How to stop Windows key opening Start menu in Windows 11

Block the keys with Windows

Windows 11 Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise include Keyboard Filter.

1. Open Windows Features. In Control Panel, choose Programs, then Turn Windows features on or off.
2. Enable Keyboard Filter. Expand Device Lockdown, select Keyboard Filter, choose OK and restart.
3. Configure the Windows blocking rule. Open Windows PowerShell as administrator and run: $ns='root\standardcimv2\embedded'; $key=Get-WmiObject -Namespace $ns -Class WEKF_PredefinedKey -Filter "Id='Windows'"; $key.Enabled=$true; $key.Put() | Out-Null
4. Include administrator accounts if needed. They are exempt by default. In the same PowerShell window, run $setting=Get-WmiObject -Namespace $ns -Class WEKF_Settings -Filter "Name='DisableKeyboardFilterForAdministrators'"; $setting.Value='false'; $setting.Put() | Out-Null, then sign out and back in.

Keyboard Filter suppresses both Windows keys. Glassline gives the key a use: opening Search. If you enabled Keyboard Filter above, clear its checkbox in Windows Features and restart before continuing.

Put Search on the Windows key

1. Install Glassline from the Microsoft Store. Open it to get its menu bar, dock and Search.
2. Open Glassline Settings. Right-click the menu bar and choose Glassline Settings, then open Shortcuts.
3. Find Open Search under Everywhere. The key shown on the row is its current shortcut. Click it to open the menu.
4. Choose Windows key. Press the Windows key to bring up Search. Type the name of an app, file or setting you want to find.

If Open Search already shows Windows key, that choice is already in place. You can leave it there and try Search straight away.

Record your own shortcut

Search and Today each have a row under Everywhere. Open Today usually shows Windows N. To give either one a different shortcut:

1. Click the key on its row. The menu offers the usual key, Record a shortcut... and Off.
2. Choose Record a shortcut.... Press the combination you want to use. It must include Ctrl, Alt or Windows.
3. Check the other row. Open Search and Open Today must use different shortcuts. If you see Already in use, record a different combination.

You can return to the usual shortcut from the same menu. There is no need to record that combination yourself.

Let the key open Start again

1. Return to Shortcuts. Find Open Search under Everywhere and click its current key.
2. Choose Off. The Windows key opens the Start menu again.

With Start open, the dock gets smaller and stays under it. This lets you keep Glassline's menu bar and dock while using Start from the Windows key.