How to disable or remove hotkey F1 for Help and support?

Anonymous
2013-02-08T10:55:45+00:00

Hello dear Microsoft team!

 I would like to know, how can I disable hotkey feature (f1) or what file to delete to remove the hotkey feature (opens help and support programm) on my laptop. I am looking foward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Thanks

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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Anonymous
2016-07-30T06:46:53+00:00

For future users coming in off Google, don't listen to these non-helpful responses above.  This is how you do it: for Windows 10 (you can do any one of the three, you do not have to do all of them):

  1. Navigate to C:\Windows, find helppane.exe, right click, Properties, Security tab, Advanced.  On the top where it says "Owner:", hit change.  Type in your username and hit Check Names, click OK.  Apply.  Hit okay back to the Security tab.  Next to "to change permissions, click edit"  hit Edit.  Hit Add, type in your username and click Check Names.  Hit okay and then on the permissions give yourself Full Control with all boxes checked.  Click Apply, yes, then OK.  Ok again to close the box.  Then right click, rename it, hit enter and click Continue to provide administrator permission. to rename it.  Or simply click the file and press Delete on your keyboard to get rid of it.  Now you can press F1 without having to be bothered by the help pane popup!
  2. Open up command prompt, File, run new task, type in regedit and hit enter.  Click yes if there is a popup. 

Please backup your registry before making any changes by clicking File > Export (make sure All is selected under Export Range).  Make sure to scroll up and select the uppermost level before searching, for me it is "Computer".  Then Edit > Find.  Under Find What: helppane.exe and make sure only Data is selected and nothing else.  This should lead you to the keys that point towards the executable which you can then rename or remove at your own risk. 

  1. Use a program like Sharpkeys (search it online) to disable the F1 button (not recommended as it will disable the button entirely).

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-08-15T13:14:54+00:00

    I don't know if you've figured out a different way yet or not, but what I did to get this to work was went back into the HelpPane.exe's properties, clicked my name, selected "full control" on the checklist at the bottom of the window, hit apply, then went back and changed the name.

    Hope this helps

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-11T19:25:33+00:00

    Thank you so much.  I honestly wasn't expecting that to work, but it did.

    I used to be able to disable the annoying f1/"?" key by entering this into command prompt with administrative privileges:

    @echo off

    taskkill /f /im HelpPane.exe

    takeown /f %WinDir%\HelpPane.exe

    icacls %WinDir%\HelpPane.exe /deny Everyone:(X)

    But that for some reason no longer works--most likely due to some BS windows "update".

    you are a beautiful person thank you

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-09-23T03:59:45+00:00

    I play a videogame where i hit lots of the keys on my keyboard very quickly and i frequently hit the f1 key on accident and it brings me to the home screen. how do i stop it from doing that?

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-09-27T17:36:08+00:00

    I click the button if I am doing something and it instantly opens my internet browser and It interupts my work, or if I am meaning to click one of the buttons near it, and I am typing something, it opens a new tab and I find it very irritating, if there is a way to disable this hot key, I would be very interest.

    -Brendan

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