Hardware⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-05-29

How to Fix: Ctrl+Space not working, PowerToys is not installed

Quick Answer: Try updating your keyboard drivers to the latest version, and ensure that the keyboard is properly connected to your computer.

The issue you're experiencing, where Ctrl+Space is not working, is often related to the PowerToys application. PowerToys is a set of utilities for Windows that can sometimes interfere with keyboard shortcuts.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • PowerToys is not installed or enabled on your system.
  • The keyboard drivers are outdated or corrupted, causing the issue to persist across multiple keyboards.
  • The Windows 11 version you're using has a known issue with Ctrl+Space functionality.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Method 1: Disable PowerToys

  1. Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Step 2: Type 'powercfg -change plan settings 0' and press Enter to disable PowerToys.
  3. Step 3: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Method 2: Update Keyboard Drivers

  1. Step 1: Go to the Device Manager by pressing the Windows key + X and selecting Device Manager.
  2. Step 2: Expand the Keyboards section and right-click on each keyboard driver, selecting 'Update driver'.
  3. Step 3: Follow the prompts to update the drivers to the latest version.

Method 3: Reset Windows 11

  1. Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
  2. Step 2: Click on 'Update & Security' and then select 'Recovery' from the left menu.
  3. Step 3: Click on 'Get started' under 'Reset this PC' and follow the prompts to reset Windows 11.

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue with Ctrl+Space not working. Remember to restart your computer after making any changes to ensure they take effect.

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