How to Prevent Typing Lowercase with Both Caps Lock and Shift Keys

Learn how to prevent typing lowercase letters when both Caps Lock and Shift keys are pressed on your keyboard. This article explains the problem and the solution with a simple registry tweak.

Problem

Have you ever typed a sentence in uppercase letters by mistake, because you forgot to turn off the Caps Lock key? Or have you ever typed a lowercase letter when you wanted to type an uppercase one, because you pressed the Shift key while the Caps Lock key was on? If you have, you are not alone. Many people find this behavior of the keyboard annoying and confusing, especially when they are typing passwords, codes, or names.

The reason why this happens is that the Caps Lock key and the Shift key have a reverse effect on each other. When the Caps Lock key is off, the Shift key makes the letters uppercase. But when the Caps Lock key is on, the Shift key makes the letters lowercase. This is the default setting of the keyboard in Windows, and it is designed to make typing easier and faster.

However, some people may prefer a different setting, where the Caps Lock key and the Shift key do not affect each other. In other words, when the Caps Lock key is on, the letters are always uppercase, regardless of the Shift key. And when the Caps Lock key is off, the letters are always lowercase, regardless of the Shift key. This way, there is no confusion or mistake when typing.

In this article, we will show you how to prevent typing lowercase letters when both Caps Lock and Shift keys are pressed on your keyboard. We will use a simple registry tweak that will change the behavior of the keyboard in Windows. We will explain the problem and the solution in detail, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to apply the tweak. We will also answer some frequently asked questions about the Caps Lock and Shift keys.

How to Prevent Typing Lowercase with Both Caps Lock and Shift Keys

Before you start, make sure you have a backup of your registry, as the tweak involves modifying the registry values. The registry is a database that stores the settings and options of the Windows system and applications. Modifying the registry incorrectly can cause serious problems to your computer, so you should always backup the registry before making any changes. You can use the Registry Editor or a third-party tool to backup and restore the registry.

To prevent typing lowercase letters when both Caps Lock and Shift keys are pressed on your keyboard, you need to do the following steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor.
3. If prompted by the User Account Control, click Yes to allow the Registry Editor to make changes to your computer.
4. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
5. You can either use the left pane to expand the folders, or copy and paste the key path into the address bar at the top.
6. In the right pane, right-click on an empty space and select New > Binary Value.
7. Name the new value as Scancode Map. This value will map the scancodes of the keyboard keys to different functions.
8. Double-click on the Scancode Map value to edit it.
9. In the Edit Binary Value dialog box, enter the following binary data: 00000000 00000000 02000000 00003A00 00000000
10. The binary data consists of five groups of eight hexadecimal digits, separated by spaces. Each group represents a different parameter, as explained below:
    • The first group (00000000) is the header version, which is always zero.
    • The second group (00000000) is the header flags, which are also always zero.
    • The third group (02000000) is the number of mappings, which is two in this case. One for the Caps Lock key, and one for the null terminator.
    • The fourth group (00003A00) is the mapping for the Caps Lock key. The first four digits (0000) are the new scancode, which is zero in this case, meaning no function. The last four digits (3A00) are the original scancode, which is 3A for the Caps Lock key.
    • The fifth group (00000000) is the null terminator, which indicates the end of the mapping list.
11. Click OK to save the binary data.
12. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
13. After the restart, you should notice that the Caps Lock key and the Shift key do not affect each other. When the Caps Lock key is on, the letters are always uppercase, regardless of the Shift key. And when the Caps Lock key is off, the letters are always lowercase, regardless of the Shift key.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I undo the tweak and restore the original behavior of the keyboard?

Answer: You can undo the tweak and restore the original behavior of the keyboard by deleting the Scancode Map value from the registry. To do this, you need to do the following steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

1. In the right pane, right-click on the Scancode Map value and select Delete.
2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
3. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer.

Question: How can I change the behavior of other keys on the keyboard?

Answer: You can change the behavior of other keys on the keyboard by using the same method, but with different scancodes. A scancode is a hexadecimal code that represents a physical key on the keyboard. To change the behavior of a key, you need to replace the original scancode with the new scancode in the binary data. For example, if you want to swap the Ctrl and Alt keys, you can use the following binary data: 00000000 00000000 03000000 38001D00 1D003800 00000000 where 3800 is the scancode for the Alt key, and 1D00 is the scancode for the Ctrl key.

Question: How can I disable the Caps Lock key completely?

Answer: You can disable the Caps Lock key completely by using the same method, but with a zero scancode. A zero scancode means no function, so the key will be disabled. To disable the Caps Lock key completely, you can use the following binary data: 00000000 00000000 02000000 00003A00 00000000 where 3A00 is the scancode for the Caps Lock key, and 0000 is the zero scancode.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to prevent typing lowercase letters when both Caps Lock and Shift keys are pressed on your keyboard. We have used a simple registry tweak that will change the behavior of the keyboard in Windows. We have explained the problem and the solution in detail, and provided a step-by-step guide on how to apply the tweak. We have also answered some frequently asked questions about the Caps Lock and Shift keys.

We hope you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. We are not responsible for any damage or loss caused by following the instructions in this article. You should always backup your registry before making any changes to it. You should also use the registry tweak at your own risk, as it may affect the functionality of your keyboard or other applications.