How to disable a unique key on the keyboard. How to disable the keyboard or an individual button on the keyboard. How to Shut Down Your Computer Using the Keyboard: Using the Start Menu
Sometimes users need to disable the keyboard of a laptop manufactured by Asus (Asus), Acer, HP, Lenovo (Lenovo), Sony vaio and other brands temporarily or permanently. Read about how to correctly perform this operation in various ways in a laptop in this article.
Disabling the keyboard temporarily
There are three ways to "de-energize" the keyboard (turn off the built-in keyboard on the laptop) for a while. Let's consider their implementation step by step.
Method number 1: in the Manager
1. To open the list of equipment, hold down "Win + Break" together and select "Device Manager" in the window that appears.
Or open "Start", in the search box, type "manager ..." and then click the inscription "Device Manager" that appears at the top of the menu.
2. In the list of equipment, open the "Keyboards" section.
3. Right-click the line with the name of the connected keyboard. In the list of commands, click "Disable".
4. Before turning off the equipment, you must confirm the command. In the query panel "... do you really want to disable ..." click the "Yes" button.
Method number 2: using the program
To quickly enable / disable the keyboard without digging into the Windows settings, you can use special utilities. Let's get acquainted with the most popular solutions.
Kid key lock
Free application. Supplied in portable format (no installation required). Controlled by a set of commands from the keyboard:
- kklsetup - settings;
- kklquit - exit.
In the program options, you can set the following blocking modes:
- mouse buttons;
- separate key, key combinations;
- global shutdown.
You can also change the symbolic combination of the command to enter and exit the setting panel.
A blocker operating on the .NET Framework 3.5 platform (its presence in the system is required). After starting, it displays a panel with one single button on the display to completely disable the keyboard, mouse and touchpad. The activation is carried out by the "hot" combination: "Ctrl + Alt + Del" → "Esc" (to close the utility window).
Method number 3: on the command line
1. Open the Windows menu: click "Start".
2. In the search bar, type "CMD".
3. With administrator rights, run the file icon that appears in the panel.
4. In the console, type the command:
rundll32 keyboard, disable
4. Press Enter.
How do I turn off numbers?
To turn off the numbers on the keyboard (case) that appear on the display when you try to dial the characters "J", "K", "L", try one of the following:
- press the Num lk (Num Lock) key;
- use the combination "Fn + Num Lock", "Fn + F11".
After switching the case, letters will be printed again.
Disconnecting forever
Full deactivation may be required in cases where you need to disconnect the "native" keyboard and connect an additional one, or replace the keyboard panel with a new one (another model).
Before turning off the keyboard on a laptop completely, you need to find out its digital signature, or identifier. This procedure is performed as follows:
1. Open the "Keyboard" section in the Task Manager (see Method # 1 for temporary shutdown).
2. Right-click on the name of the input device.
3. Select "Properties" from the list.
4. In the new window, click the "Details" tab.
5. From the Property drop-down menu, set the Hardware ID.
6. Right-click on the first entry in the value field (this is the identifier). In the menu, click "Copy".
7. Transfer the entry to Notepad or another text editor. Or save to the system clipboard. You will need it for deactivation.
After receiving the ID, proceed with configuring Group Policy:
1. Press "Win + R". In the "Run" line, type - gpedit.msc. Click OK.
2. Click: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates.
The Windows button is on every keyboard and we use it every day to perform various actions. If you click on the Win button, the Start menu will open. Apart from this, you can also use the Win button with other keys on your keyboard.
For example, pressing Windows + E will open Windows Explorer. If you press Windows + R, then you can open the "Run ..." utility. In general, there are a lot of combinations with this key and they are all incredibly useful for any user.
However, if the Win key does not work, then these combinations can easily be forgotten. Why does this button stop working? There are several reasons why the Win button stopped working. These include problems with the keyboard, system settings, key blocking, etc.
