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I'm not sure how/when this started happening, but this is the scenario. The windows key works perfectly fine (pressing it brings up the start menu), but any windows key combination shortcut doesn't (for example WINKEY+D to bring up the desktop).
What could be causing this and how can I fix it?
orlp
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 1 375
38
For others encountering this issue, you might have a fancy keyboard with a "gaming mode" switch of some sort that disables the windows key. In my case I had a Logitech G110 and had no idea what the switch did :/
The fact this is the top voted answer and this page has 100K views should tell keyboard designers something... Certainly it was a feature added with good intentions to prevent accidentally losing focus on a game when hitting the Windows key by accident, but the keyboard should beep or something when you hit a key and it ignores it.
AaronLS
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 2 074
6Sometimes it's the simple solutions that make you feel dumb for spending hours trying to implement complicated fixes. – Conrad Vanlandingham – 2014-11-11T15:51:15.983
2Corsair K70 also has a "disable windows key" button, right above Scroll Lock. – Eric Mickelsen – 2015-10-01T02:27:47.327
Razer BlackWidow (chroma stealth) had this same problem. – Andrew – 2015-12-26T19:34:53.343
I have Logitech G710+, and I feel stupid. – Rosdi – 2016-05-09T12:15:19.477
2Thanks! And if there's no obvious switch you might also want to try unplugging and replugging your keyboard briefly. On my keyboard (Novatouch TKL) it turned out pressing Fn+F9 toggles the "Windows key lock" function - no light, no on-screen indication, just a dead Windows key. – Matthew Bloch – 2017-04-19T00:07:00.507
Ugh, same problem. I need gaming mode on or my function keys don't operate properly in remote desktop sessions, but it disabled my Windows key (which I use all the time for Window resizing/moving). With Razer Synapse I found that you can remap the key to itself even when in gaming mode and it will work again (but doesn't display as mapped oddly). – Brian Knoblauch – 2018-08-28T13:54:22.963
Every other Windows+<Letter> Shortcut I've tried works, EXCEPT Win+M and Win+D!? I've used them since Win 95 on various PCs, Windows versions / editions and keyboards and on my current work PC, Win 10 Pro and keyboard for ~1.5 years, and NEVER had them not work UNTIL today on my work PC!? Weird thing is, when I press Win+M, the Windows Task Bar's Context Menu shows an "Undo minimize all windows option", but it doesn't change/disappear when I press it again. It does disappear (but doesn't seem to change the Windows visibility), when I select it. "Show the desktop" option isn't working either – Tom – 2018-10-12T00:58:13.237
Finally, got it to work by moving further in my Visual Studio C#.NET debugging session on a WPF app, although I couldn't reproduce the problem!? – Tom – 2018-10-12T01:00:00.517
10
Quick check Win+Tab, Win+P, Win+L and Win+R - are they also not working?
Now check Ctrl+Alt+Del, which should bring up the Windows Security screen (menu), and Ctrl+Shift+Esc, to open Task Manager - are they working (malware test)?
Hit Shift 5 times quickly - is Sticky Keys working?
Now reboot the computer, and test again.
Go to Microsoft KB216893, and do NOT run the "fix it" (XP). Instead, go halfway down the page to "Let me fix it myself", run regedit, and see if the following key exists there:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard LayoutScancode Map00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00Then check this key as well while you're in there:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ExplorerNoWinKeys0 to disable restriction, or 1 to enable restrictionCheck for other software running. Do you have any AutoHotkey scripts running? Do you have any shortcut programs running, like special launcher software, or special mouse or keyboard or touch drivers/software? Temporarily stop that software in Task Manager, and/or temporarily stop the services that it runs on. Or disable the driver, without disabling your last input device, and test again.
I also wonder, because the Win key can mess up a game pretty badly, maybe some games have ways of disabling that while they are running?
