Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working in Windows 10

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Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working in Windows 10

VLC (VideoLAN Client) Media Player is an open-source free application for playing media. The VLC media player is well known for supporting a wide range of video and audio formats and can play unsupported file formats which are unplayable by traditional software or even by the Windows default player. This makes VLC a good choice for greater media compatibility. People use VLC shortcuts (also known as hotkeys) which don’t need the use of a mouse. Even though this is a good function, users report VLC shortcuts and hotkeys not working. This can be an issue when utilizing VLC hotkeys. If you are searching on how to fix this particular problem and how to enable global shortcuts, then you are at the right article, Here I give you some methods to fix the problem and get you started with VLC hotkeys, let’s get started.

Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working in Windows 10

How to Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working in Windows 10

Before we move on to the methods for the fix, let’s see some points on why this issue occurs

  • Not saving changes when applying hotkeys
  • Keyboard conflicts with the VLC media player
  • Keyboard layout glitch
  • VLC installations issues
  • VLC media player bugs
  • Conflict with other apps
  • VLC player hotkeys are not enabled

Method 1: Connect USB Connection to Different Port

If your keyboard is powered by USB, you can try changing to a different USB port to see if that works, if there is a problem with a connection in your current USB port connection then some of your keyboard functions cannot work. Connecting to a different port will solve any issues related to this. If your keyboard is based on a PS/2 connection then this method might not work for you as there is only per hub per computer.

Method 2: Clean your Keyboard

This Solution might be obvious but computer and laptop keyboard gets accumulated with dust and other particles over time, this, in turn, can cause some keyboard buttons to not work properly as intended. To solve this issue, clean your keyboard physically with a soft cloth to remove any dust particles. Further, usage of any soft brush exclusively designed for keyboard cleaning can also be helpful.

keyboard
Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

Method 3: Enable VLC Shortcuts

Global shortcuts are useful functions, to understand global hotkeys; let me explain what a hotkey or shortcut is. A hotkey is a keyboard combination that is default or can be assigned by a user at will. This hotkey is assigned to the app’s particular function (e.g.: increase volume) the main advantage of hotkeys is that mouse usage is not required. Now that we know what a hotkey is, Global shortcuts are those which are also assigned by the user but the difference is they work in any application but normal hotkeys only work on that particular application. You may have the question How do I enable global shortcuts in VLC. To enable global shortcuts to follow the given steps

1 Press the Windows key, type VLC media player, then click on Open.

open VLC media player

2. Navigate to Tools menu.

click on tools

3. Then, select the Preferences option.

click on preferences. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

4. Next, go to Hotkeys tab.

navigate to hotkeys tab

5. In that tab, below Global heading you can assign a Global hotkey.

6. Use a hotkey combination for saving.

Use ctrl and Enter key for full screen

7. For Example, press Ctrl + Enter keys together for Fullscreen.

global hotkey is assinged

8. Click on the Save option.

click on save to save changes. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

Also Read: How to Cut Video in Windows 10 using VLC

Method 4: Update VLC Media Player

VLC media player rolls out frequent updates which address user-reported glitches and bugs. Updating VLC is the first step in fixing any problem related to the VLC media player

1. Open the VLC media player.

open VLC media player

2. Click on Help

click on help

3. Next, click on Check for updates

click on check updates to check and install VLC player updates

4. VLC will check for recent updates for VLC

5. You can install a new version of VLC if it is available

Method 5: Change Keyboard Layout

For Users, different keyboard layouts cause the VLC hotkeys problem. Choosing an appropriate Windows keyboard layout will fix this issue, to do that

1. Click on language button or if you are using English as your primary language click on ENG button

click on keyboard layout icon

2. Different languages have different icons, click on that icon and select the appropriate keyboard layout to fix the issue

3. Choose English (United States) US keyboard layout to fix the issue

select English input method. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

Also Read: How to Fix VLC does not support UNDF Format

Method 6: Run Keyboard Troubleshooter

There is a convenient Windows Troubleshooter for keyboard shortcut issues such as VLC hotkeys. You can run the troubleshooting to see if there are any possible issues you can solve.

