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In Windows (XP at least), when there are two or more keyboard layouts for the same input language, pressing Ctrl+Shift switches the keyboard layout. Where can this be disabled or changed to another keystroke combination?

A similar feature is changing input languages. Alt+Shift is the default keystroke and that can be changed and disabled through the Regional and Language Options in the Control Panel. The keyboard layout switch (Ctrl+Shift) cannot be found in that panel.

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13 Answers 13

120

You were very close to the solution of your problem ;)

In Windows XP, Vista or 7:

Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options -> Languages tab -> Details...

There, you can edit the hotkeys to change input languages. If you press the Change Key Sequence... button, you will be able to change (disable) the hotkey which switches keyboard layouts (that Ctrl+Shift combination you mentioned).

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  • 14
    Just to extend the answer. The option is hidden within the "Change Key Sequence..." dialog when selecting the first row in the the two-column "Hot keys for input languages" in Advanced Key Settings. Feb 15, 2010 at 13:06
  • 3
    @Pedro - tricky indeed. I went to this dialog this morning, searching for the answer, and stopped just before, because the "change key sequence" was looking like referring to the currently selected item only. No indication about this ctrl+shift.
    – Gnoupi
    Feb 15, 2010 at 13:31
  • 3
    Hopefully now sanity can be restored. Feb 9, 2011 at 21:02
  • 4
    For those searching an answer for Windows 8: superuser.com/questions/604790/…
    – KooKiz
    Jan 18, 2014 at 21:09
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    Aaaaand, on Windows 10 they have hidden this once again. But whereÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ
    – tbone
    Feb 14, 2018 at 2:35
89

Skip the UI. It'll just keep changing for no reason. Run this to get to the Text Services and Input Languages dialog:

rundll32 Shell32,Control_RunDLL input.dll,,{C07337D3-DB2C-4D0B-9A93-B722A6C106E2}

Then Advanced Key Settings tab → Change Key Sequence… button → choose Not Assigned for both, and click OK, then the other OK.

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  • 11
    Yeah, it moved again in the April 2018 build of Windows. I think that’s the sixth place it’s been. Jun 19, 2018 at 1:24
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    This is awesome
    – SuperDisk
    Jul 13, 2018 at 15:11
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    Due to Microsoft moving, hiding, removing Control Panel items so many times, especially this one, your rundll32 solution above it perfect! (For anyone having trouble using this, try Win+R or Start Menu | Run and then paste it in. It will show the dialog that you need to disable the shortcuts--at least as of Windows 10 1809.) Apr 27, 2019 at 19:38
  • 5
    This is the only way I seem to be able to find it in Windows 10 1903. Thank you!
    – thin
    Aug 9, 2019 at 20:11
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    This should be the correct answer. Thanks! Jun 9, 2020 at 19:06
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It has moved again in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. From the desktop:

  • Settings (with the mouse hover at bottom right, then click cogwheel)
  • Control Panel
  • Clock, Language and Region
  • Language (or "Add a language" or "Change input methods" - all go to the same place)
  • Advanced settings (in the left margin)
  • Change language bar hot keys (a hyperlink about halfway down) enter image description here
  • Advanced Key Settings (tab)
  • Change Key Sequence (button)

There you have (limited) options to change or disable the hotkeys for switching input language or keyboard layout.

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  • 19
    Note that it'll probably look like there isn't a ctrl-shift keyboard shortcut to change keyboard layouts, but actually there is. It's hidden under "Between input languages", it looks like that's just alt-shift to change language, but actually that item in the list also includes ctrl-shift to change keyboard, hidden Jul 31, 2016 at 22:27
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    that comment from user568458 really saved this one for me. I almost missed it - it would be great if this could be incorporated into the answer.
    – Simon Zyx
    Dec 6, 2017 at 13:22
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    @tbone I am using Windows 10 Home version 1709 build 16299.248 and the options are still there for me.
    – Richard
    Feb 16, 2018 at 3:23
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    It's moved again: Region & language>Advanced keyboard settings>Language bar options>Advanced Key Settings>Change Key Sequence...
    – Hashbrown
    Feb 20, 2019 at 22:13
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    It seems like it's changed again. To get to Advanced keyboard settings I have to go via Settings -> Time & Language -> Language -> Spelling, typing, & keyboard settings (or just use the search bar to search for Advanced keyboard settings)
    – Tom Ellis
    Aug 27, 2019 at 10:09
29

The easiest way (for Windows 10 in 2019):

  1. In the Windows Start Menu Search type Advanced Keyboard Settings
  2. Click Input language hot keys
  3. Double click Between input languages
  4. Set both the Switch Input Language and Switch Keyboard Layout settings to Not Assigned (or assign them how you wish).
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  • Any idea why Microsoft keeps moving the settings? It's not like countries are moving to something. Despite BrExit the UK is still in the same place with the same language :-) Mar 18, 2020 at 14:36
  • 2
    @PaulMcCarthy Not sure. It likely has something to do with the coronavirus.
    – kojow7
    Mar 18, 2020 at 15:32
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    Thank you @kojow7! :) Very much appreciated!
    – Tom
    Apr 1, 2020 at 13:07
  • Works great on Windows 11 as of January 2024. Thanks!
    – David Ebbo
    Jan 10 at 15:05
28

This is different in Windows 7. It's in the same Region and Language interface but you do this.

