activate the Windows Key, you should go back to Registry Editor and delete the Scancode Map.

How to Disable Windows Key with AutoHotkey?

AutoHotkey is a powerful and open-source automation scripting language. You can try it if you want to disable Windows Key, but before that, you need to learn how to work with it correctly. It lets you assign specific commands and also disable keys. You should make a script to block Windows Keys and add it to AutoHotkey. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the icon of AutoHotkey.
2. Select Edit This Script.
3. Copy the following scripts and paste them at the bottom.

~LWin Up:: return

~RWin Up:: return

• Save your script.
• Right-click on AutoHotkey.
• From the menu, select to Reload This Script.
• Now both Windows Keys will be disabled.

Note: This solution will disable the Windows key not the shortcuts that involve Windows Key.

How to Disable Windows Key with WinKill?

Using WinKill is a free program to disable the Windows key in Windows 10. It will allow you to turn the Windows key on and off. To use this application, follow the steps below:

1. Download WinKill.

Note: The program is designed for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 10.

• Extract the zip file.
• To run the program, double-click on the WinKill Executable File.

Note: This application does not need installation.

• You must see the icon of WinKill in the system tray or your taskbar. If you cannot see it, in the system tray, you should click the up arrow and search for a Windows logo with a red cross on it. For easy access, drag this icon onto your taskbar.
• Hold the Windows key, and you can see that it does not work. To enable the Windows key again, you can click on the WinKill icon to remove Red Cross or right-click on the icon and select Toggle. You can also close WinKill and restore the Windows key by choosing Exit.

How to Disable Windows Key with SharpKeys?

1. Download SharpKeys.
2. After starting the application, select Add.
3. In the left pane of the two columns you can see, click on Type Key.
4. Press the Windows Key.
5. Hit OK to choose the pressed key.
6. In the right pane, choose Turn Key Off.
7. Hit Ok to save changes.
8. Select Write to Registry.
9. Restart your system or log out and in to apply changes.
10. To activate the Windows Key again, open SharpKeys, choose the key from the menu, and hit Delete.
11. Select Write to Registry after deleting the key.
12. Restart your system or log out and in to apply changes.

How to Disable Windows Key with PowerToys?

If you would like to disable the Windows key entirely, you can use PowerToys. Follow the steps below to use this tool.

1. Download the PowerToysSetup executable file.
2. Install the program.
3. Find it in the Start Menu and open it.
4. Select the Keyboard Manager in the pop-up window in the left hand menu.
5. Select Settings.
6. Make sure that the option of Enable Keyboard Manager is on.
7. Select Remap a Key to open its window.
8. Select + button.
9. From the drop-down menu, select Key.
10. Scroll down and click on Win.
11. Now from the drop-down menu, select Mapped To.
12. Select Disable.
13. Hit OK to confirm.
14. Here, you can see a warning which says, you will not be able to use the Win Key. You should select Continue Anyway.

How to Disable Windows Key with Group Policy Editor?

1. Hold Windows Key + R.
2. Input gpedit.msc.
3. Hit OK or Enter.
4. Go to the User Configuration.
5. Select Administrative Templates.
6. Choose Windows Components.
7. In the left pane, click on File Explorer.
8. In the right pane, click on Turn off Windows Key HotKeys.
9. Choose Enabled.
10. Select Apply and then OK to save changes.
11. Restart your system and check if your problem solved.

How to Disable Windows Key with Editing the Registry?

1. Go to the Start Menu.
2. In the Windows search box, type regedit.
3. Select Run as Administrator.
4. Copy and Paste the following key into the Registry Editor address bar.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

• Press Enter.
• Here, on the right side of the window, you must see a value as NoWinkeys. If you cannot see this option, right-click an empty space in that pane and select New. Then, DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name the value as NoWinkeys. 
• Click on the NoWinkeys.
• Change the value from 0 to 1.
• Hit OK to confirm it.
• Restart your system.
• Press the Windows key. This enters the Start Menu, but it will not activate any hotkeys to interrupt your activities.

Note: To re-activate hotkeys, go back to the same registry key. Change the NoWinkeys value data back to 0 or delete the value.

How to Disable Windows Key with Disable Windows Key reg?

There is an available reg file that you can use to reclaim it. To use it, follow the steps below:

1. Download Disable Windows key.reg.
2. Run it.
3. When you see the warning message, select Yes.

Note: To activate Windows Key again, download Enable Caps Lock and Windows key.reg and run it.

How to Disable Windows Key with Disable Windows Key app?

Another application that you can disable Windows Key is Disable Windows Key application. Also, it does not need installation. It will be located in your systray. Therefore, you do not know even it is running or not. This application is useful for configuration, so you can start it with Windows automatically. Also, you can assign the application to disable Windows Key automatically. Of course, you can turn the application on and off by clicking on the icon. This application disables Windows Key but not any shortcuts.

How to Disable Windows Key with Gaming Mode on your Keyboard?

Gaming mode lets you disable Windows Key easily. To enable Gaming mode, you should hold a specific keyboard shortcut. Some keyboards have a controller icon on themselves which help you to find the shortcut easier. If you cannot find the shortcut, you should go for the detailed instructions on activating the Gaming mode.

Note: Not all keyboards support this feature.

How to Disable Windows Key by Pressing Fn + F6 or Fn + Windows Keys?

One of the methods to enable and disable Windows key is holding Fn + F6. This procedure is fit with computers and notebooks. To get it working again, you can try Fn + Windows.

Conclusion

Many users, like gamers, need to disable Windows Key because it interrupts them during their work. In this article, we presented some methods to teach you how to disable the Windows key. Which method will you choose if you would like to disable Windows Key? Was the article helpful for you? Do you know any other method to use?