Disabling the WINDOWS key

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Example - For gamers: disabling the WINDOWS key

Installer package: KbdEditInstallerUSEnglishDisabledWin.exe

Layout file: US English (disabled Win).zip

You can use the installer package to deploy this keyboard layout without any restrictions. Free Demo version can be used to make changes and test them. To deploy a modified version, a Premium, Personal or Lite edition is needed.

If you have ever played a full screen game under Windows, this has probably happened to you: in the midst of the game, you accidentally press the Win key, and get immediately thrown back to the desktop mode, so that Windows could pop up the Start menu. Even if you do manage to switch back to the game, you will have missed an important piece of action, the original state is lost, and restart is usually the only viable option.

Since Windows key is rarely used, and is generally more hassle than fun, you can easily disable it. Start menu still remains accessible through a less intrusive Ctrl+Esc shortcut, so you are not losing much in functionality:

KbdEdit disabling the Windows Win key

Switch to the low-level editor.
Move the mouse to the Left Win key, then right-click (or left double-click) to bring up the Virtual Codes List popup-menu.
In the Non-mappable VK codes column, click the VK__none_ ... heading to open the pop-up sub-list of VK codes from VK__none_ to F13.
Click the VK__none_ in the expanded sub-list (VK__none_ is a "quasi" VK code which effectively disables the key it is assigned to).
Alternatively, instead of going through steps 2.-4., you can choose VK__none_ from the Assigned virtual code combo.
Repeat steps 2.-4. for the Right Win key if you want to disable it as well.

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