If you play PC games, you have almost certainly experienced this disaster: you are in the middle of a frantic multiplayer match, you rapidly press the Shift key to make your character sprint, and suddenly your game minimizes to the desktop. A massive white dialog box appears, asking if you want to turn on “Sticky Keys,” accompanied by a loud, piercing beep.
Sticky Keys is an accessibility feature designed for users who have difficulty holding down multiple keys simultaneously. However, the default trigger (pressing the Shift key five times in a row) is a nightmare for gamers. Clicking “No” on the popup only dismisses it temporarily; the next time you sprint, it will appear again. You must completely block the keyboard shortcut trigger in the Windows 11 settings.
How to Completely Block the Sticky Keys Popup
You must turn off the physical keyboard shortcut within the Accessibility menu.
- Click the Start button and select the gear icon to open Settings.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Accessibility.
- Scroll down the main window until you reach the “Interaction” section. Click on Keyboard.
- Look for the setting labeled Sticky keys. Do not just click the main toggle switch—you must click on the Sticky keys text itself (or the small right-facing arrow) to open its advanced menu.
- In the advanced menu, locate the option labeled Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys.
- Click the toggle switch next to it so it slides to the left and turns grey (Off).
You can now close the Settings app. The change is immediate. You can mash the Shift key 50 times in a row, and Windows 11 will completely ignore it. Your games will never be minimized by the accessibility popup again.