Because switching between Windows VMs and their macOS host via Cmd+Tab launches the Start menu every time and PowerToys Keyboard Manager utility only works sporadically.
Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
Create a new binary value named Scancode Map and assign value data of 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00
Reboot
Neither HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\[NoWinKeys] nor Local Computer Policy → User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → File Explorer → "Turn off Windows Key hotkeys" had any discernible effect in a Windows 11 Pro 23H2 UTM VM.
The Scancode Map value is a series of hexadecimal numbers that instruct the operating system to remap or disable certain keys:
00 00 00 00: Header (always zeros, used for header padding)00 00 00 00: Header (also zeros, continuing the header padding)03 00 00 00: Number of mappings (including the null terminator)00 00 5B E0: Disables the left Windows key (by mapping E0 5B to 00 00)00 00 5C E0: Disables the right Windows key (by mapping E0 5C to 00 00)00 00 00 00: Null terminator (marks the end of the Scancode Map)Bytes are reversed in the Scancode Map registry entry because Windows uses the little-endian format, storing the least significant byte first.
Windows Platform Design Notes: Keyboard Scan Code Specification, Revision 1.3a — March 16, 2000: "This specification was previous published, with the same content, as 'Windows Hardware Quality Labs Keyboard Specification' and also referred to as 'Windows Keys Specification' and 'New Keys Specification.'"
/windows | Jun 12, 2024