Heavy computer users are familiar with keyboard shortcuts such as ctrl-c to “copy” and ctrl-v to “paste.” If you’re a Mac user and you switch back and forth from Windows to OS X often you’ve probably felt some pain using keyboard shortcuts.
For some silly reason Apple decided to default standard keyboard shortcuts to use the Apple key (also called the Command key) instead of the ctrl key. That means to copy text in Windows you press ctrl-c, but to copy text in OS X you press Apple-c. RIDICULOUS!
Never the less, I’ve gotten use to working with the default OS X keyboard layout, and this has made switching back and forth from Windows Boot Camp to OS X incredibly confusing. I’ve started pressing ctrl when I should be pressing the Apple key and vice versa.
Luckily I’ve discovered a nifty tool that will update your Windows registry to make the Apple key act like ctrl in Windows. Here’s the simple step by step guide.
- Download and install SharpKeys.
- Run SharpKeys and click the “Add” button.
- In the “From key” column click “Type Key” and press the Apple key. Click “OK.”
- In the “To key” column click “Type Key” and press your left ctrl key. Click “OK.”
- Click “OK” to dismiss the key mapping menu.
- Click “Write to Registry” and reboot your Mac.
Alternatively, you can set your ctrl key to behave like the Apple key in OS X by going Settings -> Keyboard -> Modifier Keys : then swap “Control” and “Command” key functions in the drop down, and click “OK.”
Now you can have some hot-key sanity when switching back and forth from Windows Boot Camp to OS X.