Change tilde key to "j" key using Scancode Map

From time to time I have to use a backup laptop (typically when I forget my power cable like today) but it has a broken "j" key.

What I'd like to do is remap my tilde key to "j" using the scancode map key in the registry but I not certain what hex values would do this. In short, I need to make the following reg file:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:[the hex value to change the accent/tilde key to "j"]

I'm aware of software that can do this for me but I'm a big believer in not downloading and running executables from the internet that fiddle with my keystrokes and/or registry if it can be avoided.

Solution 1:

Easiest tool I've found for this is the utility KeyTweak - available here:

http://webpages.charter.net/krumsick/

Provides a nice GUI for making the registry changes you want. I've used it to move a few keys around on my notebook that weren't where my fingers were expecting them...

Here's a TechRepublic overview that may be useful, too:

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/how-do-i-remap-my-keyboard-with-keytweak/861

Solution 2:

Well I guess since one of the reasons this site exists is to catalog problems and their solutions and since Yosh helped me by giving me a link that may not always work, I figured I'd lay it out. As it turned out I was only off by a single digit.

If you have a broken key in XP and need to swap it out with another, copy and paste the following into notepad:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,AA,00,00,00,BB,00,CC,00,DD,00,EE,00,00,00,00,00

Replace the letters above with the following:

AA = the number of keys you're going to change +1 (This is why it wasn't working. I didn't count the null )

BB = the hex scan code of the dead key

CC = the hex scan code of the surrogate key

DD = CC (this is really optional it just maps the surrogate back to the dead key)

EE = BB

When you're finished, save it as whatever.reg, double click it, then reboot.

So in my situation it looked like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,24,00,29,00,29,00,24,00,00,00,00,00

And voila, I've got jjJJJjjjjjJJJj's again