Accidentally set off mode that ignores keyboard input except to toggle actions, windows
Every once in a while I seem to accidentally chord something that puts Windows 7 into "be a total PITA" keyboard mode. It seems to be some kind of special keyboard navigation or command mode, where single keypresses will make the UI do things, e.g., D toggles the active window between minimised and unminised. The mouse still works, but I can't use anything that needs text input anymore. This has happened while using several programs, including Minecraft and Firefox. I've been a Windows user for a long time, but I'm not familiar with this behaviour.
Since I have no idea how PITA Command Mode was activated, I don't know how to deactivate it either. Logging off the Windows user and logging back in returns things to normal and is my current solution, but I'd like to just completely disable this behaviour.
I at first assumed it was an accessibility option I'd left un-disabled, but I already have all the accessibility options turned off. I figured it was maybe a feature of my keyboard (MS Wireless Keyboard 3000 v2.0), but I have almost all of the special (media, etc.) keys turned off (in the up-to-date official drive management utility) and none of the ones still enabled jump out at me as possibly having this effect.
I have the Windows, Flip 3D, and Application keys disabled.
Language and keyboard are set to English (Canada) and US (a.k.a. "Qwerty"), respectively.
Solution 1:
I think the most likely scenario is that your Windows key is getting stuck “on.”
Certainly if Win+D is pressed, then it minimises windows, so if the Windows key is stuck, then D on its own would do this.
Usually just hitting the Win again should unstick it.
The other option is that you have Sticky Keys enabled, and you have "Lock modifier keys when pressed twice in a row" option enabled, and have then pressed the Win key twice to lock it.
You can enable sticky keys by hitting shift five times in a row, which is easier than it sounds (at least in my experience).
You can check the status of this by going to
Control Panel\Ease of Access\Ease of Access Center\Set up Sticky Keys
Solution 2:
What does the R key do when this happens? It sounds like your Windows key could just be a bit faulty?
- Windows Logo: Start menu
- Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
- Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
- Shift+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
- Windows Logo+F1: Help
- Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
- Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
- Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
- Ctrl+Windows Logo+F: Find computer
- Ctrl +Windows Logo+Tab: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use Right Arrow or Left Arrow to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
- Windows Logo+Tab: Cycle through taskbar buttons
- Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
- Application: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item
Solution 3:
I had this happen to me inside Notepad++,
I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up Task Manager, used keyboard shortcuts to highlight the Notepad++, then tab to End Process.
The enter key did not work, but space appeared to act as enter. When I ended the Notepad++ process, everything returned to normal.
Solution 4:
Lenovo notebook, same issue, but none from the previous solutions worked, except for reboot.
Found by trying: quick swipe over Alt, Win, Fn, Ctrl reproduces this "error" (no h c v t keys), quick swipe over Ctrl, Fn, Win, Alt (opposite direction) brings all the keys back.
UPD: Shorter — Fn+Win or Alt+Win or Fn+Alt+Win are the keyboard shortcuts to get in and out of the state when keyboard is ignoring h c v t buttons.