Key Combinations That Suddenly No Longer Work

[cyberdiva]

I'm hoping someone can help me with the following. A week ago, I upgraded my computer from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro. All went well, and amazingly almost all my programs continued to work. That includes HyperSnap, a wonderful screen capture program that I've used for a zillion years or so. Today, when I started my computer, I saw a message on my screen that said that the following key combinations no longer work: CTRL-Shift-C, H, R, and X. The message also said "They may be in use in another program." The only one I'm concerned about is CTRL-Shift-R, which Hypersnap uses to capture part of a screen. I use it a lot, and I've used it several times since upgrading to Windows 10. But today it no longer works. When I use CTRL-Shift-R, nothing happens.

I'm wondering how best to deal with this. Can I re-set things so that HyperSnap controls CTRL-Shift-R? If so, how? Is there a way to find out which program currently has usurped that key combination? Though I'm very reluctant to switch to a different key combination after using the same one for many years, I'd like to know how to do that if I have to. Which is to say, how do I find out which key combinations AREN'T currently being used by anything on my computer? With so many possibilities, trial and error doesn't seem very practical. I've googled (or, rather, Duck Duck Goed) and have found lots of lists of Windows 10 shortcuts and one site that listed 12 programs that use CTRL-Shift-R, including HyperSnap. A few are programs I have on my computer (e.g, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Thunderbird, Firefox), but none of them were added in the last couple of days, and none of them interfered with HyperSnap's using that key combination when I used it up through yesterday.

I should add that I ran my daily security scan with Malwarebytes, and it came up clean.

I'd be most grateful for any suggestions/information you're able to offer.

[KodeZwerg]

To find out which application hooks a specific hotkey, do it exact like written here and you have your answer.

One possible way is to use the Visual Studio tool Spy++.

Give this a try:

Run the tool (for me, it's at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\Common7\Tools\spyxx_amd64.exe)
In the menu bar, select Spy -> Log messages... (or hit Ctrl + M)
Check All Windows in System in the Additional Windows frame
Switch to the Messages tab
Click the Clear All button
Select WM_HOTKEY in the listbox, or check Keyboard in Message Groups (if you're OK with more potential noise)
Click the OK button
Press the hotkey in question (Win + R, for example)
Select the WM_HOTKEY line in the Messages (All Windows) window, right click, and select Properties... in the context menu
In the Message Properties dialog, click the Window Handle link (this will be the handle for the window that received the message)
Click the Synchronize button on the Window Properties dialog. This will show the window in the main Spy++ window treeview.
On the Window Properties dialog, select the Process tab
Click the Process ID link. This will show you the process (In my Win + R case: EXPLORER)

Great answer! Just a note that the 64-bit version of Spy++ catches only messages for 64-bit applications, so if you don't see the WM_HOTKEY message in the Message log after pressing the hotkey, you may need to run the 32-bit version of Spy++.

This still all works like described.

[Shades]

Some key mapper tools show which application laid claim on any given key combination. Find out which application did do so and if there is an option to alter this key combination inside the application itself.
If that is not an option, try to alter key combinations inside the key mapper of your choice (remove first, then recreate the combination and assign it to the appropriate application).

[tomos]

Wasn't there a software here on DC that listed all hotkeys in use?
("Keymapper" doesn't find it.)

EDIT// nevermind: it was Ethervane ActiveHotkeys by Tranglos, download link no longer working. Thread here:
https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=18189.0

[wraith808]

A Master list of Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 10 reveals nothing about CTRL+SHIFT+R other than it is used to refresh a page in Edge (it is also used for that in other browsers).

https://www.winhelpo...hortcuts-windows-10/

[KodeZwerg]

A Master list of Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 10 reveals nothing about CTRL+SHIFT+R other than it is used to refresh a page in Edge (it is also used for that in other browsers).

https://www.winhelpo...hortcuts-windows-10/

-wraith808 (April 01, 2021, 07:35 AM)

Your example is not a global hotkey. It is internal shortcut that can not survive if proper application is closed. Global hotkeys are a bit different on that point ;-)

[BGM]

I've learned that global key combinations are hijacked by the last-most program that assigns them.  If you restart the program with the key combo that you want, it will become last-most and will work.

[cyberdiva]

Wow!  Thanks VERY much to everyone for all these helpful suggestions. I decided to start with uninstalling HyperSnap and then re-installing it in the hope that perhaps that would bring back its control over CTRL-Shift-R. Right before I uninstalled it, I decided to try one more time to see whether by some miracle CTRL-Shift-R might function as a HyperSnap action.  Well, to my amazement, miracles apparently do happen. It worked!!  I was again able to capture whatever part of the screen I wished. I have no idea what caused it to be restored, but I'm thrilled. Needless to say, I'm saving all your responses, just in case it happens again and my supply of miracles has been used up.  Again, MANY THANKS! 

[wraith808]

A Master list of Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 10 reveals nothing about CTRL+SHIFT+R other than it is used to refresh a page in Edge (it is also used for that in other browsers).

https://www.winhelpo...hortcuts-windows-10/

-wraith808 (April 01, 2021, 07:35 AM)

Your example is not a global hotkey. It is internal shortcut that can not survive if proper application is closed. Global hotkeys are a bit different on that point ;-)

-KodeZwerg (April 01, 2021, 07:53 AM)

Oh, I know that. But I was looking for Windows specific keys that might be mapped over them (it happens).