What is the Scroll Lock key for? How to use Scroll Lock usefully on Windows 10

If you notice, the Scroll key is located in the upper left corner of the keyboard. And this is the least used key. In a world where everyone uses “WASD”, it seems that “Scroll Lock” has been forgotten. Most users don't use it very often, many people don't even know what this key is used for. So what does the Scroll Lock Key do? How to use Scroll Lock Key? But fortunately, you can turn this key into a shortcut to run programs on Windows 10.

Scroll Lock first appeared with the IBM PC released in 1981. It was intended to be used to switch between two modes. When Scroll Lock is turned on, you can no longer use the arrow keys to move within text. But nowadays, most programs turn Scroll Lock off and don't allow you to turn it on. Therefore, the Scroll Lock feature does not have a place to perform as originally planned.

However, a program very familiar to all of us is still using Scroll Lock, guess what? That is Microsoft Excel. Scroll Lock key to replace the mouse scroll button. If the Scroll Lock key is disabled, you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor between cells. When Scroll Lock is turned on, the arrow keys are used to scroll the entire work page in the window.

KVM switches will input conversion if you press Scroll Lock twice. Some older programs also use Scroll Lock, but this is a relatively rare situation for most users.

In fact, Scroll Lock is not used often, it may not appear on your keyboard, especially TKL keyboards.

However, if you have a Scroll Lock key and you never use it, you can give it something useful to do. For example, every time you press Scroll Lock it opens Chrome is in incognito mode for example.

Use utilities PowerToys by Microsoft for Windows 10, you can easily turn Scroll Lock into another key or some system function. Remap means that when you press Scroll Lock, instead of activating Scroll Lock, this key will perform another function. This way, you can use Scroll Lock for many different tasks.

Here are some suggested functions to assign to the Scroll Lock key:

• Volume up/down: Quickly control your computer's volume. This is very convenient for you when turning on Chrome in incognito mode.
• Play/Pause media: Suitable for those who often listen to music on the computer. You just need to press Scroll Lock to stop or press again to play music.
• Sleep: With just one click, you can make your computer go to sleep immediately (I wish I had the same button on my body).
• Refresh browser: With just one click, you will refresh your browser.

After selecting the function, here is how to remap Scroll Lock. First, you download Microsoft PowerToys. Turn it on and go to “Keyboard Manager”. Next click “Remap a key”.

Click the “+” button to add a shortcut.

Click on “Type Key”, then press Scroll Lock.

In the “Mapped To” section, select the function you want to assign to Scroll Lock.

Click “OK” and close “Remap Keyboard”. You have successfully changed the function of Scroll Lock.

You can experiment with many other useful functions. If at any time you no longer want to use that function, just go back to “Remap Keyboard”. Change another function or delete that key by clicking the trash can icon on the right. If you don't like PowerToys, you can also use SharpKey, although its interface is not very user-friendly.

Why not use Scroll Lock as a shortcut to open any software you like, and you don't need to use any other utility.

First, create a shortcut of the program you want to enable. Then, right-click on the shortcut and select “Properties”.

In the shortcut tab, click “Shortcut Key”, then click Scroll Lock. Windows will automatically fill in “Ctrl+Alt+Scroll Lock”.

Click “OK” to close the window. From now on, whenever you press Ctrl + Alt + Scroll Lock, that shortcut will turn on the program you previously specified. Just don't delete that shortcut.

Have you chosen your divine combo yet? As for me, Ctrl + Alt + Scroll Lock to open Chrome in incognito mode, and Alt + F4 to turn off Chrome.