Windows key is a key found on keyboards with a Windows logo. It has multiple uses, so if someone is facing a problem with the key, then definitely it will be annoying. So if you are one of those who are facing the error Windows key not working, then here we have the 10 ways to fix the Windows Key Not Working error.

Windows Key Not Working on Windows 10

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How to Fix Windows Key Not Working on Windows 10?

If you are facing the error “Windows key not working” and annoyed with the problem, you do not need to worry and annoy any more. Here we are with the 10 solutions to get you out of the problem.

Solution 1 ⇒ Perform a Malware and Virus Scan

Virus and Malware are the root cause of many errors in the smooth functioning of your PC. It is always better to keep running malware and virus scan periodically. For this, you should download the good Malware removing tool, and if you find any doubtful file, you should remove it.

If there is any malware, it can cause the error Windows to key not to work. Even the Malware can disable your Windows key. You can use the following Solution to detect if there are any malware or virus has corrupted the files using Windows defender-

Step 1 ⇒ Go to Start Menu then select Settings. Select Update and Security.

Step 2 ⇒ In update and security, find click on Windows Defender. Look for the shield icon, which is located on the left side of the screen. Open it.

Step 3 ⇒ Click the Advanced scan and select Full Scan. Wait till the scan gets completed.

After the scan is complete and PC is cleaned from Malware, see whether the error Windows key not working has been fixed or not.

Solution 2 ⇒ Change Your Registry

One of the reasons behind the error Windows key not working could be due to some problems with your registry. In that case, you can fix the error Windows key not working by modifying the registry in your Windows 10 PC. You can follow the steps given below to do so.

NOTE: You should take care when you modify your registry, your slight carelessness can bring damage to your hard drive or even your PC. It could also lead to the error Windows 10 file explorer won’t open if the error is high in the registry. So it is advised that you should export your registry and use the exported registry files as a backup.

Step 1 ⇒ Go to Task Manager window and navigate to File ⇒ Run new task. In the run box type regedit and press Enter key.

Step 2 ⇒ Navigate to the left pane and choose the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout key.

Step 3 ⇒ Then expand the Layout key and locate the Snapcode Map registry entry and delete it. After that exit Registry Editor.

Step 4 ⇒ Restart your computer.

See whether the error Windows key not working has been fixed or not. If you didn’t find this Solution useful, you could try the following Solutions.

Solution 3 ⇒ Disable the Gaming Mode

If you are a game lover and often use a gaming keyboard, the chances are that it is interfering with the working of the Windows key. This could be a reason for the error “Windows key not working.” In this case, you should check if you have gaming mode turned on. If it is turned on, it might be interfering with the functioning of the Windows key, so you should turn it off.

To disable the gaming mode, you have to switch it. The buttons which are used to switch of this depend on the keyboard which you use. Read the instruction manual of your keyboard to use the right way to disable the gaming mode.

Solution 4 ⇒ Check out the Win Lock Button

The win lock button is a button used to disable the Windows key. In many vital boards, there is Gaming mode switched on in, but there are some who have this win lock button.

If your keyboard possesses a win lock button, you can locate it near the right ctrl button if your keyboard contains the win lock button press that to see if this removes the error Windows key not working from your PC.

Solution 5 ⇒ Create a New Account

Many users found it that on creating a new user account, the error Windows key not working has been resolved. If the error was due to the software on your PC, this would resolve your problem. So you can try this Solution to resolve the error.

To create a new account, you can follow the given steps:

Step 1 ⇒ Go to settings then select the account section.

Step 2 ⇒ Go to family and other people. In the family and other people, click on Add someone else to this PC.

Step 3 ⇒ Choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information then  select “Add a user without a Microsoft account.” Name your new user account then click on Next. Your new user account will be created.

Step 4 ⇒ After that, sign out of your current account. Then log in through the newly created account.

Step 5 ⇒ Check whether the error Windows key not working appears or not on changing the account. If the error does not appear, you can use the newly created account as the main account. To make it your main account, transfer all your files and folders to the new account.

