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How to Undo an AutoHotkey Remap and Restore Your Keyboard

Suspend the script to restore normal key behavior now; edit and reload its .ahk file to remove the remap for good.
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To restore normal key behavior, suspend the AutoHotkey script that is changing your keys. If that works and you want the change to last, remove or edit the remapping line in its .ahk file, save it, and reload the script. Exiting the script stops its current instance, but does not erase the remap from the file.

Restore your keys quickly

  1. Find the script that is running. Look for its AutoHotkey tray icon or open its main window. In AutoHotkey v2, suspension is available through either the tray icon or the main window; labels may vary by version. See the AutoHotkey v2 Suspend documentation.
  2. Suspend the script. This disables its hotkeys and hotstrings. AutoHotkey implements remaps as hotkeys, so suspension also disables the script’s remappings. Try the affected keys again. If they now behave normally, that script was applying the remap. See AutoHotkey’s remapping documentation.
  3. Exit the script if you want it stopped. Exiting terminates that running script, so its script-defined remap no longer runs. It does not delete the remapping directive; starting the script again can reapply it.

Choose the right fix

Action When to use it What it does
Suspend To test the cause or temporarily restore normal keys Disables the script’s hotkeys and hotstrings. You can reverse this by unsuspending the script. Source: AutoHotkey v2 Suspend documentation.
Exit the script To stop the current instance immediately Terminates that instance, but leaves the remap in the file; relaunching the script may apply it again. Source: AutoHotkey v2 Remapping Keys documentation.
Edit and reload To remove or change the remap permanently in that script Updates the script definition once the saved file is run or reloaded. Source: AutoHotkey v2 Using the Program documentation.
Uninstall AutoHotkey Only if you want to remove the software entirely Use the official removal instructions for your installed version; uninstalling is separate from undoing one remap. The AutoHotkey Safe Browsing page refers to software removal information.

Remove the remap from the script

A basic AutoHotkey remap has the form OriginKey::DestinationKey. For example, a::b makes A behave like B while the script containing that directive is running.

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  1. Open the relevant .ahk file in a text editor.
  2. Find the remap directive and delete it to restore the original mapping, or change its destination if you want a different remap.
  3. Save the file.
  4. Run or reload the script for the edit to take effect. Merely saving the file does not change the already-running script. See AutoHotkey’s program-use guidance.

If the keys are still remapped

If the affected keys remain changed after you suspend or exit the script, check whether another AutoHotkey script is running. If no other script explains the behavior, another mapping layer—such as a Windows registry mapping, keyboard firmware setting, or separate remapping utility—may be responsible. AutoHotkey’s documentation covers script-level remaps, not a complete procedure for diagnosing every other mapping layer. Identify the source before resetting unrelated keyboard or system settings.

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Check your AutoHotkey version

The v2 documentation describes suspension through the tray icon or main window, while the legacy v1 remapping reference also says that Suspend affects remappings. The basic principle applies to both, but interface labels and syntax can differ. Identify whether you are using v1 or v2 before following version-specific steps. If a documented step does not match your interface, check the versioned official AutoHotkey downloads page and use documentation for that version. The legacy reference is available at AutoHotkey v1 Remapping Keys.

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