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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[–] demizerone@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

The proper solution is to install gnu slash Linux.

[–] prettybunnys@piefed.social 50 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] GalacticGrapefruit@lemmy.world 51 points 1 day 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.

[–] weegee90@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Gently disable?

[–] scrion@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Alright, still lost the modifier key though.

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 5 points 1 day 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 47 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] drcobaltjedi@programming.dev 12 points 1 day ago (1 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?

Does he have 2 thumbs?

[–] degen@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah it's right next to other hidden figure of complex macro binding Alt Gr

[–] degen@midwest.social 2 points 11 hours ago

Alt Gr

Sounds angry

[–] ruby@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 day 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.

[–] JiveTurkey@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Kaiserschmarrn@feddit.org 20 points 1 day 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. 🎉

[–] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 12 points 1 day 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 17 points 1 day 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 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 9 points 1 day ago

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

[–] degen@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago

More like dead~~icated~~ key, am I right?

[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

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.

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 day 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 12 points 1 day ago (3 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 7 points 1 day 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 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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 5 points 1 day 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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[–] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 14 points 1 day ago (4 children)

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

And why did need to replace a standard key for it, instead of just adding a button?

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 day 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 5 points 1 day ago

Dreams are good, this is a nightmare.

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Man, it's too bad there was no room on that surface to just put an additional, regular button for Copilot.

[–] DickFiasco@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Copilot logo is the computer version of aposematism.

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[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 day 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 day ago

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

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 6 points 1 day ago (4 children)

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

[–] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 day 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 day ago (5 children)

I like the Meta key.

I use dwm, so that key is my lifeline.

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[–] Etterra@discuss.online 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

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

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

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 1 points 2 hours ago

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

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day 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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i suddenly realize why my old 20 buck keyboard costs 200 now

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day 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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