Solution 6 ⇒ Perform a System File Checker Scan

You can perform a system file checker scan to fix the error Windows key not installed properly. Sometimes files in your operating system get corrupted. This causes problems in the smooth functioning of your operating system. So running a system file checker scan helps you to detect these corrupted files.

To perform a system file checker scan follow the given steps:

Step 1 ⇒ Go to the task manager. There is navigate to File → Run new task.

Step 2 ⇒ A window will open. Type cmd and press enter. Checkmark the box creates this task with administrative privileges.

Step 3 ⇒ In the command prompt window type sfc /scannow then press Enter.

Step 4 ⇒ After the scanning is complete, restart your computer. If your error is fixed, you can enjoy working on your PC. If it not fixed, you need to open the command prompt. Run the DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth command.

Check if the error has been fixed or not. If the error remains, you can try the other Solution.

Solution 7 ⇒ Uninstall Bad Keyboard Drivers

The error Windows key not working can occur due to inappropriate keyboard drivers. To fix the error, you can uninstall the bad keyboard driver and install the suitable one. To do so, you can follow the solution as:

Step 1 ⇒ Open the task manager by pressing Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys at the same time. Then navigate to File ⇒ Run a new task.

Step 2 ⇒ In the run dialog box opened type devmgmt.msc then press the Enter button. A window of device manager will open.

Step 3 ⇒ In the device manager from the list, find the keyboard section, and expand it. To uninstall the keyboard driver right click on the current keyboard drivers and click on uninstall device then uninstall.

Step 4 ⇒ Restart your PC or if you have a USB keyboard, unplug it then plug it back in.. Windows will reinstall the drivers automatically. Check if the error has been fixed or not.

Solution 8 ⇒ Use Powershell Command

Powershell is a command-line tool used to remove Windows 10 components. Some users have found that using Powershell has fixed the error. To use the Powershell command, you can use the following steps:

Step 1 ⇒ Open the task manager by pressing ctrl, shift, and Esc keys at the same time. Then navigate to File> Run a new task.

Step 2 ⇒ Select the PowerShell and tick on ‘create this task with administrative privileges.’ Then click on, OK.

Step 3 ⇒ In the PowerShell window type and press Enter button.

 Get-AppXPackage –AllUsers | For each {Add-AppxPackage –DisableDevelopmentMode –Register "$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml"}

After completion of this process, the error of Windows keys not working will get resolved.

Note ⇒ You should be careful using this Solution. PowerShell command can cause changes to your operating system. So you should create a new System Restore point so that if something unexpected occurs applying this Solution, you can restore your operating system as it was before using Powershell commands.

Solution 9 ⇒ Restart Your Windows or File Explorer

Restarting your Windows or file explorer is a simple and easy Solution that you can apply to fix the error Windows Key is not working. To restart file explorer use the following steps:

Step 1 ⇒ Open the task manager by pressing ctrl, shift, and Esc keys at the same time. Choose the process tab and search explorer in Windows.

Step 2 ⇒ Then right click on explorer option and select end task option. After that, click on the File and select Run new task.

Step 3 ⇒ In the dialogue box opened type explorer.exe and press Enter.

Check if this has resolved the error.

Solution 10 ⇒ Switch off the Filter Keys

Sometimes the filter keys can cause the error Windows key not working when there are switched on. So do check if your  Filter Keys are on ro off. If they are on, you should switch them off to see if this removes the error Windows key not working. You can follow the steps below to switch off the filter keys.

Step 1 ⇒ Go to start menu from the Start menu select Settings. In the Settings, scroll down and select Ease of Access.

Step 2 ⇒ Then click on the keyboard tab, which is usually located on the left side.

Step 3 ⇒ Scroll down and locate filter keys. Turn filter keys off.

Recommendation:

Conclusion

These were the 10 well-known solutions to fix the error Windows key not working. I hope these resolve your issue. If you do not get the error solved, you can visit nearby repair service.