this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
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417
The new Microsoft copilot key is impossible to properly remap. (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 22 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) by attero@discuss.tchncs.de to c/technology@lemmy.world
90 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The new Micro~~soft~~slop copilot key always sends the following key-sequence when pressed:

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up
copilot key up: <null>

This means there's no real key-up event when you release the key --> it can't be used (properly) as a modifier like ctrl or alt.

The workaround is to send a pretend key-up event after a time delay, but then you mustn't be too slow / fast when pressing a shortcut.

tldr: AI took a perfectly working modifier key from you.

--- edit ---
Some keyboards apparently do the "right" thing and don't send the whole sequence at once, you can remap those properly with keyd, see: https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/1025#issuecomment-2971556563 / https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/825

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down
copilot key up: f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up

this will still break left-shift + remapped copilot and left-meta + remapped copilot, but RCtrl remaps should work as expected

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[–] Kaiserschmarrn@feddit.org 4 points 34 minutes ago

*Sry for the washed out colors. This was originally an HDR video.

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 1 points 13 minutes ago

Noted. Do not buy used laptops with microslop cancer button.

A shame because they're all still good hardware. Just don't want to deal with the cursed button.

[–] BorgDrone@feddit.nl 6 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Why would you buy this garbage?

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It is shocking difficult to buy a new laptop without one. Yes, I know about Framework, System 76, etc, but go to your local big box store and every laptop is covered in either Microsoft logos or Apple logos.

[–] PolarKraken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

An embarrassing new low, even with the bars they've already set. And fitting, for this being the (egregiously multiply-) branded button to launch the shit show. Christ, this has been a fucking carnival lmao.

Microslop has now regressed to implementing "features" very closely resembling - in sophistication and effect - my own bumbling, desperate, ignorant attempts at similar ("making a button behave like a macro"), using AutoHotKey, somewhere between 15-20 years ago.

And do I understand that they both shipped that, on hardware, AND it's broken so badly it can't be easily remedied?

I don't know what to say. It's like all the geniuses of comedy who died too young are doing this, all of it.

(No shade whatsoever to AHK, it was, probably still is, awesome at its job!)

Edit: suddenly realized it's just on purpose, probably. Anyway, rant remains lol

[–] spacelord@sh.itjust.works 34 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

Doesn't seem to be present on my keyboard. 😁 keyboard image

[–] JayGray91@piefed.social 1 points 9 minutes ago

What's the keyboard? Always wanted to try an arisu/Alice/derivations.

[–] ace_garp@lemmy.world 1 points 37 minutes ago

Netscape Navigator key, 1337 retronaut.

[–] kamen@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

I'm all for hardware remappable keyboards in laptops too - just like what you can have with an external one. I do realise though that this is a niche within a niche. From what I know only Framework (oh, and System76) is doing something like that.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

The WHATNOW is impossible to properly remap?

[–] Threeme2189@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 hours ago

That nuisance you pop off with a flathead screwdriver and throw in the trash can.

[–] texture@lemmy.world 15 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

happy to be typing this comment on a framework laptop, where no such key is to be found.

interesting post, and thanks for the info. i cant believe the crap MS pulls. Linux is easier than ever. Join us.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 24 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It's the Bixby Button all over again.

[–] attero@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

It's arguably worse, because Samsung has full control over software, hardware, and firmware of their devices.
Even if MS would like to fix this mess, they can't.

[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Theoretically I think they could redefine it as a new distinct key instead of the combo — as is done with the windows and context-menu keys. That would allow it to be remapped properly.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

well that’s what they should have done but now what it’s implemented there are a lot more parties that need to come to the table to fix the mess… some hardware might not be able to fix the mess, but i’d be surprised if this shit show were implemented on hardware rather than firmware

[–] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

It has to me software/firmware based, right? Right!?

[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Eh, MS can just issue new requirements for their compatibility stamp, just like they did in the first place and many times previously. Newly produced laptop and keyboard models would have the fixed behavior, the same way they got the broken behavior.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

new ones sure but there are a bunch of these broken machines out there now: far more than there otherwise would be, because microslop forced the upgrade for windows 11

i guesssss if they do it soon enough the existing models will still be in their support period and they’d kinda be forced to update, assume it’s a software or firmware fix

[–] Fokeu@lemmy.zip 98 points 13 hours ago

Congrats Microsoft, you managed to enshittify a goddamn keyboard key.

[–] ColdWater@lemmy.ca 12 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

If this garbage is on my keyboard I will drill that motherfucker out no second thought

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I have a Lenovo usb keyboard with a fn Key in place of the Ctrl key that has absolutely no purpose. It's for volume control like fn+F7 BUT... IT ALSO HAS DEDICATED BUTTONS FOR VOLUME CONTROL!!

After the nth time I accidentally switched fn and Ctrl I took a screwdriver and popped it out permanently (being USB it doesn't report fn status to the os and of course the BIOS doesn't allow FN remapping because it's not a laptop)

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[–] Earthman_Jim@lemmy.zip 11 points 13 hours ago

so fucking stupid

[–] TootSweet@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago

Jesus. I guess we're going to have to start figuring out how to reverse engineer our keyboards so we can install QMK on random built-in laptop keyboards and cheap Logitech membrane keyboards to repair the damage Microsoft has done to them.

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