Method # 1 Pressing the combination Fn + F6
This method is likely to work for some laptop users and users with a special keyboard. Find the FN key on your PC or laptop keyboard (usually located in the lower left corner, next to CTRL).
Then find the F6 key and take a closer look at it, since its surface can display the functionality activated by the FN + F6 combination. If you see something like the Win icon on this key, then try pressing the Fn + F6 key combination to activate or deactivate the Win key.
However, be careful, as on some laptops the Fn + F6 key combination can disable the display of the device or its touchpad. However, the F6 key should display functionality.
Method # 2 Pressing the Win Lock key
The next method will require you to press the Win Lock key. This key was most commonly seen on older keyboards that some users may still have.
In addition to older keyboards, the Win Lock key can also be present on a number of gaming devices. In the heat of battle, players can often accidentally hit the Win key. It is for this that the Win Lock key was introduced on gaming devices.
Perhaps you are the owner of either an old or a gaming keyboard (although there are exceptions and the Win Lock key may be present on a regular keyboard). Find it and click to return the functionality to the Win key.
Method # 3 Cleaning the keyboard
You are unlikely to like the next question, but since we are here trying to solve the problem in the form of a non-working Win button, we have to ask: have you been cleaning your keyboard for a long time?
Yes, the fact is that the keys, with the accumulation of a sufficient amount of dirt, can simply begin to stick or not be pressed at all (or pressed, but not transmit a signal). Membrane keyboards are especially susceptible to contamination.
Open up the inside of your keyboard (it's not difficult at all) and then do a little cleaning there. Especially near the Win key. Once you're done, put the keyboard together and test the Win key.
Method # 4 Change the connection port
In very rare cases, some of the keyboard buttons may not function correctly due to the port where the keyboard itself is connected. Most keyboards nowadays are connected via USB. Try plugging your keyboard into a different USB port and test the Win key. It is advisable to also test the functionality of other keys.
If you have an old keyboard that has a PS / 2 connection, then you can connect it to another such port, if you have a second PS / 2 keyboard port on your motherboard (which is quite a rarity).
Regular shutdown of your personal computer allows you to restore high performance of the gadget. When the power is turned off, the cache is cleared, the RAM is unloaded, all background programs and applications are closed.
There are situations when it is urgent to turn off the computer, but due to a number of circumstances it is impossible to do this in a standard way. For example, one of the applications caused the PC to freeze. Or a broken mouse prevents you from opening the Start menu and shutting down.
Some users even prefer to save time and use all possible hot keys and turn off the power of a computer or laptop using a keyboard shortcut. In such cases, many PC owners have difficulties in how to turn off the computer using the keyboard. There are several ways to shutdown the device without a mouse.
How to Shut Down Your Computer Using the Keyboard: Using the Start Menu
The first and easiest way to shutdown a laptop or computer using just the keyboard is to use the Start Menu features. But how do I turn off my computer using the keyboard from the Start menu?
First you need to press It is located in the bottom row of keys and has a "Windows" checkbox drawn on it. After clicking, a standard "Start" window will open. Further, using the Tab key, you will need to switch the focus to the line “Shutdown” or “Shutdown”. After pressing the enter button, the user will be presented with several options: Shut Down, Restart, Sleep, and Hibernate. You can select the required one using the navigation keys.
Shutting down the computer via Win + X
There is a faster and easier way, using the keyboard in a few seconds. You must activate the keyboard shortcut Win + X. After clicking, a list of actions will open, from which you will need to select "Shutdown" or "Logout".
After the focus has been moved to the desired item, using the arrow to the right, you can call additional functions that determine how to turn off the computer.
Shutting Down Your Computer: Opening the Shut Down Menu
Another way to quickly shutdown your computer using the keyboard involves a keyboard shortcut.
The user will need to call a special menu “Finish work”. To do this, you need to press Alt + F4. In the window that appears, use the navigation keys to select the required function: shutdown, restart or hibernation. To start the shutdown process, you only need to press the enter button.
