News Windows Copilot key is secretly from the IBM era — but you can remap it with the right tools

[Admin]

The Copilot key comes on brand new AI PCs but it actually outputs as an ancient keyboard combo from 122-key terminal keyboards of the 1980s or 1990s.

Windows Copilot key is secretly from the IBM era — but you can remap it with the right tools : Read more

 

[Findecanor]

I learned only the other day that Windows 10 also has several other key combinations with the Windows key and F13..F24 with/without Ctrl or Shift.
I read about them in a Reddit post >>link<< (click "comment from the forums" to see links).
Windows + F23 was previously unassigned.

I wonder if there are keyboards with special keys that emit these combos too.
And ... does Windows + F18 still open Cortana in Windows 11?

BTW. Apple's keyboards with numeric keypad for Macintosh have F13..F19.
If you have one of those, you could try some of those other combos out: Command ⌘ acts as the Windows key.

 

[vijosef]

They should had repurposed the System Request/PetSys key, which is in all PCs and does nothing.

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Don't forget the Space Cadet Keyboard

But hopefully Microsoft quickly makes it remappable in Windows itself fairly soon, or at least disabled. I've said it before that I like Copilot and use it regularly, but it's not something I want a dedicated key for, not when Windows+C works just fine.

They should had repurposed the System Request/PetSys key, which is in all PCs and does nothing.

The problem there is laptops and compact keyboards don't have those.

 

[vijosef]

The problem there is laptops and compact keyboards don't have those.

Almost all laptops have it, under the print screen key

 

[Alvar "Miles" Udell]

Almost all laptops have it, under the print screen key

My laptop's Print Screen key is a secondary function assigned to another key.

 

[Notton]

F23? so it goes above the F row?
Why don't laptop manufacturers place the power and copilot keys above the F row?
It seems like an easy fix for keys you don't use often, or don't want to accidentally hit.

 

[LabRat 891]

They should had repurposed the System Request/PetSys key, which is in all PCs and does nothing.

It seems the keystroke for that command is 'set' to PrintScreen(active window) nowadays.
Also, apparently that keystroke has/had some function in debugging.

So, "It was taken".

 

[SSGBryan]

Ahhh....
The model M - accept no substitute.

 

[slightnitpick]

I discovered that, under the surface, the Copilot key is a combination of three keys pressed at once: Left Ctrl + Windows key + F23.

5. Enter the following code to trigger something to happen when the program sees someone hit Shift + Windows key + F23. After the two colons is where you'll put the action you want.

+#f23::

The + represents the shift key and the # represents the Windows key.

How did you go from "Left Ctrl" to "Shift"? And which is it really?

Your image seems to indicate that this is actually "Left Shift". Is this distinct from the right Shift in mappings? I presume the "+" works for it?

 

[das_stig]

Only just found this one CTRL+ALT+4 = €

While on the subject of old keyboards, how I miss the IBM click on a key, the good old days on entering a room and hearing dozens of staff rattling away at their terminals.

 

[excalibur1814]

"While some folks, including me, don't find Copilot on Windows helpful,"

A near instant way to access data from a direct question? Nah, let's just stay the same forever. /s
Embrace change. It can be fun.

 

[dj zero]

; Make it hit Ctrl + Z (which is undo)
+#f23:: ^c

U presume you meant
+#f23:: ^z

 

[dmitche31958]

I have always loved the IBM 3161 keyboard. It was and still is one of the best keyboards that I have used.

 

[dmitche31958]

"While some folks, including me, don't find Copilot on Windows helpful,"

A near instant way to access data from a direct question? Nah, let's just stay the same forever. /s
Embrace change. It can be fun.

Perhaps someday there may be a need for it for those who don't suffer from FOMO.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Be future proof. Get the Hyper 7 R4 keyboard.
https://mechboards.co.uk/products/hyper-7-v4

 

[apiltch]

; Make it hit Ctrl + Z (which is undo)
+#f23:: ^c

U presume you meant
+#f23:: ^z

Sorry about that. Thanks for the catch.

 

[apiltch]

Be future proof. Get the Hyper 7 R4 keyboard.
https://mechboards.co.uk/products/hyper-7-v4

I have been looking for something like this: as many keys as possible. I don't know if I can afford it right now, but this looks awesome. I just wish the function rows were at the top.

 

[apiltch]

How did you go from "Left Ctrl" to "Shift"? And which is it really?

Your image seems to indicate that this is actually "Left Shift". Is this distinct from the right Shift in mappings? I presume the "+" works for it?

Ugh. This is a terrible mistake on my part and I'm sorry we didn't catch it. It's Left Shift + Win + F23. FWIW, invoking either shift key + Win + F23 works. But the Left Ctrl was a mistake and I have fixed it. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

 

[vijosef]

Keyboards should have screens on each key, so the user decides which key or character to assign to that key.

 

[P.Amini]

Be future proof. Get the Hyper 7 R4 keyboard.
https://mechboards.co.uk/products/hyper-7-v4

It looks like a keyboard and a mixing console have a baby!

 

[NateCactus]

Much easier to use powertoys to remap the key imo

 

[adamXpeter]

Only just found this one CTRL+ALT+4 = €

While on the subject of old keyboards, how I miss the IBM click on a key, the good old days on entering a room and hearing dozens of staff rattling away at their terminals.

CTRL+ALT is the right ALT labelled AltGr on German, Hungarian, ... keyboards for the extra accented characters. € is AltGr+U on a Hungarian 102 key keyboard.

So please avoid using CTRL+ALT for hotkeys in software you develop, I hate when IDEs kill []{} (ALtGr+F,G,B,N) and quite many the < (AltGr+Í) character.

 

[adamXpeter]

Our software running on AS/400 still uses the F13-F24 range.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

In addition to AutoHotkey it is possible to use the Spy++ tool in Visual Studio, for those of us that have VS. It is also possible to write a simple Windows program that reports the scan code of keys pressed.

A program could be written to send the keystrokes but that might require a few hours to figure out. In particular, would it be necessary to send both a WM_KEYDOWN and WM_KEYUP but more importantly would a WM_CHAR also be necessary.