If your keyboard is acting out, randomly starting applications and features within Windows, then the keyboard is probably stuck, causing it to combine every key you press with the Windows key.
So, if you accidentally open up Windows Explorer, the Run window, or the Utility Manager (and more) by simply using the keyboard, then you’ve come to the right place.
Shortcuts are often triggered by a set combination of keys (Oftentimes one of the modifier keys: CTRL, ALT, or Windows in combination with 1 or 2 other keys), each combination does different things.
Some of the most commonly used shortcuts are functions like copy, paste, locking the computer, and swapping between tabs.
While they’re incredibly useful for the user when they can be used as intended, I’m sure these shortcuts are a real annoyance when they’re triggered automatically.
You can fix a keyboard that’s stuck on shortcuts by pressing CTRL+ALT+P. That should get your keyboard out of shortcut mode. If that doesn’t work, make sure your Windows key isn’t physically stuck by moving it or pressing it. Your keyboard could also be stuck on shortcuts because Sticky Keys is turned on, which is a feature that helps people with disabilities, or people who have problems operating the keyboard.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at each of the things that could be triggering your problems and how to solve them.
How To Fix a Keyboard That’s Only Doing Shortcuts
Now that we’ve looked at some of the most common reasons why a keyboard only does shortcuts, let’s take a look at the different solutions.
1. Restart the Computer
The first step is to restart the computer. Ever since the beginning of mankind, the first thing to do has always been to restart the computer. Does the issue persist?
Chances are that a simple restart will reverse the effects and get your keyboard back to normal. If it doesn’t… continue reading.
2. Try Another Keyboard
The second step of the troubleshooting process is (if possible) to try another keyboard. This can tell us if the problem is hardware or software-related.
If it’s software-related, the issues should persist even with another keyboard connected to the computer, as they’re most likely coming from within the computer, not the keyboard.
If they’re hardware-related, then it’s most likely the keyboard’s keys or components that are starting to act out.
3. The CTRL+ALT+P Way
Pressing CTRL+ALT+P is known to fix these shortcut-related issues. Simply using this combination of keys could reverse the effects that are causing your keys to trigger shortcuts.
4. Turn Off Sticky Keys
Sticky Keys is a feature that helps people with disabilities or injuries operate the keyboard with more ease. When Sticky Keys is turned on, modifier keys such as Shift, Ctrl, Alt, and the Windows key, will remain active once they have been pressed, and stay active until another key is pressed.
This helps the restricted user from having to perform advanced combinations of keys to trigger shortcuts. The user can, instead, press the modifier key of his or her choice and then the other key to trigger the shortcut.
When you understand how Sticky Keys works you can see how it could be the villain when it comes to triggering random shortcuts on a keyboard.
Sticky Keys is a feature that can be turned off by pressing three or more modifier keys simultaneously. You can also disable and configure Sticky Keys in the Ease of Access Center, which can be reached by searching for “Ease of Access Keyboard Settings” in the search bar.
5. A Modifier Key is Physically Stuck
Perhaps one of your modifier keys is physically stuck, causing it to trigger a combination of keys when any other single key is pressed.
Move, press, and wiggle all of the modifier keys to make sure none of them are stuck. Don’t use too much force when you move them around. It shouldn’t require much force to make sure if the key is stuck or not.
6. Uninstall the Keyboard Drivers
By uninstalling the keyboard drivers you are forcing the computer to reinstall them when it starts back up. The newly installed drivers can be the solution to your problems.
- Search for “Command Prompt” and open it as Administrator.
- In the command prompt, type “devmgmt.msc” to open the Device Manager.
- Find the keyboard in the list of hardware then right-click on it and choose Uninstall device.
- Restart your computer to have it reinstall the keyboard’s drivers again. This might fix your problems.
7. Try the On-Screen Keyboard
Windows comes with a built-in on-screen keyboard that can be accessed in the “Ease of Access keyboard settings”, which can be accessed by searching for the same phrase in the search bar down to your left.
When it comes to troubleshooting a keyboard, the on-screen keyboard is great. It acts as a second keyboard, which we can use to see if the same commands are triggered or if they’re bound to the physical keyboard.
If shortcuts are triggered by your on-screen keyboard too, then there’s probably something going on with your physical keyboard, as the physical keyboard and the on-screen keyboard can be combined.
Meaning you can press the Windows button on your physical keyboard and then any other key on the on-screen keyboard to trigger a shortcut.
If the issue doesn’t persist when you’re on the on-screen keyboard: Enable the on-screen keyboard and use it to see if the issue persists. Then, after a minute or so, disable the on-screen keyboard and go back to your physical keyboard.
How Do I Turn Off Keyboard Shortcuts?
If you, for some reason, would want to get rid of keyboard shortcuts, then it’s fully possible. It’s your computer and I won’t try to talk you out of it, however, I wouldn’t disable keyboard shortcuts unless I had a really good reason, as they’re quite good when they work as intended.
Oh, so you still want to do it? Alright… guess I’ll show you how.
- In the search bar to your left – search for “Edit Group Policy” and click it to open the Group Policy Window.
- Navigate to -> User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> File Explorer and click on the File Explorer folder.
- A list of items should appear on the right-hand side of the Window. Search for “Turn off Windows Key Hotkeys” and double-click on it to open up the settings for the function.
- Click Enable -> Apply -> Ok. You have now turned off all keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key.