Windows 8.1 is forgetting Ctrl+1,2,3,4,5 shortcuts designated for keyboard layout switching after wa


Recommended Posts

I have a configuration of Ctrl+1,2,3,4,5 shortcuts for switching keyboard layouts on Windows 8.1.

 

Once I boot up my laptop they work just fine and the layouts shortcuts setup window looks like this if I open it:

original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1

 

However now when I close my laptop, putting it into sleep mode, and then open it again, the keyboard shortcuts stop working and if I open the aforementioned setup window, it also looks as if I have none configured:

original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1

 

To get my shortcuts back after sleep mode I have either to reboot the laptop, or assign the shortcuts again manually.

 

This is a problem I've experienced before on this same machine (Lenovo Yoga 13) with Windows 8 (before the 8.1 update) and I guess at that time it dissapeared after some editing of the list of layouts I use.

But now I've added some layouts to the list, and then removed some of them and so on and here is what I get again.

Maybe there is some branch of Windows Registry involved with the layouts and keyboard-shortcuts messed up and I could simply remove the registry branch and start with a clean slate?

It looks like these settings are stored here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\Hot Keys

 

Defaults are loaded here:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Input Method\Hot Keys

 

I assume that your machine locks and you need to login after it wakes from sleep?

  Quote
It looks like these settings are stored here

 

Thank you!

 

If I just remove the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\Hot Keys branch, will Windows recreate it clean, or will it cause some further error?

 

  Quote
I assume that your machine locks and you need to login after it wakes from sleep?
 
Yes - it does. I was just about to ask how it matters, but actually now I see that the same problem appears once I do Win+L and log-in back. Is it some known bug then?
  On 22/06/2015 at 20:41, eugrus said:

 

Thank you!

 

If I just remove the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\Hot Keys branch, will Windows recreate it clean, or will it cause some further error?

 

 

 
Yes - it does. I was just about to ask how it matters, but actually now I see that the same problem appears once I do Win+L and log-in back. Is it some known bug then?

 

 

I would assume that the keys will be re-created from values in the .DEFAULTS key if you wipe what's in HKCU. However, I would still export any existing values so that you have backups to restore. I'm skeptical that the values of these keys are being rewritten on logout/login, but it's worth a look.

 

I'd be curious to see whether rewriting the .DEFAULTS with your custom settings is sufficient to resolve the issue, or whether this arises with a different (fresh/local) user profile.

What really seemed to help was rewriting the .DEFAULTS with my HKEY_CURRENT_USER settings!

 

Thank you a lot! I would have never figured this out myself and using Ctrl+1,2,3 is a huge part of my typing process!  :D

 

Ofcourse now one should remember to do it every time after changing the layout shortcuts settings! I guess we should make some kind of bug report for Microsoft out of it! :)

 

I am attaching my old (messed up) defaults and the new ones (these are .reg-files with extensions changed to .txt) for the record  :shiftyninja:

default hotkeys.txt

new default hotkeys.txt

  Quote
What really seemed to help was rewriting the .DEFAULTS with my HKEY_CURRENT_USER settings!

 

Glad you got this resolved.

 

Anyone on W10 Preview able to reproduce the issue? If so, may be worth a bug report if it's not already in feedback.

 

Edit: I'm not seeing this on Windows 8.1; my user's Standard/non-admin, linked to my MS account. So far only have two shortcuts assigned to languages, and tried locking and logging back in.

 

got it to work, have loaded Chinese, French? ??Occitan, assigned them to 1 -4 similar to that described in the first post. My hotkeys get wiped on lock and logging back in.

Looks like it is in fact an old legacy bug, apparently going at least from the times of Windows XP: https://superuser.com/questions/327479/ctrl-space-always-toggles-chinese-ime-windows-7
I would love to have it included into the Microsoft's bug tracker, but I don't seem to find my way through connect.microsoft.com  :/
  • 2 months later...
  • 4 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  On 14/01/2016 at 12:08, Stanislav Syarkevich said:

There is no access to attached .txt files

Expand  

Here are my user settings: http://pastebin.com/MdM86MQD

My current defaults: http://pastebin.com/KUajUV6E

And this is what the problem-plagued registry entry looked like: http://pastebin.com/434JXMEG

