How can I disable Alt+Space native hotkey in Windows 10?

Question

Windows 10 has Alt+Space as a default hotkey for opening the menu bar of a windows with the choices of Minimizing/Maximizing it.

I'm using Kdenlive and Kdenlive wants to use Alt+Space as a hotkey for playing a video in a loop. Unfortuntely, when I press the hotkey Windows 10 processes the hotkey without the information getting passed to the app.

Given that I don't need the native hotkey, is there a way I can remove it?

Solution 1

I remembered that Autohotkey can map keys to F13 till F24 and used:

!Space::
Send {F13}
return

To get Autohotkey to press F13 and then set F13 to be the key that's used by Kdenlive for this purpose via Settings -> Configure Shortcuts.

Solution 2

Alt+Space hotkey is taken by Windows system by default.

However with the help of a 3rd party solution you can override this setting and take control over Windows by not letting them to steal the hotkey combination.

1. Download Autohotkey and install it.

2. Create a new file in Notepad or your default editor and insert these 2 lines:

   ; it allows to make a rule which is applied only when windows contains the given title
   SetTitleMatchMode, 2 
   
   ; obviously below you write the title that is contained in your program's window 
   #IfWinActive, Kdenlive
   !Space::Return ; ! stands for Alt key
   

3. Save it somewhere easy to access it as Whatever.ahk (and not as .txt)

4. Double click on it (or Run as Administrator) and it will trigger AutoHotKey to execute it and have it loaded. Now the Alt+Space hotkey does not call the Windows default actionwhen is hit in a window with the given title (Kdenlive).

I suggest to put it on your startup programs for not having to execute it manually each time you reboot your system.

You can find more information on how to program hotkeys in AutoHotKey by scripting on https://autohotkey.com/docs/Hotkeys.htm

Comments

[AFH]

Why not change the kdenlive hot-key under Settings -> Configure Shortcuts...? This seems a better idea than changing a basic system setting for the sake of a single application. You seem to be asking an XY problem.

[Christian]

@AFH I don't like the general system setting in the first place.

[Mathias Bynens]

It's not a case of the XY problem. OP is asking to globally disable the hotkey since the functionality is generally not useful to him.

[Christian]

This prevents windows from engaging in it's behavior but it doesn't let kdenlive process the hotkey event.

[Cadmos]

After disabling it, try to hit the following key sequence in your application -> Space + Alt + Space. However did you indeed checked if Alt+Space is still working in your application after applying AutoHotKey solution?

[Christian]

Yes, I did check and hitting the key sequence also does nothing.

[Cadmos]

As I mentioned at the end of my answer, there is a link where you can find more information on how to script your key based on your preferences and rules. Anyway I edited my answer with new script code. Make sure you reload the your AHK file by right click or close it and open it again.

[Christian]

I do use Autohotkey quite regularly and the code you proposed doesn't do what I want here. Your code simply lets Autohotkey eat the keypress so that no other program responds to the keypress neither Windows nor Kdenlive.

[Cadmos]

You probably did not use it because in my Windows 10 is tested right now and Alt+Space changes behavior only to Kdenlive (which happens to run as well) and it remains as Windows default function to all the other ones. Do you want me to upload a YouTube video in case you need it visualized ? There is no trouble for me if it helps you.

[Christian]

It's certainly possible that your computer does something that allows Kdenlive to capture the key but mine currently doesn't with that code.

[Vasikos]

@Christian I checked his code and it works for me as well with my custom photoshop hotkeys. There is definitely some mistake by your side.

[iamchriswick]

Does NOT work on Win 11

[Admin]

this is a not a valid solution as it doesn't answer the original issue.