Easy ways to remap a keyboard

Some people are asking questions that their keyboard's specific key has stopped working and want to remap the keyboard rather than replacing the keyboard. Most of them get their solutions by using 3rd party software and it is good because custom registry editing may create problem if used improperly and most of the people don't often get the understandable solution for custom registry mapping. SO, I have decided to write a article about remapping the keyboard keys from both methods i.e. manual registry editing and by using 3rd party applications. This is for windows.




MANUAL REGISTRY EDITING

Okay as I already said that this method require us to create our custom registry. So we have to start with opening windows registry editor. 

i) Just open regedit from start search or run cmd.

ii) Now navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout.

iii) If you have never mapped any keys then there won't be any registry in which case we have to create a new registry.

iv) It's easy to create a new registry. Just right-click on Keyboard Layout and then select New/Binary Value.

 v) Name it Scancode Map and then in the data enter the binary value as I have explained below:

Mapping example

The value data above is: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 3A 00 2A 00 46 00 0F 00 00 00 00 00
Above I have highlighted the important things involved in the value, I have remapped 2 keys so, in the data there are 4 scan codes, 2 of each mapping. The code usually contains only 2 character but it uses 4 bits so to make it 4 bit we should fulfill the requirement by adding 0 as the spaces. Eg: 003A is used but the scancode of caps lock is only 3A. Now more description of value used  :

• 03 is no. of keys to be remapped. If only one mapping is to be done then this value is 02 and as you go on increasing the mapping, it also increases.  
• 00 3Ais the code of the key to which we are going to remap. 3A is the scancode of the Caps Lock.
• 00 2A is the code of the key which we are going to remap. It is the scancode of Left Shift It is the key to be remapped by the key scancode at the left side. So, here LShift(2A) is going to be mapped as Caps Lock(3A). 
• Same thing again, 00 46 is Scroll Lock and it is to be mapped in 00 0F(TAB).
• The other remaining zeros are just spaces.

NOW TO TAKE EFFECT, WE JUST HAVE TO RESTART OR LOG-OFF. 3rd party applications do same thing and now we can also see this setting in other remapping software without even using those software.

BELOW IS THE TABLE OF THE SCAN CODES OF ALL THE KEYBOARD KEYS. http://www.ee.bgu.ac.il/~microlab/MicroLab/Labs/ScanCodes.htm

Hex Scan Code	Key	Hex Scan Code	Key	Hex Scan Code	Key	Hex Scan Code	Key	Hex Scan Code	Key	Hex Scan Code	Key
		20	D	40	F6	60	Ctrl F3	80	Alt 9	A0	Alt Dn Arrow
01	ESC	21	F	41	F7	61	Ctrl F4	81	Alt 0	A1	Alt PgDn
02	1	22	G	42	F8	62	Ctrl F5	82	Alt -	A2	Alt Ins
03	2	23	H	43	F9	63	Ctrl F6	82	Alt =	A3	Alt Del
04	3	24	J	44	F10	64	Ctrl F7	84	Ctrl PgUp	A4	Alt / (num)
05	4	25	K	45	Num Lk	65	Ctrl F8	85	F11	A5	Alt Tab
06	5	26	L	46	Scrl Lk	66	Ctrl F9	86	F12	A6	Alt Enter (num)
07	6	27	; :	47	Home	67	Ctrl F10	87	SH F11
08	7	28	' "	48	Up Arrow	68	Alt F1	88	SH F12
09	8	29	` ~	49	Pg Up	69	Alt F2	89	Ctrl F11
0A	9	2A	L SH	4A	- (num)	6A	Alt F3	8A	Ctrl F12
0B	0	2B	\ |	4B	4 Left Arrow	6B	Alt F4	8B	Alt F11
0C	- _	2C	Z	4C	5 (num)	6C	Alt F5	8C	Alt F12
0D	= +	2D	X	4D	6 Rt Arrow	6D	Alt F6	8C	Ctrl Up Arrow
0E	BKSP	2E	C	4E	+ (num)	6E	Alt F7	8E	Ctrl - (num)
0F	Tab	2F	V	4F	1 End	6F	Alt F8	8F	Ctrl 5 (num)
10	Q	30	B	50	2 Dn Arrow	70	Alt F9	90	Ctrl + (num)
11	W	31	N	51	3 Pg Dn	71	Alt F10	91	Ctrl Dn  Arrow
12	E	32	M	52	0 Ins	72	Ctrl PtScr	92	Ctrl Ins
13	R	33	, <	53	Del .	73	Ctrl L Arrow	93	Ctrl Del
14	T	34	. >	54	SH F1	74	Ctrl R Arrow	94	Ctrl Tab
15	Y	35	/ ?	55	SH F2	75	Ctrl End	95	Ctrl / (num)
16	U	36	R SH	56	SH F3	76	Ctrl PgDn	96	Ctrl * (num)
17	I	37	PtScr	57	SH F4	77	Ctrl Home	97	Alt Home
18	O	38	Alt	58	SH F5	78	Alt 1	98	Alt Up Arrow
19	P	39	Spc	59	SH F6	79	Alt 2	99	Alt PgUp
1A	[ {	3A	CpsLk	5A	SH F7	7A	Alt 3	9A
1B	] }	3B	F1	5B	SH F8	7B	Alt 4	9B	Alt Left Arrow
1C	Enter	3C	F2	5C	SH F9	7C	Alt 5	9C
1D	Ctrl	3D	F3	5D	SH F10	7D	Alt 6	9D	Alt Rt Arrow
1E	A	3E	F4	5E	Ctrl F1	7E	Alt 7	9E
1F	S	3F	F5	5F	Ctrl F2	7F	Alt 8	9F	Alt End

 

BY USING 3rd PARTY SOFTWARE

I recommend you to use these applications because it is easy and does the same work. I have these two software in recommendation:

1. Sharp Keys:

This is one of the best keys available in the internet for the keyboard remapping purpose. Just install the software then open it as an administrator, then click on Add button and select the keys. You can just click on Type Key then press the key you want. Select both keys then ok and the click on Write to Registry. Now log-off or restart to take the effect. Below is a direct link for version 3.5 . Official page is here.

Download 
 

2. Key Tweak:

Simple software that provides you several options. To remap just click on any keys in the keyboard in the screen given. Download version 2.3 from direct link below.

Download