How to Remap Your Keyboard Keys on Windows: Complete Guide

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Learn how to change keybindings easily in Windows 10 & 11

Co-authored by Michael Thompson-Brown and Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: October 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Using PowerToys
|
• Using SharpKeys
|
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• Expert Q&A

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This wikiHow teaches you how to reassign your keyboard buttons and select a different function for any button on your keyboard, using Windows. There's no built-in way to change your keybindings in Windows, so you'll have to use a third-party tool to do it. The most popular tools are the PowerToys Keyboard Manager and SharpKeys.

Remapping Keys on Windows

The best way to remap keys is with PowerToys, a free utilities suite for Windows made by Microsoft. PowerToys allows you to easily change keybindings without needing to restart your PC. You can also use SharpKeys, a simple utility that will write keybinding changes to your registry.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using PowerToys Keyboard Manager

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1. 1
   Download PowerToys from GitHub. PowerToys is a program with a number of Windows utilities. It's been around for years, and it was created by Microsoft.

   • Download PowerToys from GitHub. Click the latest release on the right-hand side and download the PowerToys version that works for your computer.
     • You can choose between installing PowerToys on a per-user basis or a machine-wide basis.
     • You'll likely need to get the x64 version of the program, unless you know that you have a CPU with ARM64 architecture.
2. 2
   Install PowerToys. Once the download finishes, open the EXE file you just downloaded. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard to continue.

   • After installing PowerToys, it will immediately open.
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3. 3
   Click on Keyboard Manager on the left-hand side of the window. While PowerToys has many useful utilities, the one you'll need to specifically rebind your keyboard keys is the Keyboard Manager.
4. 4
   Click Open Settings. The landing page will tell you a bit more about the Keyboard Manager utility. Clicking Open Settings will open a new window.
5. 5
   Enable Keyboard Manager. To do this, click the toggle next to "Enable Keyboard Manager."
6. 6
   Click Remap a key. This will open a new window.
7. 7
   Click Add key remapping. This will initiate the key remapping utility.
8. 8
   Click Select under the "Select" header. This will open a window asking you to select a key on the keyboard. This is the key that will change when you remap the keys.
9. 9
   Press the key you want to change. For example, if you want to rebind the "A" key, you'd press A. You'll see the window update to say that you selected "A."

   • Click OK to continue.
10. 10
    Click Select under the "To send" header. It's to the right of the dropdown that says "Send Key/Shortcut."
11. 11
    Press the key you want to send when you press the first key. For example, if you want to send the letter "B" whenever you press the "A" key, you'd press B in this window.
12. 12
    Add any additional key bindings. It's a good idea to make sure all keys are bound on your keyboard. In the example above, if "B" is sent when you press "A," you could rebind "B" to send "A" when pressed.
13. 13
    Click OK at the top of the screen. This will save your keyboard bindings, and they will be applied immediately.

    • If you'd like to remove the keybinding changes you've made, open the Remap a key menu again and click the trashcan button next to each binding you want to delete.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using SharpKeys

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1. 
   1
   Get SharpKeys from GitHub. Download SharpKeys from its GitHub page. SharpKeys is an open-source software that allows you to reassign your keyboard buttons on Windows.

   • Click the latest ZIP file download of SharpKeys (e.g., sharpkeys394.zip) to download the file.
   • Once downloaded, unzip the file.
2. 
   2
   Open SharpKeys and accept the agreement. Double-click SharpKeys.exe in the extracted folder and accept the terms. This launches SharpKeys for the first time.
3. 
   3
   Click the "Add" button. Click Add at the bottom-left corner of SharpKeys. This will allow you to add a new keyboard button configuration.
4. 
   4
   Select the key you want to change. In the left column, click the key you want to reassign. For example, if you want to change your keyboard's Caps Lock button to Space, find and select Caps Lock on the left list.
5. 
   5
   Choose a new function for the key. Select a new function from the right column. The new functions appear in the "To this key" column. For example, if you're changing your Caps Lock button to Space, find and select Space on the right list.
6. 
   6
   Click "OK" to save your configuration. Click the OK button. Now that you've made this change, your configuration is saved. However, you'll still need to make a change to your registry.
7. 
   7
   Write the change to your registry. Click Write to Registry at the lower-right corner. You'll probably need to click OK to give admin permission to the app before it can write to the registry. Once written, you'll still have one more step to complete.
8. 
   8
   Restart your computer. The new key configuration won't work until you reboot your computer. Once your computer comes back up, the key will be remapped.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  Are there any other ways to do this?

  

  Michael Thompson-Brown
  Tech Expert

  Michael Thompson-Brown is a Cybersecurity Expert based in Portland, Maine. He is the owner and founder of PCRescue!, a company that provides cybersecurity and data management solutions to small businesses and individuals. Michael has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry and is a certified ethical hacker. He is passionate about helping clients protect their data and systems from malicious attacks and helping them optimize their online presence and reach. He received a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

  

  Michael Thompson-Brown

  Tech Expert

  Expert Answer

  To bind keys in Windows, begin by opening the application or game where you intend to customize key bindings. Some keyboard models have dedicated applications for key binding. If applicable, launch the keyboard's accompanying software. Otherwise, you can open the application or game settings and locate the key binding or key mapping section. Select the action you want to assign a key to and press the desired key or key combination. Ensure to save your changes before exiting the settings menu.

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