this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
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The new Micro~~soft~~slop copilot key always sends the following key-sequence when pressed down:

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 + letter key" can work as expected

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[–] Alaknar@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 days ago

In Windows:

PowerToys -> Keyboard Manager -> New Shortcut -> press the Copilot key -> select “Ctrl (right)” from the drop-down. Job done.

Not sure why is it so hard on Linux that it generates such headlines.

[–] demizerone@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

The proper solution is to install gnu slash Linux.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 82 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Is the true solution to just not use a keyboard with a copilot key?

[–] GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world 61 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Or take apart the keyboard, gently disable the switch, and replace it with a stationary 3D-printed key with a middle-finger texture as a constant reminder that this is why we don't let computers run themselves.

[–] scrion@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Alright, still lost the modifier key though.

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes, but that's essentially 'I would simply not have that problem.'

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 8 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Not having problems sounds great to me! I'll stick with my trusty old Thinkpad.

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[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 64 points 1 week ago (5 children)

I never use Right Ctrl but I will defend it against this abomination at any cost

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 1 points 6 days ago

I also want back the right super key that was replaced by the shitty fn key.
You want to add functions? Good! Add another row on top of the F13 - F24 row and leave my F1 - F12 for what I want them.
And yes, add a F13 to F24 column before wasting space on whatever multimedia keys you feel like adding.

[–] drcobaltjedi@programming.dev 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

A VM software I've used at work uses right Ctrl as the button to alert the host machine "Hey the user is addressing you now".

Want to take a wild guess who set up a VM on an old intern's laptop after they returned to school and didn't notice there wasn't a right Ctrl key anymore?

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[–] JiveTurkey@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago

This might as well be a sticker that says "don't buy this shit" at a glance.

[–] Kaiserschmarrn@feddit.org 27 points 1 week ago

My work laptop has this key and I remapped it with Raycast. Now, every time the key is being pressed, confetti flies across my screen. 🎉

[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 23 points 1 week ago (4 children)

wtf ? a physical key on laptops that calls AI slop directly ? tell me it's a dream, a vicious dream

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 week ago

Normal keyboards are easy enough to deal with. Buy a mechanical one that uses the QMK firmware. Then you can just remap the key in firmware and replace the key cap.

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Dreams are good, this is a nightmare.

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[–] ruby@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 1 week ago

as a right ctrl user, fuck you microsoft. a while back i had to get a new laptop since the last one was falling apart and having to decide based on which models don't have a slopilot key so that i can use my system normally is so annoying. and unlike other specs you can't filter by this, only hope that it's mentioned in the product description somewhere.

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So am i to understand that this sequence is built into the firmware of every keyboard with a copilot button? At that point you’d basically have to muck with the firmware. Is there any chance of altering the HID driver for the keyboard class to intercept that pattern?

[–] attero@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yes that's how I understood it. You can't fix a missing key-up signal on the OS/driver level.
This isn't Microsoft's first offense, btw: https://github.com/Rast1234/copilot_key_on_my_keyboard?tab=readme-ov-file#how-these-keys-work

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What about just intercepting F23 since nothing else really uses that? It looks like the key up is in there. Ignore the other modifiers.

[–] attero@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

afaik: the complete sequence is triggered when when the copilot key is pressed. You'd intercept the F23-up immediately --> no way to detect when the physical key is released.

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh now I’m following you. So at most you could remap it to an instant trigger. There’s no option for holding the key down.

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[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This seems to be on purpose to spite the people who want to remap it

[–] attero@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

nah, they just ran out of options, because they already used the press all modifier keys (HYPER) hack for the physical office key(I'd have to check how it handles key-up events, but I'd bet it does it correctly / distinguishable --> I think I'm on to something https://www.makeuseof.com/remap-caps-lock-to-hyper-key-and-double-shortcuts/ )

Defining a new keycode would've gotten them in trouble with their hardware partners, because that would be hard and break backwards compatibility, so they took the easy / stupid way out to implement this awesome new button, just to appease the marketing / product department. (conjecture)

This is just a result of the banality of evil / incompetence.

[–] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Couldn't they have just remapped RightControl to open Copilot for the same effect without all the downsides?

[–] attero@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Marketing said it has to be a dedicated key, engineers were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[–] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They're "marketing", surely they could just tell them it's a "dedicated key".

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 10 points 1 week ago

Put a sticker over the button and a default mapping in the software and none of them would have known the difference.

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[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Pretty easily, even without introducing a new scan code. If the keyboard uses USB, Windows could have just matched against the vendor and product IDs. Or they could have set something in the USB descriptor.

The only reasons I can think of for doing it this way are either out of laziness because it's easier to make a global hotkey than change a driver, or to intentionally make the key useless as a modifier key.

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 0 points 6 days ago

easier to make a global hotkey than change a driver

Mainly because AI doesn't make good driver code.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 14 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I still miss times when the bottom row was just Ctrl, Alt, Space, Alt, Ctrl.

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I miss the menu key so much.... It was the way I accessed the spelling corrector. Using a mouse for that is so cursed. The menu key had other uses too as the context is useful.

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[–] msage@programming.dev 7 points 1 week ago (8 children)

I like the Meta key.

I use dwm, so that key is my lifeline.

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[–] DickFiasco@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The Copilot logo is the computer version of aposematism.

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[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 1 week ago

How many keyboards have that key nowadays? I have not bought a new keyboard or laptop very recently.

[–] Sparrow_1029@programming.dev 5 points 1 week ago

I managed to remap the key on my asus vivobook (M5406WA) running fedora 42 to be used as the compose key

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They can't stop you from popping the key off, though.

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They can't stop me from not buying these sinful machines either.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 1 points 6 days ago

I mean yeah you right, but if your job foists one off on you or something it's a quick fix.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ive never used right control before but still what is this bullshit. Theyre gonna take my sweet baby alt gr next... ill commit murder before that happens. As a three and a half lingual person, all of which are european, i cant live without the us intl with altgr dead key layout.

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[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago (3 children)

This better be a temporary thing in PCs like when they used to have key locks or turbo buttons.

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