How to Turn Off Caps Lock in Windows 10

To turn off Caps Lock in Windows 10, press the Caps Lock key once. The light on the key or keyboard goes off, and letters type in lowercase again. If that doesn’t work, use the On-Screen Keyboard, or set Windows so pressing Shift turns Caps Lock off.

Applies to: Windows 10. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 27, 2026.

If the Caps Lock key doesn’t work

• Narrator is on: Narrator uses Caps Lock for its own commands. Press Caps Lock twice quickly to turn it on or off. See how to turn on Narrator in Windows 10 to turn Narrator off.
• The key is stuck or broken: Press Windows key + R, type osk, and press Enter to open the On-Screen Keyboard. Select Caps to turn it off. See how to open the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10.
• The whole keyboard isn’t typing: See how to unlock the keyboard in Windows 10.

Turn Caps Lock off with the Shift key

You can set Windows so pressing Shift turns Caps Lock off. This helps if you often turn it on by mistake.

1. Select Start > Settings > Devices > Typing.
2. Select Advanced keyboard settings, then Input language hot keys.
3. On the Advanced Key Settings tab, under To turn off Caps Lock, select Press the SHIFT key.
4. Select OK.

Now Caps Lock turns on with the Caps Lock key and off with either Caps Lock or Shift.

Hear a sound when Caps Lock turns on

Toggle Keys plays a tone when you press Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock, so you know when it’s on.

1. Select Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard.
2. Turn on Use Toggle Keys.

Stop Caps Lock from turning on

Windows 10 doesn’t have a Settings option to turn the Caps Lock key off completely, but you can do it with PowerToys or a registry change (both below). Microsoft’s free PowerToys app can remap it with its Keyboard Manager tool, for example to make Caps Lock act as Shift.

Remap Caps Lock with PowerToys, step by step

1. Install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store and open it.
2. Select Keyboard Manager on the left and make sure it’s turned on.
3. Select Remap a key, then the + button.
4. Under Select, choose Caps Lock. Under To send, choose another key such as Shift, or Disable to make Caps Lock do nothing.
5. Select OK. The change works as long as PowerToys is running, which it does at startup by default.

Disable Caps Lock without installing anything

Windows has a built-in key remapping setting in the registry, called Scancode Map. It switches Caps Lock off for every account and even on the sign-in screen, and works without PowerToys running. Back up the registry first.

1. Open Notepad and paste the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

2. Select File > Save as, set Save as type to All files, and name it disable-capslock.reg.
3. Double-click the file, select Yes, and restart the PC.

The Caps Lock key now does nothing. To undo it, open Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout, delete the Scancode Map value, and restart. If PowerToys is also remapping keys, use one method or the other, not both.

Turn off the Caps Lock pop-up on the screen

The big Caps Lock indicator that appears on many laptops comes from the maker’s software, not Windows. Look for the setting in Lenovo Vantage or Lenovo’s hotkey utility, HP’s System Event Utility or on-screen display settings, or Dell’s keyboard or support app. Uninstalling or turning off that feature stops the pop-up but leaves Caps Lock working.

If Caps Lock is on every time you sign in

The sign-in screen can remember Caps Lock from when you shut down. Turn Caps Lock off before shutting down. If it still turns itself on, check for a stuck key by watching the Caps Lock light while pressing nothing, and test with a different keyboard.

Frequently asked questions

Why do letters type in capitals with Caps Lock off?

Check that Shift isn’t stuck, and that Sticky Keys is off in Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard.

Does Caps Lock change when I switch keyboard languages?

No, but some layouts put letters in different places. See how to change the keyboard language in Windows 10.

How do I change text I typed in capitals by mistake?

In Word, select the text and press Shift + F3 to cycle between lowercase, UPPERCASE, and Capitalized. In most other apps, you’ll need to retype it.

If typing replaces letters instead, see how to turn off the Insert key in Windows 10.

On Windows 11, see how to turn off the Caps Lock notification.

Microsoft’s reference is Make your mouse, keyboard, and other input devices easier to use. More help is on our Windows Help & Guides page.

Related: how to keep Num Lock on in Windows 11.

Related: turn off captions in Windows 10.