How to remap Caps Lock on Windows 11

The easiest way to remap Caps Lock on Windows 11 is Microsoft PowerToys: open Keyboard Manager, choose Remap a key, set Caps Lock in Select and the new key in To send, then choose OK. For a remap that needs no app running, use the Scancode Map registry value or SharpKeys, which writes it for you and needs a sign-out or restart. For tap and hold behavior, such as a hyper key, use AutoHotkey.

Four methods compared

PowerToys Keyboard Manager

The steps, as Microsoft documents them:

1. Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store or GitHub, or run winget install --id Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget in PowerShell. It needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or later, on x64 or ARM64.
2. Open PowerToys Settings, select Keyboard Manager and make sure it's turned on.
3. Choose Remap a key, then Add key remapping.
4. In the Select column, pick Caps Lock: select the button and press Caps Lock, or search for it in the drop-down list.
5. In the To send column, pick the new key. It can be another key, a shortcut or text.
6. Choose OK. The remap works immediately, with no restart.

PowerToys has to stay running: close it or turn off Keyboard Manager and Caps Lock goes back to normal, which is also the quickest way out if you map the wrong key. The remap doesn't work on the sign-in screen, and it doesn't reach windows running as administrator unless PowerToys also runs as administrator.

Avoid it in games. Microsoft says Keyboard Manager can lower frame rates and that some games read keys in ways it can't intercept. And if nothing is left that sends Caps Lock, PowerToys warns you; map some other key to Caps Lock to fix it.

The registry (Scancode Map)

Add a binary value called Scancode Map under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout, then restart. This is Windows' own Scan Code Mapper, so nothing has to keep running. Microsoft's driver documentation gives this exact value to swap Caps Lock and the left Ctrl key:

00000000 00000000 03000000 3A001D00 1D003A00 00000000

Read left to right: two empty header fields, a count of three entries (two mappings plus the closing zero), Caps Lock to left Ctrl, left Ctrl to Caps Lock, and the closing zero. Scan code 3A is Caps Lock and 1D is left Ctrl.

The same page says you must restart after every change, and that the mapping applies to all users and all keyboards on the PC. To undo it, delete the Scancode Map value and restart. Editing the registry by hand is easy to get wrong, so back up the key first, or use SharpKeys.

SharpKeys

SharpKeys is a small free app that manages the Scancode Map value through a normal window, so you don't have to type hex. Add a pair such as Caps Lock to Left Ctrl, write it to the registry, then sign out and back in or restart. Install it from its GitHub releases, the Microsoft Store, or with winget install -e RandyRants.SharpKeys. On Windows on Arm, use the ZIP download.

AutoHotkey

AutoHotkey is a free scripting tool whose remapping syntax is OriginKey::DestinationKey. Its documentation gives this two-line script for Caps Lock as Ctrl, with Shift + Caps Lock kept for capitals:

+CapsLock::CapsLock
CapsLock::Ctrl

The Shift line has to come first, and the script has to keep running. Because a script can run separate actions when the key goes down and when it comes back up, AutoHotkey can do things the other methods can't. Its key list notes one catch: some input method editors, for example Japanese input on an English keyboard, can swallow Caps Lock before AutoHotkey sees it.

What should you remap Caps Lock to?

Caps Lock sits on the home row, next to your little finger, which is prime space if you rarely type in all capitals. Give it something you press often:

• Ctrl, so Ctrl shortcuts are easier to reach. Microsoft's own registry example is exactly this swap.
• Esc, if you press it constantly to close dialogs or leave modes in an editor.
• A launcher or radial menu, so holding or tapping Caps Lock opens a menu of apps and tools. See app launchers for Windows 11 and radial menu apps for Windows 11.
• A hyper key. Hyper is an old modifier from the Space-cadet keyboard. On Windows, people recreate it as Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Win pressed together, a chord meant to stay clear of the shortcuts your apps already use. The Office key sends the same chord, though, so with it W opens Word and X opens Excel. The HyperKey extension for PowerToys Command Palette makes Caps Lock act as this chord while held, and a quick tap within 300 ms still works as normal Caps Lock.

Caps Lock in OceanBreeze

OceanBreeze turns Caps Lock into a radial menu without you remapping anything. Hold Caps Lock and a ring of eight tools opens around your pointer; move toward one and let go. A tap keeps the ring open so you can click a tool or press 1 to 8.

You keep capitals: Shift + Caps Lock turns them on and off as before, and if Caps Lock is already on, a tap turns it off. If you need plain Caps Lock for a while, pause OceanBreeze from the tray menu, or pick a different trigger in Settings > Trigger, such as another key, a mouse button or a pen button. It costs $1.99 once and runs on Windows 11 only. If you just want Ctrl or Esc on that key, PowerToys is the simpler choice.

Design mockup

What is a radial menu explains why a ring under one key can be faster than a list. For more keyboard habits on Windows, see snap windows with keyboard shortcuts.

Common questions

Sources

Mythic Brain makes OceanBreeze. Facts about other products come from the sources above and were checked on 14 November 2026.