Shutting Down Your Computer Using the Run Window
Among the many ways to turn off your computer from the keyboard, there is one that many users do not know about. This shutdown method implies the use of the "Run" window.
In order to open the window, you need to press the Win + R key combination. In the pop-up dialog box, enter the following shutdown /. The rest depends on the intentions of the user. If you want to turn off the computer, the letter s is printed after the special character. If you need to restart your personal computer - r.
The command is activated using the enter button.
Turning off the computer from the keyboard in Windows 8 and 10
In the latest versions of Windows operating systems, some interface changes have been introduced. And thanks to this, another way appeared, how to turn off the computer using the keyboard in Windows 8 and 10.
To quickly turn off the computer, the user must press the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination. The familiar desktop screen will change to the system window, where you can use the Tab key to set focus to the computer shutdown icon in the lower right corner.
To turn off the device, just press the enter button and select the desired parameter.
Mouse emulation
It is inconvenient to operate a personal computer without a mouse. The standard keyboard functions do not completely replace the mouse with the keys. However, the additional capabilities of the Windows operating system make it possible to almost completely replace a computer mouse with a keyboard. To do this, you must activate the "Mouse emulation" mode.
To enable emulation mode, you need to press LeftShift + LeftAlt + NumLock. Next, a dialog box will open in which the user will be reminded that this combination enables a new keyboard mode. To start emulation, you need to agree to the proposed terms and click on the "Yes" button.
After activating the mode, you can start working without a mouse. The entire number pad, with the exception of the “0” and “5” buttons, is screen navigation. By pressing these buttons, you can gradually move to the desired areas of the desktop. The number “5” is a click. Its quick double tap is a double click.
Thus, when using "Mouse Emulation" you can quickly get to the "Start" menu and turn off the computer in the usual way, without using the touchpad or mouse.
At first it seems strange that sometimes the user needs to turn off the keyboard on a laptop. After all, this is an integral and important part of the device. However, there can be many reasons for such a procedure. For example, you have children who like to play with a laptop while you are away. Then this measure is one of the ways to protect the device. Or the keyboard itself is out of order (water has been spilled on it, some key sticks, etc.), which made it impossible to use the device. Whereas by disabling the button control, you can easily use the laptop for your own purposes. Only with a mouse, touchpad or by connecting an external keyboard via USB.
Most often, you need to temporarily “de-energize” the keyboard on a laptop. That is, literally for a couple of minutes - a maximum of an hour or two. For example, to give a child to watch a cartoon. But at the same time so that he could not press anything. In this case, the best option is to take advantage of the command line capabilities. All that is required:
- Run the command line as an administrator. This can be done in different ways. In windows 10, hover over Start, then right-click and select the appropriate item.
- Next, we write the command "rundll32 keyboard, disable". We press Enter.
- Then the laptop keyboard will stop functioning.
This method is extremely simple. In this case, you can also enable the keyboard through the command line. You just need to enter "rundll32 keyboard, enable".
Disable laptop keyboard through device manager
Another method is no less popular. It also allows you to quickly disable the built-in keyboard on your laptop. What is needed for this? You will need a device manager. In addition, you will need to do the following:
- We go to the device manager. To do this, in windows 8 and 10, right-click on start. Then we select the line of the same name. On a laptop with windows 7, the easiest way is to press the key combination Win + R and enter the command "devmgmt.msc".
- As soon as we got to the device manager, we are looking for a keyboard in the list. We click on the desired item with the right mouse button (most often it is labeled as "Standard keyboard").
- In the next window, select "Disable". If there is no such option, then click on "Delete".
- Next, we confirm the disconnection of the device.
We use various software
For those who do not have enough built-in capabilities and tools to disable the keyboard on a laptop, you can use different programs and utilities. For example, we can recommend Toddler Keys. Its advantage is not only in a convenient and simple interface. This utility is free. It is also compatible with a wide variety of operating systems and laptop models from any manufacturer - asus, lenovo, acer, hp, samsung, etc.