Psycogeek
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 8 067
Changing the NoWinKeys from 1 to 0, and killing and restarting Explorer (Windows File Explorer), worked for me. I'd had some malware on this laptop because it's been just standing there for about 2 years. Malwarebytes removed the malware but didn't fix the NoWinKeys. – Alf P. Steinbach – 2015-08-17T09:12:25.737
Someone else with a similar problem here. Shortcuts like Win+R, Win+E, Win+A work, but Win+I to open Settings doesn't work. Windows 10 Creators' here. – Paul Stelian – 2017-07-28T17:29:49.020
Passed checks 1-3 above and seemingly every other Win+<letter> Shortcut I tried. When I pressed Win+M, the Windows Task Bar's Context Menu even showed an "Undo minimize all windows option", but it didn't change/disappear when I pressed it again. It did disappear (but didn't seem to change the Windows visibility), when I selected it. "Show the desktop" option wasn't working either. I finally got it to work by moving further in my Visual Studio C#.NET debugging session on a WPF app, although I couldn't reproduce the problem!? – Tom – 2018-10-12T01:03:25.487
Win-Tab, Win-R, etc are not working. Strangely CTRL+ALT+DEL is not working (this might indicate malware, yes). I have disabled sticky keys myself IIRC, so don't know about that. The kb fix didn't do anything (neither of the keys was there). I'm not running any AHK scripts, nor any special launcher software. The bug always occurs, regardless of games run. – orlp – 2012-04-15T06:22:54.573
Well it might be some kinda malware? How would other qualifyers stuck keys effect it, Stuck menu key , no, Scroll lock, num lock, caps lock , page, print, pause, no, no, no. I can not (yet) find a combination of stuck keys that the Win(start menu) would work when the Win-R(run) also would not work (although that can be dependant on the keyboard). – Psycogeek – 2012-04-15T22:20:02.410
I guess the next test that would be done is a different user? setting up another user to see if the same problem exists in a new user. Booting into safe mode , and seeing if it works there. running a SFC /Scannow to check the system files. Going through the items that startup. Using "AutoRuns" program and looking at the non-windows driver items, and startup items. Using "Hijackthis" to see if anything looks suspitious. – Psycogeek – 2012-04-15T22:32:45.203
2
In my specific case, I had played around with the Windows Game Bar to record a JavaScript animation. I think that this Game Bar disables the shortcuts. In my case, I had to first press only Win to popup the start menu. After that, the Win+R shortcut worked because the browser (of which Windows now thinks it's a game), lost focus.
Somehow the problem disappeared after reading through this question and successively pressing Win+Tab, Win+P, Win+L and Win+R, but obviously, one should be able to disable it by telling the Game Bar that the application (in my case, the browser) is not a game.
Leonard
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 31
I have exactly the problem you describe, I dont know how to fix it definitively as it appears whenever. – Marco Medrano – 2016-03-09T14:15:37.950
1
I had the same problem, and fixed it with Combofix.
I wouldn't have guessed that I had malware, as I had no symptoms. I had thought a bad keyboard, so I tried using this keyboard testing software, and it said my keyboard was fine, but the shortcuts didn't work.
Thanks Psycogeek for leading me the right way.
Karl Henselin
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 129
0
Just had same problem, fixed it by closing remote connection on TeamViewer with "set key combination" function turned on.
Stalker
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 165
-1
I had the same problem (Win + D, Win + L, Ctrl + Alt + Del not working) and just now fixed it by installing Adobe Acrobat Reader update, which was sitting on my tray notification.
It sounds weird, but believe me, it fixed the issue.
Don't forget to restart the computer.
Mohammed Arshad
Posted 2012-04-14T19:22:06.433
Reputation: 101
1Did you restart the system even before installing the update? And didn't it help? I'm almost sure that it was the restart itself what fixed your issue. – Dawid Ferenczy Rogožan – 2016-09-16T13:55:18.583
1I have almost the exact same problem, only that in my case the shortcuts do work but only if using the Windows key of the right side. The one to the left is not actually broken, as if I press it the start menu still opens, but the shortcuts are not being recognized. – Bruno Augusto – 2015-10-27T19:16:51.193