# Remapping keys on an external keyboard



## T_J_STONE (Feb 25, 2010)

I have a HP laptop running Windows Vista 32bit, and i want to occasionally use an external keyboard for gaming, but i wanted to remap the keys on my external keyboard without it affecting the existing layout of my internal laptop keyboard. 
Can anyone tell me if this is possible and how i can go about doing it.
thanks in advance!!


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## Liam1 (Feb 21, 2010)

Hmm not sure, but I suppose you could remap the keys then when you want to go back just reverse it or reset them to default ?


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## T_J_STONE (Feb 25, 2010)

could do... but i was hoping to be able to just plug in my gaming keyboard and have it remapped to the layout that i'd prefer for gaming, but have the internal keyboard layout remain the same all the time.


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## Liam1 (Feb 21, 2010)

Im not sure whether you can remap 2 seperate keyboards to different layouts.
Sorry I cant help.


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## stantley (May 22, 2005)

You could create an AutoHotkey script to remap the keys: http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/misc/Remap.htm

Start up the script when you want to use the external gaming keyboard and then exit the script to use the laptop keyboard.


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## ChuckE (Aug 30, 2004)

I believe it may be unlikely to have individual, per keyboard, settable key maps for two or more keyboards. The reason is that keyboards now just tell the OS a 2-byte "key-down" code when you push a key, and a 2-byte "key-up" code for when you let the key go. The "A" key puts out the same codes no matter what keyboard your have. The OS does not pay attention to which keyboard it is getting the code from, and the key-codes do not identify which keyboard is "talking" (you can't get that much detail in just 2 bytes).

You can install a keyboard remapper that says when I push down the "A" key I want you to pretend I just pushed the "B" key (or whatever). The OS still gets the same old "A" key-code, but it passes the "B" off to the rest of the system. So, no matter which keyboard you press "A" with, the OS is still going to pass along a "B"

You can try the very good KeyTweak v2.3.0 program. It has a feature where I believe you can revert the new mapping back to the old, regular mappings. I don't know if there is also an as quick "new mapping again" so that you could (or might) be able to rapidly switch between the two mappings.


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