# Windows

> The 2013–2015 AutoHotkey script where Capslock began, kept with its source and an old prebuilt executable.

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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> [!WARNING] Archived, not maintained
> The Windows version is an AutoHotkey script from 2013–2015. The Mac V2 README
> listed Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 as its systems. Neither the script nor
> the prebuilt executable is tested on current Windows.

Capslock began on Windows in 2013, two years before the first Mac version. The
script turns Caps Lock, which it calls the "useless key", into a function key
like Ctrl and Alt by combining it with almost every other key on the keyboard.
Caps Lock itself is kept off, and its old job moves to Caps Lock + \`.

Some of its bindings differ from the Mac versions. The Mac V2 README notes
this, and that the Windows version is no longer maintained.

## What it did {#keys}

The README summarises the script in one table. This version of it fills in
the details from the script itself.

| Keys | What they do |
| :--- | :--- |
| Caps Lock | Escape, handy in Vim |
| Caps Lock + \` | Turn Caps Lock on or off |
| Caps Lock + H J K L | Vim-style arrow keys |
| Caps Lock + W B | One word right, one word left |
| Caps Lock + U I O P | Page Up, Home, End, Page Down |
| Caps Lock + N M , . | Delete: Ctrl+Backspace, Backspace, Delete, Ctrl+Delete |
| Caps Lock + Z X C V A Y | Ctrl+Z, X, C, V, A, Y: the usual Windows editing shortcuts |
| Caps Lock + arrow keys | Move the mouse pointer |
| Caps Lock + Enter | Mouse click |
| Caps Lock + F1 – F6 | Mute, volume down, volume up, play or pause, next track, stop |
| Caps Lock + Q S | Window and tab control |
| Caps Lock + ; ' [ ] | Convenience mappings |
| Caps Lock + D F E R T | Frequently used programs, chosen by the user |
| Caps Lock + 1 – 5 | Visual Studio shortcuts, chosen by the user |
| Caps Lock + 6 7 8 9 0 - = | The shifted symbols, as if Shift were held |

## Running it {#install}

The README gives no installation steps. The repository holds the script in
two forms:

- **The source**, `CapsLock.ahk`, runs with AutoHotkey. It uses AutoHotkey v1
  syntax.
- **A prebuilt executable**, `CapsLock.exe`, runs without AutoHotkey.

> [!CAUTION] Old, unsigned binary
> `CapsLock.exe` is an old, unsigned, 32-bit prebuilt binary. It has not been
> tested on current Windows. If you want to try the layout, read the source
> and run it with AutoHotkey v1 instead.

## Files {#files}

All of the Windows version is in
[`win/`](https://github.com/Vonng/Capslock/tree/main/win) in the repository.

| File | What it is |
| :--- | :--- |
| [`CapsLock.ahk`](https://github.com/Vonng/Capslock/blob/main/win/CapsLock.ahk) | The AutoHotkey source |
| [`CapsLock.exe`](https://github.com/Vonng/Capslock/raw/main/win/CapsLock.exe) | The prebuilt executable, 207,868 bytes |
| [`README.md`](https://github.com/Vonng/Capslock/blob/main/win/README.md) | The original summary |

The SHA-256 of `CapsLock.exe` in the repository is
`e0d6a4d2de155860aed164281ed16f5871aaca95cccc6fe1d46db2b16004cb80`.

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Backlinks:

- [Karabiner Edition](/docs/karabiner/)
- [Earlier versions](/docs/karabiner/archive/)
- [FAQ](/docs/reference/faq/)