By Ellie / Last Updated October 27, 2022

Encountered RDP Shift key not working problem?

 

Recently, I’ve encountered a problem. When remotely controlling our company’s Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise Server from a Windows 10 computer, the RDP right Shift key not working. What should I do?”

- Question from Reddit

Many users have encountered a similar problem when using the Remote Desktop (RDP) provided with Windows 10. Windows 10 RDP Shift key not working has become a common problem. So how to solve it? In addition to setting RDP itself, we can also consider choosing professional third-party software to solve the problem.

Why is RDP Shift key not working?

There are many causes for Remote Desktop Shift key not working problem, mainly including hardware failure, system version, and software.

  • Hardware cause. It mainly includes the failure of the keyboard as a whole or the failure of a single Shift key. Although problems caused by hardware failures are rare, we still need to exclude them first when we encounter such a problem.
  • System version cause. This is unusual but important. As we all know, the Windows system is very weird. When you update your system into a new version, it will fix certain problems, but at the same time, bring some other problems. From the collected actual feedback from users, it can be learned that RDP Shift key not working problem only happens after Windows version update. Therefore, the windows system version is an important reason.
  • Software cause. This is a common cause of the RDP Shift key not working problem. The most common solution is to change some settings when remotely control another PC. Below are five options for you to consider. You may make your own decision based on your personal circumstances.

Five options to RDP Shift key not working problem

As the causes for Remote Desktop Shift key not working have been discussed above, here in this part, five options to this problem are provided.

Option 1. Remote Desktop setting

Step 1. Search for Remote Desktop Connection in the Search box. And then open it.

Remote Desktop Connection

Step 2. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, click Show Options.

Show Options

Step 3. Find Keyboard on the Local Resources tab. You can see Apply Windows key combinations below, then select On this computer.

Keyboard

Step 4. Get back to the General tab, enter the IP address and User name of the host computer. Click Connect, then you can use the Shift key normally on Remote Desktop.

General Tab

Option 2. Use the on-screen keyboard

Step 1. Open the Control Panel, locate and click Easy of Access.

Ease of Use Found in the Control Panel

Step 2. In the left pane, find and click Keyboard.

Enter the Keyboard Setting Interface

Step 3. Turn on Use the On-Screen Keyboard (or you could also press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + O to turn the On-Screen Keyboard on or off).

Use the on Screen Keyboard

Step 4. Then you can switch the Shift key on the on-screen keyboard.

Show the on Screen Keyboard

Option 3. Disable filter key

Step 1. Open the Control Panel, locate and click Easy of Access.

Ease of Use Found in the Control Panel

Step 2. In the left pane, find and click Keyboard.

Enter the Keyboard Setting Interface

Step 3. Make sure you turn off Use Filter Keys.

Disable Filter Key

Option 4. Update or recover system version

Step 1. Open the Control Panel, locate and click Update & Security.

Find Updates and Security

Step 2. In the Update & Security interface, check whether the new version is available. If yes, download and install it (remember to back up your data first).

Update Windows Versions Win 10

Step 3. If your computer system is already the latest version, you can consider to Go back to the previous version of windows 10 in Recovery (choose carefully).

Restore the Windows Version

Note: In addition to RDP Shift key not working problem, you may also encounter other problems when using RDP, like microphone redirection not working, or clipboard not working. Using RDP always involves a quite tedious setup process. Therefore, third-party remote access software may be a good choice for you.

Option 5. Use free third-party software: AnyViewer

AnyViewer is a complete remote access, remote control, and remote support solution that allows you to remotely view and operate PCs located anywhere. AnyViewer is developed by a strong technical team, providing you with a smooth and stable remote connection. Once you’re connected to another PC, you can fully control its keyboard without any delay. Please download and install AnyViewer.

Download Freeware Win PCs & Servers
Secure Download

After confirming that AnyViewer is installed on both the client computer and the host computer, follow the steps below to start your remote control.

 Step 1. Download, install and launch AnyViewer on both computers. Go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)

Log in AnyViewer

Step 2. Fill in the signup information.

Sign Up for AnyViewer

Step 3. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you've logged in to.

Free Editions

Step 4. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then click One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.

Connect to My Devices

Note: You can also upgrade your account to Professional or Enterprise edition to assign more devices and to connect to another computer in privacy mode.

In addition, AnyViewer can also provide users with some practical functions for remote control after a successful connection. Such as lock, logout, restart, command prompt (cmd), etc., which are also unique advantages of AnyViewer.

Remote Control Function

Conclusion

How to solve RDP Shift key not working problem? If you have eliminated the hardware fault, you can repair it by changing the Windows key combination, by system update or recovering system update, or by directly using the on-screen keyboard or turning off the filter key. But personally, we strongly recommend you to use the third-party free software AnyViewer to solve the problem.

As we all know, the essence of RDP Shift key not working problem is that the Microsoft Remote Desktop provided by Windows 10 is not very stable. Thus, we can select another professional remote control software, like AnyViewer.

Compared with Microsoft Remote Desktop, AnyViewer has simpler operation procedures and stronger connection stability. In addition, AnyViewer can provide users with higher image quality when the network speed is fast. The default wallpaper hiding function of AnyViewer also makes the remote control smoother.