Ctrl key gets stuck when using Keyboard Manager with Alt key

[programuotojasgf]

ℹ Computer information

• PowerToys version: v0.31.2
• PowerToy Utility: Keyboard Manager
• Running PowerToys as Admin: Yes
• Windows build number: Version 20H2 (OS Build 19042.804)

📝 Provide detailed reproduction steps (if any)

Make a mapping like this
. Use it for some time. I don't know at which event exactly, but it get's stuck for me in about 30-60 minutes of usage.

Pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del get's the Ctrl key unstuck.

✔️ Expected result

The correct keys get invoked.

❌ Actual result

Eventually the Ctrl key gets stuck as if it's pressed, even though Ctrl isn't even used in the remap. I think this might be because you might be using a similar technique like https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/_MenuMaskKey.htm to mask by using the Ctrl key when Alt or Win keys are being used in bindings.

📷 Screenshots

None.

[vantaclaus]

I've run into this with remapping a numeric keypad 1 to shift, the shift key press gets inverted after the first press. Shift is always on unless I'm holding down keypad1. pressing the actual left shift key resets it to the proper state.

[jp-stewart]

Here to leave a +1.
Bought a cheap usb number pad, with clear key caps, and after a few presses working, everything stops and the number pad starts acting like a direction pad.

.... only realized it was because CTRL and SHIFT were being held. Pressing them on the keyboard clears this temporarily, but it makes using powertoys for remapping things like mute / mic mute / etc impossible.

In my case, there are no ctrl/alt/etc in the "from" mapping. However I have several ctrl+alt, or ctrl+shift, or win+shift in the "to" mappings, which seem to cause this quite easily. Just a single press on the keypad will cause the ctrl and or shift to stick.

[comicsansgreenki]

Ongoing problem with 0.67 - I used Keyboard Manager to bind Super (or Windows key) to Alt+Space and whenever I leave it for long enough, the Super key gets stuck in a pressed-down state software-wise. Any key I press from there on invokes (mostly) Shortcuts such as opening an Explorer window.

Navigating to PowerToys' Keyboard Manager tab via the mouse and turning it off then on releases the pressed key.

[bobermilk]

i use autohotkey, is there a fix for this?

[TheCrescentKing]

Just wanted to chip in that I've been have a similar issue as well.

When using Paste As Plain Text with a key bind such as Win + Shift + V on a Word document, the Shift key acts as if it's stuck on Windows as a whole, not just on the Word program. i.e. if I click on a taskbar program it acts as if I shift clicked.
This behaviour remains until I lock Windows or press Ctrl + Alt + Delete.

It doesn't appear to cause an issue on my browser however. Hopefully this information helps in narrowing down the cause.

This is on PowerToys version 0.70.1, Windows 11.

[TheJoeFin]

Is this issue still relevant in v0.73? /needinfo

[vantaclaus]

Unfortunately I no longer have the devices I was using power toys with after all this time. I will test with a new device on the new build if I get a replacement but this can close for now if nobody else can reproduce.

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This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.