Of Zen and Computing

Turn off Filter Keys in Windows XP and Vista

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Filter Keys alert box

Filter Keys is an annoying Windows feature that can be turned off permanently in one simple step. Filter Keys ignores keyboard input unless the key is held down for a significant period of time, and is triggered when you hold down a key, such as shift, for 8 seconds. Tech/engineering blog //engtech explains how to disable Filter Keys permanently:

“Control Panel >> Accessibility Options >> Remove all check-marks

“But wait, there’s more! That isn’t enough to get rid of FilterKeys, you also have to go to the Settings sub-menu and remove the check-marks there.

“Hit OK twice and you’re finally rid of the damned thing.”

If you’ve already activated Filter Keys by accident, you can put a stop to the Filter Keys behavior by pressing both shift keys at the same time. Once you do that, keyboard operations will go back to normal.

Turning off Filter Keys in Windows Vista is very similar to the process in XP, Vista just uses different language to describe the same things. In XP, you need to go to “Accessibility Options”. In Vista, this is referred to as the “Ease of Access Center”. Take a look at “Ignore or slow down brief or repeated keystrokes (Filter Keys)” at the Windows Vista Accessibility Tutorials site. This is a tutorial on turning Filter Keys on, so where Microsoft says “check”, you should un-check, and when they say “turn on”, you should turn off.

File under: Windows Vista, Windows XP

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28 responses

  1. [...] Luckily, weblog Of Zen and Computing points out that disabling these hotkeys altogether is a cinch. Just go to the Control Panel and double-click Accessibility Options (it’s probably the first icon you see). Then, for each keyboard accessibility feature, click on Settings and untick “Use shortcut”. While tools like StickyKeys have their useful place, they don’t need to pop up every time I accidentally stutter on the shift key. If by some chance I actually need to use one of these, I’ll head back to the Control Panel, thank-you-very-much. — Adam Pash Turn off Filter Keys in Windows XP and Vista [Of Zen and Computing] [...]

  2. I still question the value-add of many of these features, outside of Micrsoft need something to differentiate Vista from previous OS releases.

    Carmelo Lisciotto

  3. [...] Turn off Filter Keys in Windows XP and Vista बिल्लू की विन्डोज का यह फीचर बहुत पकाता है, आओ इसको डिसेबल करें। (tags: windows howto) [...]

  4. [...] Turn off Filter Keys, StickyKeys, and ToggleKeys in Windows - you know those annoying boxes that come up when you hold the shift key, or hit it repeatedly? This features are intended to help with accessibility for people who have hand problems, but for the most of us, it is simply annoying. Especially if you are using a special program or a game where you hold shift (to crouch say), or you hit shift to add something. Luckily, it is fairly simple to disable these hotkeys once you know how. [...]

  5. I can’t open accessibility! it says it’s lost

  6. I can’t open accessibility options, too. I never installed accessibility features when I installed Windows. That means I can’t open accessibility options because I don’t have them, BUT I DO have stupid filter keys and they turn on frequently. :) I can’t install accessibility features from the Windows cd (it is no longer an option, apparently; I have Windows XP Home). Please… Does anyone have a suggestion on how to turn off the filter keys or what steps to take to get there?

  7. This website is very usefull

  8. THANK Y0U! DAMN WAS THAT FiLTER SHiT RiDiN MY NERVES! WHY D0 THEY EVEN HAVE THAT FEATURE??

  9. Thank you for the vital information.

  10. oh, God. thank you. that was some of the most frustrating 15 minutes of my life. i can’t see how that feature could every be useful nor do i care to have it explained to me.

  11. OMFG thank u sooo much
    i was so mad i nearly started cryin i love u so much!!

  12. hi. i have a problem. my laptop that has all my work got sticky keys and i restart it but in my password one of the letters is caps lock and my caps lock key wont work. what shhould i do to unlock it

  13. to Krissy, try the on-screen keyboard under accessories to turn it off..If somehow you manage to get back to the main screen first….. (man that advice sucked)

  14. Anyways, this place is going right smack-dab on the top of my favorites list.

  15. indeed i got a very useful tip from this site. i think i am going to turn linux now

  16. thank you for the info, its seemed Microsoft left out the extra step, so I was still getting the filter keys

  17. Thanks! I teach computer lab at an elementary school, and my classes are learning touch typing. More than once a child has held that shift key too long and caused some serious issues. It took me bit to figure out what they were doing, but it seemed the only way to “undo” it was to just restart the computer.

  18. Thanks.Finally i got rid of this stupid thing.Why the hell Microsoft even has this feature.Thanks once again

  19. Many thanks for your valuable advice re vista. I have tried to rid myself of this sticky/filter keys issue for some time now and your advice was the only one that remains permanent.

  20. OMFGGGGGGGGGGGG THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS SO PISSED FOR LIKE 30 MINUTES, D<

    Right when I was busy it happened too!!!
    Thank you.
    Thank you.
    THANK YOU.
    :DDDDDD

  21. Okay, now, I have a problem with sticky keys! I am enrolled in an online college and the computer is the ONLY way for me to communicate with my class or the professor! How do I completely remove them???

  22. I have tried turning the sticky keys off in the control panel and it just doesn’t work for me. About every couple of days, I have to disable them again and there isn’t anything in there that’s ticked! Is there any way to remove the setting completely from the registry? I’d really like to know…

  23. wow - it actully works by putting both shift keys down at once! :D

  24. Bloody Brilliant! Who could possibly need such a debilitating feature? I can’t fathom that feature making anyone’s life easier, but hey, each to his own. Thanks for the advice!

  25. phew!!! thanks for the tip…. i don understand why MS don leave these options off by default…. i mean i kno that disabled people probably use ms windows too but it’s not like most users are disabled…

  26. Thank you sooooo much!!! I was so annoyed, about to hit my poor significant other cos he couldn’t get rid of it lol!
    This is such the stupidest app really, freaking microsoft.
    Anyways, yay - no more filter keys! :D

  27. Thanks , no more filter keys too , YAY !

  28. thanks, that had been bugging me for ages

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