Open Source v3.9.4 ✓ Checksum Published

Download SharpKeys for Windows PC v3.9.4 for Windows PC

Name: SharpKeys for Windows PC
Availability: InStock
Author: Randy Rants

SharpKeys 3.9.4 is the tiny free remapper that turns Caps Lock into Control (or anything else) using Windows' own scancode mapping — no background process...

⬇ Direct Download (0.5 MB)

Technical Specifications & System Requirements

Developer Randy Rants

Platform & OS Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)

Package Size 0.5 MB

Architecture x64 (64-bit)

Package Format MSI Installer

Security Verification SHA-256 checksum published

SHA-256 Cryptographic Checksum Computed from the file we serve

              059ad91921008299f76729f2d6eb0092ebaa11ae31b1871ca638c787544f8a07
            

              $ Get-FileHash .\sharpkeys-keyboard-remapper-pc.exe -Algorithm SHA256
            

Software notes

The Bottom Line: SharpKeys is a model of doing exactly one thing correctly. Because it writes the Scancode Map registry value that Windows itself honors, your remaps work everywhere — games, elevated apps, the logon screen — with literally zero running processes, zero tray icons, and zero performance cost. The interface is a list and two buttons: pick the physical key, pick what it should type, log out, done. Turning Caps Lock into a second Control key is the classic five-minute upgrade for anyone who writes or codes all day. The flip side of the registry approach is scope: SharpKeys cannot do chords, macros, layers, or per-application layouts — for those you want PowerToys Keyboard Manager (real-time, per-app) or AutoHotkey (scripting). It also cannot remap keys that produce no standard scancode, like many laptop Fn combinations. Version 3.9.4 has been stable for years precisely because the underlying Windows feature does not change. For permanent, set-and-forget key changes, nothing is cleaner. It has also quietly become an accessibility tool: users managing repetitive-strain injuries remap painful key combinations onto single keys, and one-handed typists rebuild layouts that standard keyboards make impossible. Few utilities respect the user's machine this completely.

Features

Remappings are native to Windows via the Scancode Map registry value, so they apply in every program, game, and even the logon screen.
No background process at all — SharpKeys writes its settings and exits, costing zero memory, zero CPU, and zero battery forever after.
Makes rescuing broken keyboards trivial: move a dead key's function to a spare key in under a minute.
The interface is a single list with Add/Edit/Delete — a complete remapping session takes less time than reading this review.
Free and open source, and unchanged in behavior for years — what you configure today keeps working across Windows updates.

Considerations

One key maps to one key: no chords, sequences, macros, or context-sensitive layers, which power users will outgrow quickly.
Changes require a log-out or restart to take effect, since Windows reads the scancode map at session start.
Keys handled by the keyboard's own hardware (most Fn combinations) produce no remappable scancode and cannot be changed by SharpKeys.

About & Overview: SharpKeys for Windows PC

SharpKeys is a tiny free utility by Randy Rants that remaps keyboard keys at the Windows registry level — turn Caps Lock into Control, swap Windows and Alt for Mac-style layouts, disable an annoying key entirely, or rescue a keyboard with a dead key by moving its function elsewhere. SharpKeys itself never runs in the background: it simply writes the Scancode Map value that Windows natively supports, so remappings apply at the logon screen, in every application, and even before sign-in. Version 3.9.4 is the long-standing stable release, open source and distributed via the author's GitHub.

How to Install & Verify SharpKeys for Windows PC

STEP 1

Download the installer

Download the SharpKeys MSI from the official vendor link on this page.

STEP 2

Run the setup

Open the MSI and complete the short installation.

STEP 3

Map your keys

Launch SharpKeys, click Add, choose the key and its new function, then 'Write to Registry' and sign out and back in.

Related Windows PC Software & Alternatives

QuickLook for Windows PC 4.5.0 • Open Source

Microsoft PowerToys 0.101.2362.0 • Open Source

Ditto 3.25.113.0 • Open Source

Greenshot 1.3.328 • Open Source

Wox Launcher for Windows PC 2.4.7 • GPL v3

CopyQ Clipboard Manager for Windows PC 17.0.0 • GPL v3

Frequently Asked Questions & Verification Guide

Is SharpKeys free?

Yes. SharpKeys is free and open source, written by Randy Rants and distributed through the official GitHub project.

Does SharpKeys need to stay running?

No. It only writes a registry value that Windows reads at logon. You can uninstall SharpKeys afterward and your remappings remain in effect.

How do I undo a remapping?

Reopen SharpKeys, delete the mapping from the list, write it to the registry, and log out and back in. Deleting all entries restores the default keyboard behavior.

Can SharpKeys remap Caps Lock to Control or Escape?

Yes — that is its most popular use. Select Caps Lock as the source and Left Control (or Escape) as the target, write to the registry, and re-log.

Does SharpKeys work on Windows 11?

Yes. The scancode mapping feature is unchanged in Windows 11, and version 3.9.4 works on current releases.