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How can I reset a shortcut key (combo) in Windows 7

Anonymous
2021-01-24T20:51:06+00:00

WINDOWS 7

Problem Background:

Open the properties of a desktop shortcut (a .lnk object -I will call them links henceforth to avoid ambiguity) and assign an Shortcut Key to start the program.  Like <CTRL><SHIFT>S.

Time goes by and at some point you may uninstall that program or delete the desktop link (i.e. it can no longer be restored).

Then at some point you want to do the same thing, and open a different desktop link to assign <CTRL><SHIFT>S again, but you cannot, because it is still linked to the previous link, now lost.

This is a bug in Windows.  If I have <CTRL><SHIFT>S assigned to a link (and only that link) and then delete it, the Shortcut Key should be freed up.  But it's not. 

There must be some way to free up <CTRL><SHIFT>S again.  Does it have to be done via the registry?

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-01-26T12:32:15+00:00

    I thought it was all pretty explicitly described in the original post.... I'll try again:

    I had a desktop link.  

    I assigned hot key combo: <ALT><SHIFT>S to it successfully.

    Later that link [file] was permanently lost.

    Now I have another desktop link I want to assign to <ALT><SHIFT>S

    But I cannot, because something in Win 7 still thinks that combo is still reserved.  When I go to the hot key field in the properties and press <ALT><SHIFT>S, it just clears, as if it is already in use.

    Clear enough?

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