The Toddler Keys app is pretty simple to use:
- Download the utility from the developer's website or a third-party resource.
- We install it on a laptop.
- We launch the program. It will open at the bottom right in the tray (in the notification area).
- Next, we find the utility shortcut. These will be the letters "T" and "K" in blue. Click on it with the auxiliary mouse button.
- A window will pop up. In it you need to click on "Lock Keyboard". As a result, a check mark will appear next to this item.
Accordingly, when it will be necessary, on the contrary, to turn on the keyboard, then simply uncheck the box. We also recommend that you pay attention to the following. After installing the application, uncheck the boxes for "Lock Drive Doors" and "Disable Power Button". They are installed by default, blocking the DVD / CD-ROM and laptop on / off button.
Another free keyboard mute app is Kid Key Lock. This program compares favorably with the rest of the software in that you can set blocking modes in its options. For example, you can completely disable the entire keyboard, or a single key or just a group - the same function keys.
How do I disable individual keys?
Sometimes it is necessary to "disable" not the entire keyboard, but only individual buttons. How to do it? Let's look at a couple of options:
- You need to disable the number keys on the right side of the keyboard. It's simple. We hold down the Fn and NUM LOCK buttons. On some devices, it is enough to press only the second key. Sometimes you can turn off the numeric part of the keyboard and the combination "Fn + F11".
- Sometimes you need to disable hotkeys. To do this, press the combination "Win + R". Enter "gpedit.msc" in the window. Then click OK. We go through the menu tree to the "User configuration". Next, we need a subsection "Administrative Templates". In it, click on "Windows Components". Next, we are looking for "Windows Explorer". On the right we find "Disable keyboard shortcuts Windows + X", click on it 2 times. In the window that opens, put a check mark on "Enable". Click OK and.
How else can you disable the laptop keyboard?
In fact, everything that we described above is ways to temporarily disable the keyboard. Literally rebooting or removing the software will bring it back to working condition. Therefore, it is advisable for an advanced user to know how to disable the keyboard for a longer period. For example, to replace it with a new one.
As an option - physical disconnection. You need to remove the back cover of the laptop. Find a wide and large ribbon cable that runs from the keyboard to the motherboard. Then carefully detach it. The procedure requires great care. After all, one awkward movement and you can scratch the same motherboard, and this is fraught with big problems.
By the way, finding the keyboard cable itself on some laptops is not easy. After all, it is located in all models in different ways. Much here depends on the manufacturer of the motherboard (Gigabyte, Intel, MSI, etc.) and the device itself (asus, acer, sony, Dell, etc.).
Can also be used to disable keyboard Windows Group Policy Editor... It is by default in the "seven" (except for Home). In some basic versions of Windows 8 and 10, most likely, you will need to additionally install the Group Policy Editor. It is not difficult to do this - there is a lot of information on this topic on the Internet. So let's get back to how to disable the keyboard using this tool (for example, Windows 10):
- We go through the start menu to the control panel. Select the large icons view mode.
- We click on the device manager. In it we find the item keyboard. We click with the mouse (right button). Then we select "Properties".
- Go to the "Details" tab. In the list we find the ID equipment.
- In the value field, copy the appearing data (ID).
- Without closing this window, press the combination "Windows + R". We register the command "gpedit.msc" and press Enter.
- The editor will open. So that you do not have to look for the desired section for a long time, and this is "Restrictions on the installation of devices", we recommend that you go to the address: Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / Install Devices.
- After that, on the right side, we find the item "Prohibit the installation of devices with the specified codes." We "click" on it twice.
- We activate the checkbox "Enable".
- Next, click in the "Parameters" section, the "Show" button.
- A window will open. You need to paste the previously copied value into it.
- Again, in the "Parameters" section, put a tick in front of "Also apply for the appropriate devices ...".
- We save all the changes (via “Apply” and “OK”). We reboot the device.
