Blocking the Special Lock Key

[kkleinfelter]

I need to block/disable a special key on my HP Zbook laptop.

There's a key with an icon that looks like

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|❏|

. When I press it, Windows behaves as if I'd pressed Winkey-L. i.e. It locks the workstation.

The problem is, that's a smaller-sized key immediately next to a smaller-sized ESC key, so I often lock Windows when I attempt to press ESC.

I want to use AHK to block this keystroke, but when I use AHK to tell me what that keystroke is, AHK shows that Winkey-L is pressed, and AHK can't block Winkey-L. VK = 4C, SC = 019.

Is there any way I can block this special key from locking my workstation?
TIA

[mikeyww]

This may sound dumb, but a different approach could be assigning a different key to send Esc. That would move you away from the key that you mentioned.

Alternative:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/301053/re-assign-override-hotkey-win-l-to-lock-windows

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/enable-disable-win-l-shortcut-key-windows

[kkleinfelter]

Good suggestions. Thanks!

Relocating ESC is an interesting approach, but rewiring my brain to do that may be impossible at this point. I've been whacking the upper-leftmost key for ESC since 1980. I don't think I can rewire those neurons!

Entirely disabling the lock feature could get me fired for violating corp security policy.

Maybe my best option is to find a stick-on key cover, to prevent pressing the lock key.

[mikeyww]

Or:

1. New keyboard
2. New employer



Actually, I don't recommend disabling the Windows lock. It is a security feature.

[RussF]

In the images of the ZBook, that lock key is also on function key F1. I'm guessing that you have to hold the fn key to use the function keys F1 - F12. Sometimes that can be changed in the BIOS settings so that the regular function keys are the default and you must hold the fn key to get the "special" functions (brightness, volume, etc.). I personally prefer it that way because I use the regular function keys (especially with AHK) more often than I do the special ones. Is it a company-supplied laptop with a password-protected BIOS? If you can change it, then you would only be pressing F1 by mistake, which you can always disable with

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F1::Return

You always have Win-L to lock your screen if necessary.

Russ

[mikeyww]

That's a good idea, and you could also remap Ctrl+F1 to F1.

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#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0
$F1::Return
^F1::F1