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I'm working with different applications (Notepad++, Visual Studio), where I regularly need to perform a search. As this involves C# source code, it's important to search for whole words, case insensitive. In order to do this, I regularly use the shortcut Alt+W (for whole words) and Alt+C (for case sensitive), shortened into Alt+W+C.

Since recently this does not work anymore, as this shortcut seems to be taken over by Windows or by my video card software, causing one of my screens (number "2") to be shut down (I call it "shut down", I mean that the monitor pretends not getting info anymore, like what happens when you unplug the cable (not the power cable, obviously)).

I would like my computer to stop shutting down my screen and restore the previous shortcut handling, how can I achieve that?

For your information:
I'm working on a Windows-10 computer, version "21H2" (OS Build 19044.236), according to winver results. I regularly perform the Windows updates.

Some more information, after some more investigation:

  • The shortcut keys, proposed by Microsoft, all treat the Windows key, as can be seen in this video on Youtube.
  • According to the health-list on the Microsoft website, this issue is not part of the known issues of Windows-10 21H2 version.
  • I just pressed the mentioned shortcut Alt+W+C shortcut in a web browser (Google Chrome) and indeed: Windows took over and shut down screen number "2".
  • A colleague does not have this behaviour, although his computer also is Windows-10 version 21H2. This increases the possibility that the issue is caused by the software of my video card.

The mentioned shortcut keys in Notepad++:

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The mentioned shortcut keys in Visual Studio:

enter image description here

For clarification: I'm not saying that Alt+W+C is one single shortcut in Notepad++ or Visual Studio: there are just two single shortcuts, Alt+W and Alt+C, which are pressed more or less together and form the "multiple" shortcut Alt+W+C, and apparently Microsoft or the video card handling software has added this latter as a new single shortcut, interfering with the "multiple" Notepad++ and Visual Studio shortcut.

Summary simple question: is it possible to disable all shortcuts, defined by my video card software?

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  • I regularly perform the Windows updates. ... but current windows 10 is 22H2
    – Jaromanda X
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 7:57
  • According to the "Check for updates", my system is up to date. Can you confirm that the shortcut issue is solved updating to the newer version "22H2"?
    – Dominique
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 8:23
  • I'm not saying your version of windows is at all related to your perceived issue - My point was about how up to date your windows 10 is
    – Jaromanda X
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 8:47
  • Perhaps some software you have is grabbing that shortcut (perhaps related to your video card? though, I must say I've never seen such a function to disable a connected screen), can confirm that Alt+W indeed selects "Match whole word only" in Notepad++ when the search dialog is open and focused
    – Jaromanda X
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 8:51
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    depends on the software cruft your video driver installs :D
    – Jaromanda X
    Commented Jan 12, 2023 at 8:59

1 Answer 1

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As mentioned by Jaromanda, the problem was caused indeed by my video driver cruft, and that cruft has a name: Dell Display Manager. That's a new tool that was installed on my PC, taking over my shortcuts.

The solution: uninstall the crufty "Dell Display Manager" and all shortcut keys work again.

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