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • New Outlook for Windows landing in Microsoft 365 Education accounts next January by Paul Hill Microsoft has announced that from January 2026, Microsoft 365 Education users will be able to switch to a “modern, AI-powered” Outlook for Windows. The Redmond giant said that a new toggle will show up for eligible users that will let them decide whether to run classic Outlook or the new Outlook for Windows. The new version, Microsoft said, brings numerous improvements including more streamlined communication, features to boost your productivity, and more ways to personalize your experience. As this update is coming to Microsoft 365 Education accounts, it means it’ll affect both students and teachers. The refreshed interface more deeply integrates with Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver: smarter email and calendar management with features such as Pinning and Snoozing; personalized themes that match your style and preferences; and Copilot-powered assistance to help you draft, summarize, and organize your emails and appointments. Microsoft is obviously keen for users to switch over to the new interface when it's available to foist AI on you. However, if you are reticent about using these AI tools, you can always revert back to the classic Outlook for Windows, at least for a while after the new version is released. The new toggle will begin rolling out globally next January. Before then, Microsoft 365 Education users will get in-app notifications ahead of the change to prepare them, and educational organizations will have the power to opt out or manage the experience through administrator settings. While most Microsoft 365 Education users will get the toggle, there are some exceptions. These include: organizations that have opted out of automatic migration; users with perpetual licenses; on-premises account holders; and devices where the toggle is hidden via policy. The upcoming changes will not require any administrative action during the rollout. Microsoft says administrators, if they want to, can notify users about the upcoming change; update their internal documentation; and review the documentation for Admin control over migration. The firm said that after the rollout, policy controls will become available through Group Policy Objects (GPO), Cloud Policy, and Intune. In terms of compatibility with other platforms, the new Outlook for Windows will be compatible, including with Mac. Users will still be able to access their accounts normally through the Outlook app available for macOS or via the Outlook web app.
    • Might be a joke to a shortsighted person, but that's the minimum for ANY EV to be as reliable and hassle-free as my '12 Highlander Hybrid. Sure my Hybrid gets even less at 372mi (in the winter) - 455mi (in the summer) on a tank, but at least I can refill it for another 372mi-455mi in merely 10 minutes or less without ANY of the following worries: Without all of that peace of mind, an EV will require 800mi/charge to give similar peace of mind for me. I ain't buying and worrying about separate vehicles just for city commuting and long road trips. That's a total waste of cash IMO. My Highlander Hybrid perfectly suits both use cases, and for any EV to be worth my consideration, they'll have to suit them too. Maybe for you that solely resides in 1 city and never travel by road it makes no sense, but for anyone with experience of traveling across cities here in Canada, it makes total sense given the long distances. I ain't suddenly adding another 1hr to my road trip just for EVs, mere coffee and snacks suffice for my trips (~800km), and those certainly don't take me 1hr.
    • Microsoft will reportedly hit Xbox division with a massive wave of layoffs soon by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe It was only a few days ago that a report came out regarding a mass layoff wave at Microsoft. While that report only mentioned sales staff that were to be affected, now, another report has landed that mentions the company's Xbox gaming division being another layoff target. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Microsoft has another major round of layoffs planned for the Xbox division as it reorganizes the company ahead of the new fiscal year. This unfortunate news for many staff will be announced as soon as next week, per the report Bloomberg has gained the information from sources that had asked not to be named, who had said that managers inside Xbox are already expecting the job cuts to take effect soon. While no specific developers, divisions, or numbers were mentioned, "substantial cuts" are reportedly incoming as a part of this change. The gaming division of Microsoft has gone through multiple layoff waves in recent years. Late 2024 saw 650 jobs being cut from Xbox corporate and supporting teams. Earlier in the same year, over 1,900 staff from Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Xbox development teams were let go from Microsoft. Microsoft has released a number of high-profile first games as of late, including Doom: The Dark Ages, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and is also pursuing a multi-platform strategy that has Xbox games releasing on PlayStation platforms. It has also confirmed next-gen Xbox hardware is now in development and recently unveiled a first-ever official Xbox handheld initiative. If the latest report turns out to be accurate, we should have an official announcement sometime next week. Microsoft's current fiscal year is slated to end on June 30.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Sharon dixon earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Dedicated
      Parallax Abstraction earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      956400 earned a badge
      First Post
    • Week One Done
      davidfegan earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • First Post
      Ainajohn earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      593
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      223
    3. 3
      Michael Scrip
      170
    4. 4
      +FloatingFatMan
      152
    5. 5
      Som
      135
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!