  • Keyboards and Languages tab
  • Change keyboards... button
  • In the popup go to the Advanced Key Settings tab
  • Here you can choose the Between input languages item in the list then press the Change Key Sequence... button
  • Change to Not Assigned radio buttons
  • Click Okay 3 times, then voila :)
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  • 2
    Thank you for this... was driving me nuts because CTRL+SHIFT+CLICK opens things up as administrator, but the CTRL+SHIFT would cause my keyboard layout to change.
    – Jason Down
    Jan 31, 2013 at 19:04
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    Thanks mate, really helpful in VS where ctrl + Shift + something else do lots of stuff Jun 3, 2014 at 10:31
  • Also worth mentioning for Visual Studio purposes @IgnacioSolerGarcia, if you run VS as admin you'll have to change the settings for the Admin user too...I haven't figured that part out though...
    – drzaus
    Oct 31, 2017 at 18:02
  • ...figured it out -- literally switch users to that Admin account and change settings there, then sign out and back to your usual account, then probably restart VS. Bliss
    – drzaus
    Oct 31, 2017 at 18:13
  • Even though I have it set to Not Assigned it still changes the layout when I press ctrl + shift :( Aug 13, 2018 at 16:19
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In Windows 10:
Start > Settings > Time & Language > Region & Language > Additional date, time and regional settings > Change input method > Advanced settings > Change language bar hot keys > Change Key Sequence

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  • 2
    Wow, amazing you were able to find this!! But now that Iève gotten there, what do I doÉ - that is supposed to be a question mark by the way. This situation is hilariously depressing.
    – tbone
    Feb 14, 2018 at 2:47
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    Windows 10 is tricky because they changed it from versions to version. I got as far as the Advanced settings above, but did not notice the Change language bar hot keys... thanks! On other Windows 10 versions, you'll find the same thing under Region and language settings > Advanced Keyboard Settings > Language Bar Options > Change Key Sequence...
    – GaspardP
    Aug 26, 2018 at 4:52
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    @GaspardP jesus christ, thank you. Can they stop moving this around? It's infuriating.
    – René
    Mar 8, 2019 at 10:00
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In Windows 10 from April 2018 onwards, the Control Panel step has been removed; you can get to the final dialogue box (“Text Services and Input Language”) directly from the Settings app:

Settings → Time & Language → Region & Language → Advanced keyboard settings → Language bar options → Advanced Key Settings → select Between input languages, Change Key Sequence…, both Not Assigned radio buttons, OK, OK.

And in some release since then it changed again…

Settings → Devices → Typing → Advanced keyboard settings (at the bottom) → Language bar options → Advanced Key Settings → select Between input languages, Change Key Sequence…, both Not Assigned radio buttons, OK, OK.

At least this change made sense.

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  • This worked for me! And I prefer not editing the registry manually is there's a UI way. It's probably safer in most cases. This answer is way underrated. It should be on top now and as long as it's the one with the right answer
    – Emilio
    Jan 23, 2019 at 3:56
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    My own vote goes for brianary’s answer to run it via rundll32, actually, because it does just keep on moving! Jan 23, 2019 at 7:34
  • Took me forever to find the setting. Nice find! Jan 23, 2020 at 2:28
  • Moved again, as of 2021 August: Setting / Time & Language / Language (tab) / Keyboard (icon) / Input language hot keys / Advanced Key Settings (tab) / Between input languages / Change key sequence
    – Sylvain
    Aug 13, 2021 at 9:23
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Windows 11

  1. Settings > Time and language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings, click link Input language hot keys. A popup window named Text Services and Input Languages will open.

  2. Select action Between input languages and press button Change Key Sequence... to open a new popup window.

  3. In the fieldset named Switch Keyboard Layout, set option Not Assigned. By default it is set to Ctrl + Shift.

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As will said, you can change it through registry, it is documented here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc976564.aspx

If like me you don't like clicking too much, you can switch it off fastly, typing this in Start Menu/Run:

powershell -Command Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKCU:\Keyboard Layout\Toggle' -Name HotKey -Value 3
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The registry key controlling this is documented here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc976564.aspx

If you're like me, you will also want to disable ctrl+shift hotkey on the logon screen, so add the reg value mentioned to the HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Toggle key.

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This is how to disable it in the standard edition of Windows 8.1, for any other edition you might be better of manually locating the setting in the Control Panel.

Save the below as a .reg file and run it, the hotkey will be disabled immediately without the need for logging off. Alternatively, follow the instructions in the code comments to set it manually through the Control Panel:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Note: This is for Windows 8.1 - the location of the settings/keys change with different Windows versions
; CONTROL PANEL:
; Control Panel->All Control Panel Items->Language->Advanced settings->Change Language Bar Hot Keys->Advanced Key Settings->Change Key Sequence...->"Not Assigned"
; WINDOWS REGISTRY:
; Primary Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Toggle]
; Optional Secondary Key (might be needed for Windows logon screen): [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Toggle]
; Values: "Language Hotkey" and "Layout Hotkey"
;1 = Key Sequence enabled; use LEFT ALT+SHIFT to switch between locales.
;2 = Key Sequence enabled; use CTRL+SHIFT to switch between locales.
;3 = Key Sequences disabled.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Toggle]
"Language HotKey"="3"
"Layout HotKey"="3"

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Toggle]
"Language HotKey"="3"
"Layout HotKey"="3"
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  • Works under Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 as well. Aug 13, 2020 at 18:00
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On Windows 7 I opened the "Region and Language" tool. Clicked "Keybords and Languages" tab then clicked "Change keyboards" button. Then in the "Installed services" tree list I selected the keyboards I didn't want (French) and clicked "Remove.

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The shortest way - fully explained

  1. Press the Windows key

  2. Begin typing typing settings until it appears at the top as Best match

  3. Enter

  4. Click Advanced keybord settings at the bottom of the window

  5. Click Input language hot keys

  6. Having Between input languages selected, click Change Key Sequence

  7. Select the two buttons named Not assigned

  8. OK twice

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