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.
28 responses
March 29th, 2007
Techzi » Blog Archive » Windows Annoyance: Disable FilterKeys, StickyKeys, and ToggleKeys says:
[...] 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] [...]
March 29th, 2007
Carmelo Lisciotto says:
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
March 29th, 2007
जुगाड़ी लिंक|Cool Links » » Daily Links says:
[...] 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) [...]
March 29th, 2007
Productivity Links - 04/17/07 » GearFire says:
[...] 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. [...]
March 29th, 2007
MMMM says:
I can’t open accessibility! it says it’s lost
March 29th, 2007
Kim says:
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?
March 29th, 2007
Kelly says:
This website is very usefull
March 29th, 2007
BEATRiCE says:
THANK Y0U! DAMN WAS THAT FiLTER SHiT RiDiN MY NERVES! WHY D0 THEY EVEN HAVE THAT FEATURE??
March 29th, 2007
Karan says:
Thank you for the vital information.
March 29th, 2007
dean t. says:
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.
March 29th, 2007
abby says:
OMFG thank u sooo much
i was so mad i nearly started cryin i love u so much!!
March 29th, 2007
krissy says:
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
March 29th, 2007
Bradley says:
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)
March 29th, 2007
Bradley says:
Anyways, this place is going right smack-dab on the top of my favorites list.
March 29th, 2007
krish says:
indeed i got a very useful tip from this site. i think i am going to turn linux now
March 29th, 2007
Xphic says:
thank you for the info, its seemed Microsoft left out the extra step, so I was still getting the filter keys
March 29th, 2007
tekylady says:
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.
March 29th, 2007
Ritesh says:
Thanks.Finally i got rid of this stupid thing.Why the hell Microsoft even has this feature.Thanks once again
March 29th, 2007
marlene says:
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.
March 29th, 2007
Yukirin says:
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
March 29th, 2007
Kat says:
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???
March 29th, 2007
Kat says:
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…
March 29th, 2007
Millie says:
wow - it actully works by putting both shift keys down at once!
March 29th, 2007
oneClick says:
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!
March 29th, 2007
Roshan says:
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…
March 29th, 2007
Kahiwa says:
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!
March 29th, 2007
Xin Ying says:
Thanks , no more filter keys too , YAY !
March 29th, 2007
Big_fish says:
thanks, that had been bugging me for ages
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