It’s not too complicated to create your own keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10. Just right-click the executable for what you want to create a shortcut for, click Properties, and then enter the command in the box. (Learn more about creating custom shortcuts here).
But what if you want to change the default keyboard shortcuts imposed by Windows 10, how to get them?Wygrać+Sopen your own search tool instead of Windows or change the shortcut mapping to reflect how they work on Mac or Linux? Well, at this point things get a little complicated, but are still perfectly doable.
Here’s how to change keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10.
Meet Auto Hotkey
So let’s start with the bad news, which is that there is no native way to change the default keyboard shortcuts in Windows. No, after all these years, Microsoft still doesn’t want to offer this simple flexibility, probably for fear that you’ll want to use their shortcuts to access non-Microsoft applications… which is likely the case.
Instead, you will have to create scripts for each hotkey you want to replace. Don’t worry, this process is quite easy thanks to a great tool calledAutoHotkey. It’s a scripting tool that you can use for a variety of creative purposes, but today we’re going to take a specific look at how you can use it to change Windows default shortcuts.
First,download AutoHotKey.
Once done, right-click an empty space on your Windows desktop, then select “New -> Auto Hotkey Script” and name it something recognizable, then add the suffix “ahk”. (We call our name “Search.ahk” because we will replace the Windows search shortcut with the shortcut to the great search tool, Search All).
Next, we will introduce you to the basics of automatic keyboard shortcut syntax that you need to know to change Windows shortcuts. Most Windows shortcuts use a combination of the following buttons, so this should be enough to get you started.
AutoHotkey syntax | Representation |
---|---|
^ | kontrolaKey Code |
! | AltKey Code |
+ | ZmianaKey Code |
# | WygraćKey Code |
Up down left right | Arrow / direction keys |
to run, | Makes a shortcut key open a file, folder, or program on your computer |
Send, | Redirect the keyboard shortcut to selected keys |
If you want to type a letter, just type that letter, and buttons likewyjścieYesZand others can also be written directly into the script. You can find a suitableAuto Hotkey Main Syntax List on this page.
Let’s say we want to redirect Windows default search shortcut WindowsWygrać+Ssearch everywhere. We write the following command:
#s :: run , "C: Program FilesEverythingEverything.exe"
::
that’s what separates the shortcut from the action you want it to perform. A bit before this shortcut we’re going to enter (Win + S in this case) and a bit after itrun
is the command that opens the Find All app.
For all keyboard shortcut replacements, we recommend that you add a second line to your script with text#NoTrayIcon
. This will prevent the automatic icon from appearing in the shortcuts bar, ensuring that the entire process stays in the background.
When your script is ready, close and save it, then double-click the script to run it and test your keyboard shortcut to see if it works as expected.
If so, move the .ahk script to the system startup folder in File Explorer (C: ProgramData Microsoft Windows Start Menu Programs Start). Do the same for all keyboard shortcut replacers. This way, they will all work as soon as your computer boots up.
Application
It’s a bit of effort, but it definitely works, and as a bonus, you’ve now learned the absolute basics of Auto Hotkey, an extremely useful tool capable of running much more complex scripts than the ones we mention here.