Change / Modify / Reassign the Keys or Buttons of a Keyboard in Windows

Ever want to change the input of the keys / buttons of your keyboard in Windows (keyboard layout)? Or maybe just interchange the input of two keys like the Alt and Ctrl key? Here’s how.

It’s a challenge to find a laptop with the right mix. It has to have the specs you’re looking for, features you want, design that’s acceptable, and must fit your budget. However, sometimes we tend to neglect some of the minor things we should also be looking out for when buying a laptop – which is the keyboard button layout.

Have you ever felt that one of the keys in your keyboard just doesn’t feel to be in the right place? You felt that the Ctrl key shouldn’t be there and should be in the place of the Alt key? Or one of the keys needs to be disabled?

 

For desktop computers with separate keyboards, when you don’t like the layout or when you find some keys are in an uncomfortable place in the keyboard, it’s easy to change and buy another keyboard.

For laptops or notebooks however, you can’t do that. You’re stuck with how the keys are situated or laid out. So how do we fix that?

 

Fortunately for Windows users (Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/ Win 7), you just need to install KeyTweak created by Travis Krumsick. KeyTweak is technically a keyboard remapper which is absolutely free to download and use. You can interchange keys, change the assignment of several keys or change the layout of the whole keyboard if you want.

Using Keytweak is very easy. You can use the manual method where you click any of the keys in the virtual keyboard and reassign it using the dropdown provided.

 

Or you can use the Full Teach Mode or Half Teach Mode which can be activated through the buttons located at the bottom.

 

When in Full Teach Mode, just click Begin Teach Mode and then press (1) the key you want to modify and then (2) press the new key it would be assigned to.

 

When in Half Teach Mode, click Begin Teach Mode and then press the key you want to modify and then manually select the key it would be assigned to.

 

It’s really very easy to use and once you’re done reassigning keys, you don’t need to run it again as your keyboard will now have the new ones.

Limitations

Keytweak is great but it still has some limitations which I believe it really can’t be blamed for. One major limitation is the FN Key found in laptops can’t be reassigned. If you want the FN key to be reassigned, the BIOS of your laptop needs to be modified (usually through an update).

Keytweak doesn’t also support multiple keys in one keystroke. If you want that, use the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator. I found it harder to use though and it can only modify the alphanumeric keys/buttons. You can’t modify the other keys like Tab, Caps, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Enter, and Backspace buttons.

Keytweak also can’t modify the keyboard for a single application only. The change it makes is global and affects all applications in your operating system.

There you go, I hope I’ve helped you change or modify the Input Keys or Buttons of your Keyboard in Windows.