Comments on: Switch Alt and Ctrl Keys in Windows XP to function like an Apple Mac

By: Stefan

Stefan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:10:58 +0000

Thanks for the great guide. Works great!

By: ardeay

ardeay — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:31:13 +0000

To have left CTRL == START(windows), left START (windows) == ALT, and left ALT== left CTRL

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By: Taylor

Taylor — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:46:11 +0000

I have a mac keyboard and am running windows. Here is how to switch the control and command keys so the mac keyboard works like you would expect it to. Thanks for the post.
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04,00,00,00,
1D,00,5B,E0,
1D,E0,5C,E0,
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By: ardeay

ardeay — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:16:20 +0000

Definitley would be an interesting mod to research; getting it to work depends on how hardcoded it is in microsofts core. I’m thinking about adding to to switch the windows key with the ctrl key (now the alt key) I have this going on my desktop computer.

Microsoft also provides cool tools to change the alt tab operation look to show the full windows. Go to microsoft.com and search “xp power toys”

By: Mook

Mook — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:29:35 +0000

Now, how does one set the alt key (which is now CTRL) to alt-tab? It has been a few weeks since I used a Mac, but is not it Open-Apple-Tab to tab through apps? Now, if I could tab through my applications like a Mac, I would really be loving my keypad!

By: Mook

Mook — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:28:20 +0000

Thanks! This is gonna save me a lot of aching carpol tunnel aches… I use Macs and PC (Macs at work, PC at home) and I really want to stop using the CTRL key for shortcuts… hopefully this does the trick!

By: ardeay

ardeay — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 18:38:44 +0000

Carter, this will make your CTRL key act as ALT and ALT key act as CTRL. Basically a mac layout would go: CTRL ALT APPLE COMMAND. Since the apple command key functions as the windows CTRL key (for operations in photoshop and copy paste etc) this mod puts the ctrl key in the apple command key position. The new layout on your windows machine would be : ALT START CTRL, if you are looking to make the layout like this: START ALT CTRL which would be swapping around 3 keys, the binary code would be much different. You should try doing the swap the way listed here first. If you are successful then you can move on. Hoped that helped. Post your results, we are here to help when we have time.

By: carter

carter — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 17:15:14 +0000

um. does this switch the control and ‘command’ keys, or just switch the control and alt(option) keys? seems like switching the alt and control wouldn’t be much use since the command key is the one that is the keyboard shortcut in os x… also, is this operation possible for a complete xp novice? thanks…. c.