The caps lock key is a useful feature in some scenarios. However, it can be frustrating when clicked by mistake, causing every character you type to be in uppercase letters. This can be a nuisance, particularly when you are keying in a password or typing an email or a document. The good news is that it is possible to disable the caps lock key, and this article shows you how to do it in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Disabling Caps Lock in Windows 10

To disable the caps lock key in Windows 10, you first have to access the registry. This feat can be achieved by following these steps:

1. Hold “Windows key + R” on your keyboard to launch the “Run” command box.
2. Type “regedit” in the text box of the “Run” dialog box and click “OK.”
3. Once the registry editor window launches, navigate to this path – “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout.”
4. Right-click on the “Keyboard Layout” folder and select “New,” then “Binary Value.”
5. Name the new file “Scancode Map” and press “Enter.”
6. Double-click on the new file you created and add the following hexadecimal value to the “Value data” field: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 00 00 3A 00 00 00 00 00.
7. Click on “OK,” close the registry editor and restart your computer for changes to take effect.

You should note that this method is irreversible, and you cannot revert to the initial settings once you make changes to the registry. If you are not comfortable with modifying the registry, you can use third-party apps such as SharpKeys, which offer an intuitive interface with an easy-to-use mechanism for disabling the caps lock key.

Disabling Caps Lock in Windows 11

Windows 11 improvements include a new method of disabling the caps lock key. Using the Settings app, you can quickly disable the caps lock key effortlessly. Here’s how to do it:

1. Click the “Start” button and select the “Settings” cog icon.
2. Click on “Devices” and then select “Typing” from the left navigation column.
3. Scroll down to the “Advanced Keyboard Settings” section.
4. Toggle on the “Use the Caps Lock key for an alternate function” option, and the caps lock key will be disabled.