PowerToys Bugs: Peek shortcut not updating, Keyboard Manager shortcut remaps not working

[SincereUser]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.81.1

Installation method

Microsoft Store

Running as admin

Yes

Area(s) with issue?

Keyboard Manager, Peek

Steps to reproduce

Issue #1: When I change the shortcut keys that activate Peek, then go back to the PowerToys Settings Dashboard, the shortcut shown for Peek on the Dashboard displays the old shortcut that existed just prior to changing it. Restarting the application will usually update the Dashboard shortcut preview to the new shortcut that I set, but not always.

Issue #2: Keyboard Manager not handling certain shortcut remappings properly, leading to them not working and locking certain control keys to the "pressed" keystate. (it appears to me based on behavior after pressing the shortcut)

What I was trying to do: I wanted to use PowerToys Run to easily search for word definitions on specific website dictionaries. In order to make this easier, I used Keyboard Manager to set some custom shortcuts using the shortcut remapper. The problem appears to be in the Keyboard Manager. I set the shortcuts Alt-D, Alt-E and Alt-T to send text of the URL's associated with my preferred dictionary, thesaurus and etymology dictionary. I set these shortcuts to be specific to the powertoys.powerlauncher.exe. I set these shortcuts to [send text] of the URL's, after which I can merely type the word I wanted a definition for and hit Enter, so the PowerToys Run URI Handler can jump directly to the page I seek. In order to simplify the shortcut, I used the [Select Keys] function to just press the key combinations I needed, THEN i changed the Alt (left) or Alt (right) keys to just Alt with no left/right designation using the dropdown of the recorded keys.

What was happening: when I left the shortcut as Alt (left)/(right) the shortcut works fine, but I must then set 3 additional shortcut remappings so I can use either Alt key. But if I change the shortcut to just "Alt" using the key selector dropdown box, then the keyboard shortcut does not [send text] and it usually locks a control key (i.e. shift or control) as "pressed". This is obvious when I click around the desktop and it selects multiple desktops icons starting from whatever icon was selected just prior to opening PowerToys Run and using the shortcut to try to send the URL text. The text fails to send, and I find it difficult to unlock the control keys, usually having to attempt the same process and using the Alt key to toggle it back off. In some cases, I have to restart the computer to unlock them.
PowerToysReport_2024-05-31-16-43-07.zip

✔️ Expected Behavior

Peek: when I set a new activation shortcut, I expect the Dashboard to update to the new shortcut setting like other modules do when I change their activation shortcuts.

Keyboard Manager: when I set a shortcut remap to Alt + [whatever key here], rather than having to set two shortcuts using Alt (Left)+ and Alt (Right)+, I expect it to allow me to use either Alt key when activating the shortcut remap, and to complete the designated operation I set in Keyboard Manager. I do NOT expect it to lock control keys in the "pressed" keystate.

❌ Actual Behavior

Peek: The Dashboard activation shortcut displayed isnt updating and shows the old shortcut after change.

Keyboard Manager: The remapped shortcut ISNT sending the block of text I set it to send, and IS locking control keys to the "pressed" keystate, even outside of the intended application, often requiring a system restart to reset them.

Other Software

No response

[github-actions]

Hi I'm an AI powered bot that finds similar issues based off the issue title.

Please view the issues below to see if they solve your problem, and if the issue describes your problem please consider closing this one and thumbs upping the other issue to help us prioritize it. Thank you!

Open similar issues:

• Keyboard manager shortcut remapping not working 80% of the times (#29866), similarity score: 0.76
• Remapped Shortcuts Periodically Stop Functioning (#11052), similarity score: 0.75

Closed similar issues:

• Keyboard and mouse not behaving normal when remap any key on the keyboard with the help of the inbuilt- Keyboard manager (#11739), similarity score: 0.75

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[SincereUser]

Allow me to be a little more clear on the last attached image of the Keyboard Manager in the "Actual Behavior" field above:
The first shown shortcut works fine [Alt (right) + E], and I can set another shortcut for [Alt (Left) + E] that will work too.
The second shortcut [Alt + T], with just "Alt" and no left/right designation, does NOT work, and produces the issues detailed in the report above.
If I change the first shortcut [Alt (right) + E] to [Alt + E], then the shortcut ceases to work as expected and produces the issues detailed in the report above.
Thank you

[Chealer]

There are reports of a Keyboard manager regression in 0.81.1. Did this work better in 0.81.0?

[crutkas]

/dup #17344

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

Hi! We've identified this issue as a duplicate of another one that already exists on this Issue Tracker. This specific instance is being closed in favor of tracking the concern over on the referenced thread. Thanks for your report!