In this not the easiest way, you can disable the keyboard on a laptop with windows 10 (or any other OS). However, this option for deactivating the keyboard is great if you need to replace it.
Conclusion
Choose any of the methods you like. True, if you are a novice user, then it is better to use standard Windows tools or third-party software to disable the keyboard. It is difficult to go wrong and do something wrong here. But working with the local group policy editor, and even more so resorting to physically disabling the keyboard, is only as a last resort.
Windows hotkeys are used to simplify (speed up) the user's work with the computer. It does this by minimizing user interaction with the mouse.
Most key combinations use the Windows logo key in combination with other keys on the keyboard. For example, the keyboard shortcut Windows +M minimizes all open windows. Agree, this is much faster and more convenient than minimizing all windows individually.
Now let's go directly to the topic of the article. While these keyboard shortcuts are meant to make life easier for the user, in some cases it may be necessary to disable them. How do you disable Windows hotkeys? Let's take a look at a few options.
With gpedit.msc
1.Open the menu Start.
2. Select an item Execute.
gpedit.msc and press Enter.
If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic or Starter, then use the instructions to run gpedit.msc.
4. In the window that opens , on the left in the menu tree, select items User Configuration - Administrative Templates - ComponentsWindows - ExplorerWindows
5. In the list of parameters on the right we find the line Disable keyboard shortcutsWindows +X and click on it 2 times.
6. A window will appear in which you need to select the item Turn on and press OK.
7. Close the window Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.
As a result of performing the above actions, all hotkeys will be disabled using the key Windows.
Using Registry Editor
Attention! Incorrect use of Registry Editor can damage your computer's operating system. Therefore, follow the steps below very carefully. It will not be superfluous to create a system restore point.
1.Open the menu Start.
2. Select an item Execute.
3. In the window that appears, enter regedit and press Enter.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies
If in paragraph Policies there is a section Explorer, then go to step 7.
Policies Create, then Chapter.
6. Rename the newly created section to Explorer.
7. Right-click on the section Explorer and in the context menu select the item Create, then ParameterDWORD (32 bits).
8. Assign a name to the created parameter NoWinKeys.
9. Right-click on the parameter NoWinKeys and select the item Change.
10. Enter the value 1 and press OK.
11. Close the registry editor window and restart your computer.
As with the first option, in this case all hotkeys will be disabled using the key Windows.
Disable individual hotkeys
Both options above disable all hotkeys. But how do you disable individual hotkeys? To do this, follow these steps:
1.Open the menu Start.
2. Select an item Execute.
3. In the window that appears, enter regedit and press Enter.
4. The Registry Editor will open, in which you need to go to the next section:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
5. Right-click on the section Advanced and in the context menu select the item Create, then Expandable string parameter.
6. Assign a name to the created parameter DisabledHotKeys.
7. Right-click on the parameter DisabledHotKeys and select the item Change.
8. Next, you need to enter the characters used in the Windows hotkey combinations that you want to disable. For example, if you want to disallow the combinations Windows + R and Windows + E, then you need to assign a value to the string parameter RE.
Now let's consider an example in which you need to prohibit a combination with a key that is not associated with any letter of the Latin alphabet or number. In this case, you need to use the virtual key codes and the ASCII character code table.
Here we will not analyze what virtual key codes are and give a table of ASCII codes, since there is enough information on the Internet on these issues. Let's consider just one option using the example of a combination of hot keys Windows +Home.
And so, the key Home corresponds to the virtual key code 24 ... But we in the string parameter DisabledHotKeys you need to enter a character. Therefore, using the ASCII table of character codes, we find which character the number 24 corresponds to. In our case, this is the character $ .
Now if we want to block keyboard shortcuts Windows + R, Windows + E and Windows +Home, you need a string parameter DisabledHotKeys enter value RE $.
9. Close the registry editor window and restart your computer.
That's all. Now you know how to disable Windows hotkeys in three different ways.