Haven’t you ever wondered about the uses of a Windows key on your Windows computer? Windows key is an indispensable part of your Windows machine. Besides being a shortcut to the Start Menu, Win+R, Win+S are some of the other extremely useful shortcuts using the Windows key. Therefore, the advantage Windows key offers to basic as well as advanced level users is clearly peculiar. Hence, it is very natural that you sometimes get frustrated when your Windows key does not work. We have had several users reporting to us an error that states Windows Key Not Working on their Windows 10 machines.
How to Fix Windows Key Not Working on Windows 10
Nevertheless, we are here with a variety of solutions to your problem, after conducting proper investigation and analysis. Described below are the 10 best solutions that can help you fix the error of your Windows Key Not Working . Please pick the one that is appropriate for you.
Method 1:- Change your registry
One of the most frequent issues that can cause your Windows Key Not Working is the problem with the registry. Many users have reported the same, and this can be solved just by modifying the registry in your Windows 10 PC.
Users have to be very attentive in implementing this method, as it can damage your hard drive or the entire PC severely. In case your Windows file explorer does not open due to heavy damage in the registry, you can export your registry and use the exported registry files as a backup. Now, let us see how we can modify the registry step by step.
Step 1: Open Task Manager and navigate to File >> Run New Task
Step 2: Type regedit in the box that appears, and hit enter.
Step 3: Now you can see a long list on your left pane. Select
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout key
Step 4: Now you have to expand the Layout key to find the Snapcode Map registry entry. You may remove or delete it.
Step 5: In the final step, Exit the Registry Editor and Restart your computer.
In case you do not find the Snapcode map entry, it might not be present on your computer. Do not panic, please check out one of the remaining 9 solutions below, that might work for you!
Method 2:- Perform a Malware and Virus Scan
As you would know the consequences that might happen when your computer gets infected with a virus or some malware, we can not rule out the effect it can have on your problem of the Windows Key Not Working . In fact, this can even completely disable the Windows key. Hence, you should run a full system scan for viruses on your computer to make sure if this is not a cause. In addition, several malware removal tools such as Malwarebytes and Windows Defender can be found online. You can download and run these to check for malicious software on your PC if any present.
To scan your system using Windows Defender, follow the steps listed below.
Step 1: Firstly, click on Settings in the Start Menu
Step 2: Secondly, choose Update and Security. Now click on Windows Defender.
Step 3: From the Shield Icon on the left side, choose Advanced Scan and then Full Scan.
This should solve the problem if it was due to any kind of malicious activity.
Method 3:- Disable the Gaming mode
If you are using a Gaming Keyboard, there are chances that the Keyboard that supports the Gaming mode might have disabled your Windows key. Gaming mode is usually supported so that while you play online games and mistakenly press the Windows key, the game won’t be interrupted if the key is disabled.
If this situation is applicable to you, make sure to turn off the Gaming mode. The switch to turn on/off the Gaming mode can be found above F2 and F3 with a joystick image beside it. For keyboards with hidden gaming modes such as Apex800, you will have to hold the SteelSeries button and press the Windows key to turn off the gaming mode. Hence, please refer to your keyboard manual before dealing with this issue.
Method 4:- Check out the Winlock button
In some cases, the keyboard itself might have a button called Winlock which disables the Windows key. Please make sure to look for it near the right Ctrl key on your keyboard. Press it, if found, to remove the error of your Windows Key Not Working .
Method 5:- Create a New Account
Sometimes to solve these issues, you can just create a new user account on your PC. To do so,
Step 1:- First of all, from Settings choose the Accounts section.
Step 2:- Next, navigate to Family and other people. Click on Add someone else to this PC below the other people section.
Step 3:- Then, choose “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information” and select “Add a user without a Microsoft account”
Step 4:- Give a name for your new user account and click on Next to end the procedure.
Switch to your new account after signing out from the old one, and check if the Windows key works fine. If it does, the issue is with your software. You will have to move all your files and folders, and start using your new account as the main account.
Method 6:- Perform a System File checker scan
By performing a System File Checker (SFC) scan, you can see if the Windows 10 in your PC is corrupt or not which might have caused your Windows Key Not Working problem. To do the SFC scan,
Step 1:- Firstly, go to Task Manager, and File>> Run New Task
Step 2:- Secondly, under the Create new task window, enter cmd, and then checkmark the box beside Create this task with administrative privileges.
Step 3:- Under the Command Prompt window, type sfc/ scannow, and hit Enter key.
The scan would check the Windows 10 installation on your computer. Once it is done, Restart your PC. If the issue with the key still persists, reopen Command Prompt and then run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command. Check again if the issue is resolved.
Method 7:- Uninstall Bad Keyboard Drivers
To make space to install the correct drivers for your keyboard, uninstall the bad ones following the steps below.
Step 1:- At first, open Task Manager, and navigate to File>>Run New Task
Step 2:- Then, type devmgmt.msc in the box and hit enter to open the Device Manager window.
Step 3:- After expanding the keyboards section, right-click on the current keyboard drivers and choose the Uninstall device option. Click on Yes or Uninstall in the warning box that appears.
Step 3:- Lastly, unplug and plug your keyboard again (if a USB keyboard), or restart your PC. Now check if the key works well.
Method 8:- Use Powershell Command
Powershell is a powerful command-line tool which if not used cautiously can harm your computer system. This is used to remove core Windows 10 components, and sometimes this might be the only solution you have for your issue with the key. To continue using this method, follow the steps.
Step 1:- At first, open Task Manager, navigate to File>>Run New Task
Step 2:- Second, go to PowerShell and check-mark “Create this task with administrative privileges.” Click on OK.
Step 3:- Under the Powershell, type Get-AppXPackage –AllUsers | For each {Add-AppxPackage –DisableDevelopmentMode –Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml”}. Hit Enter key. Executing this command is expected to resolve the key issue.
However, creating a new System Restore Point and using it to restore your Windows 10 is a logical thing to do before using the Powershell command as it can lead to any kind of harm to your system.
Method 9:- Restart your Windows or File Explorer
Any errors that might have caused your Windows key from functioning properly can be removed using this method. For executing this method,
Step 1:- First of all, open Task Manager and go to the Processes tab.
Step 2:- Secondly, go to Explorer in the Windows, right-click on it, and hit the End Task option below.
Step 3:- Lastly, go to File>>Run New Task. Type explorer.exe in the box and hit Enter. The key should start working fine from now.
Method 10:- Switch off the Filter Keys
If the filter keys on your PC are turned on, it might also cause low memory issue Windows, besides affecting your Windows key from working properly. To switch off the filter keys, follow the steps below.
Step 1:- Open Settings from Start Menu. Choose Ease of Access Center after scrolling down the Settings page.
Step 2:- You can see a keyboard tab on the left side. Look for filter keys and turn them off. Now see if the issue is resolved.
Conclusion
So, we have tried to explain to you the best possible and effective solutions to your problem of the Windows Key Not Working. We hope these solutions are helpful to you in dealing with this specific issue. But, also keep in mind that this problem might have come from a mechanical perspective due to faulty hardware, or electrical problem that would require you to replace or repair your keyboard. If none of these solutions works for you, please do consider repairing your keyboard.