microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

KEY MAPPPING

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#48,312 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
duplicate Needs-Triage Product-Keyboard Manager
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C
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Description

### Description of the new feature / enhancement

Feature Request: Per-Keyboard Key Remapping

Current keyboard remapping in PowerToys applies globally to all keyboards. It would be extremely useful to support remapping on a per-device basis.

Example use case:

- Laptop internal keyboard has a faulty D key that continuously sends input.
- External USB keyboard works perfectly.
- Current remapping solutions disable the D key on both keyboards, making the external keyboard less useful.

Requested functionality:

Allow users to select a specific keyboard device and apply remappings only to that device.

Example:

Internal Keyboard:

- D → Disabled

External USB Keyboard:

- D → D (unchanged)

This would help users with faulty laptop keyboards, accessibility needs, multiple keyboard setups, custom workflows, and gaming configurations.

Windows can already identify input devices at a lower level, so exposing per-device remapping through Power Toys would solve a common real-world problem without requiring advanced third-party tools.

### Scenario when this would be used?

Scenario

My laptop's built-in keyboard has a faulty D key that continuously sends random D key presses. I use an external USB keyboard that works perfectly.

Currently, PowerToys keyboard remapping applies globally, so if I disable the D key, it is disabled on both the faulty internal keyboard and the working external keyboard.

The ideal solution would be:

- Internal laptop keyboard:

- D → Disabled

- External USB keyboard:

- D → Normal

This would allow users to continue using a laptop with a partially faulty keyboard without losing functionality on external keyboards.

Other scenarios include:

- Broken or stuck keys on laptop keyboards.
- Different layouts on multiple keyboards.
- Accessibility requirements.
- Gaming setups with dedicated macro/keypad devices.
- Shared workstations with multiple input devices.

### Supporting information

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reading the existing PowerToys Keyboard Manager remapping flow and its handling of Windows input devices. Define how users select a keyboard and how per-device mappings coexist with global mappings, then verify the faulty internal-keyboard and external-USB scenario described in the issue.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
desktop, operating-systems
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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