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Disable or Reassign / Remap Function (fn) Key on Your Keyboard

Disable or Reassign / Remap Function (fn) Key on Your Keyboard
Have any of those Computer or PC with the Function (fn) key on Your Keyboard. This tutorial will assist you to disable the key or remap the key to another key like the Windows Keys.
The Function (fn) key is usually found on all laptops, it assist one to quickly navigate to System Functions available on the Numerical keys.
To do this, we need a tool known as SharpKeys, Click on this link to Download SharpKeys (Note: Install as System Administrator and always run it as System Administrator)

Disable Function (fn) Key on Keyboard

1) After Downloading SharpKeys, Install SharpKeys on Your Computer.
Installing SharpKeys
2) After the installation, Launch SharpKeys, it will come with a warning of writing a key to the registry, Click on OK.
SharpKeys Warning
3) The SharpKeys Window will openSharpKeys
4) Below, Click on Add (Where Orange box is).Add To SharpKeys
5) Select the Function (fn) Key (From Map this Key Table) and  To this Key, You Select Turn Key Off (00_00) ino rder to disable the key, this Click ok   OR Click on Type Key and Press the Function (fn) Key For Map from this Table and then select Turn Key Off (00_00) inorder to disable the key, then Click on OkAdding Mapping Keys SharpKeysPress a Key SharpKeys
6)Then Below on the right hand corner, Click on Write to Registry (Where the Orange Box is)Write to Registry SharpKeys

Remap Function (fn) Key on Keyboard

1) After Downloading SharpKeys, Install SharpKeys on Your Computer.
2) After the installation, Launch SharpKeys, it will come with a warning of writing a key to the registry, Click on OK.
3) The SharpKeys Window will open
4) Below, Click on Add (Where Orange box is).
5) Select the Function (fn) Key (From Map this Key Table) and  To this Key, You Select the key you want to remap it to on the list, and then Click on OK   OR Click on Type Key and Press the Function (fn) Key For Map from this Table and then Click on Type Key and Press the Key you want to Use the Function (fn) Key for, then Click on Ok
6)Then Below on the right hand corner, Click on Write to Registry (Where the Orange Box is).
Hope with this, you have learnt How to Disable or Remap Function (fn) Key on Your Keyboard.
Please share and like below, also comment below for any problem encountered.

19 thoughts on “Disable or Reassign / Remap Function (fn) Key on Your Keyboard”

  1. I have old style IBM keyboard with duplicate F1-F10 keys – can I map the “duplicates” to do something other than what the traditional F-keys do??

  2. What is the Fn Key? Some more detail:
    Fn is not a normal keyboard key, such as the modifiers Ctrl, Shift and AltGr. For a standard modifier key, the microcontroller inside the keyboard sends a scancode for the modifier itself, which is then interpreted by the operating system and combined with other simultaneous key-presses. The Fn key is a form of meta-modifier key, in that it causes the operating system to see altered scancodes when other keys on the keyboard are pressed. This allows the keyboard to directly emulate a full-sized keyboard, so the operating system can use standard keymaps designed for a full-sized keyboard. However, because the operating system has no notion of the Fn key, the key can not normally be remapped in software, unlike all other standard keyboard keys.
    (Sources – A) highrez forum post likely based on B) wikipedia post)

    Why is it Often Seemingly Impossible to Map the Fn Key?

    Indeed, keyboard work as follow (values are just examples, behavior is simplified):

    Normal keys: send byte 0x00 + key scan code byte
    Modifiers (alt/option, control, windows/command and fn): sends modifier scancode byte + key scan code byte
    Special keys (like the G15 ones): send standard (like the volume keys) or custom (depend on manufacturer) scancodes
    Most “fn” keyboards (apple included) just process the key combination before sending data, so pressing and releasing the fn key will do nothing at all. For example:

    Pressing F1 -> Scancode 0x1A -> operating system recognizes as F1 key
    Pressing FN and F1 -> Scancode 0x9A -> operating system recognizes as VolumeUp key
    Pressing FN -> keyboard microcontroller waits for another key before sending any data

  3. I couldn’t find the function (fn) in the “Map This Key” Table and when I tried the “Type Key” button it couldn’t detect my fn key. Please help

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