1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Settings.

2. Click on Update & Security settings.

Open Update and Security settings

3. Now, click on Troubleshoot menu on the left-pane.

4. Scroll down and click on Keyboard troubleshooter.

5. Then, click on Run the troubleshooter.

run the keyboard troubleshooter

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to apply the fix if any issues are detected.

Method 7: Save VLC Settings Properly

Not quitting the VLC media player properly cause VLC hotkeys issues, to solve this VLC shortcuts and hotkeys not working issue.

1. Launch the VLC media player.

2. Click on the Tools menu.

click on tools. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

3. Here, select the Preferences option.

click on preference to open preferences menu

4. For a simple UI, make sure the radio button for the Simple option is selected under Show settings.

make sure that in the simple preferences tab under show settings simple radio button is selected

5. At the top of the window, you can see the tabs, on the end, there will be a Hotkeys tab. Here, you can see all the functions and all the Hotkeys related to the function, you can edit or change them.

Edit changes. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

6. If none of the hotkeys is mapped, click Reset preferences button under Show settings section.

click on reset preferences in simple preferences tab. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

6. After you are done with them click on Save.

7. Now, close the VLC media player.

8. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open Task Manager

9. Click on Processes tab and select the VLC process.

open task manager and click on VLC media player

10. Right-click on it and select the End task option.

right click on the media player and click on end task. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

This will solve VLC shortcuts and hotkeys not working

Also Read: List of All Shortcut Keys of Computer

Method 8: Close Other Applications

In case you use other apps that also use hotkeys, these may conflict with VLC media player hotkeys, if other apps get initialized first then their hotkeys get applied which leads to the issue. In my case, I have another app that increases volume by a hotkey and it conflicts with VLC media player. I follow this method, if you think you have an application like this follow the below steps

1. Right-click on the app in the Taskbar that you think might conflict with the VLC Media Player app.

search for an app that conflicts with VLC player

2. Then, quit the app.

click on exit. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

3. Now, relaunch the VLC media player.

Method 9: Enable Human Interface Device Services

The Human Interface device is a Windows service that is enabled in Windows by default. The main purpose of this service is to manage hotkeys for various input devices such as keyboards, mouse, etc. Verify if the service is running or not. To check follow the below steps,

1. Right-click on This PC and select the Manage option.

right click on this pc and click on manage

2. Under the Services and Applications section, click on Services.

click on services under services and applications heading. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

3. Double-click on the Human Interfaces Devices Services.

search for human interface device service and click on it

4. If the service is running as shown in the below picture then leave it as it is but if the service is Disabled or stopped, follow the next steps to enable it.

5. If the Startup type is Disabled, then double-click on Human Interface device service and click on Startup type dropdown menu.

click on startup type dropdown

6. Select the Automatic option from the drop-down menu.

click on the startup type dropdown. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

7. Next, Click on Apply.

click on apply to save the changes

8. Now, click on Start to start the service

click on start to start the service. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

9. If the Startup type is set to Automatic or manual already, then double-click on Human interface device service and click on Start under Service status.

click on start to start the service

Also Read: Fix the Wireless Autoconfig Service wlansvc Is Not Running in Windows 10

Method 10: Reinstall VLC Media Player

Sometimes, the VLC hotkeys issue might be due to the user assigning it incorrectly or there might be some issues with keyboard layouts. In other cases, there also might be errors with the VLC media player application itself. Because, if you have uninstalled the VLC media player previously and have forgotten to tick the option remove previous installation settings, then there might have been some left-over files. So I recommend you uninstall the VLC media player and Download the VLC media player from the official website and install it.

1. Hit the Windows key, type Control panel, then click on Open.

open Control Panel. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

2. Set the View by > Category, then click on Uninstall a program under the Programs section.

click on the option Uninstall a program in the Programs category

3. Double click on VLC media player to Uninstall.

double click on VLC media player in programs and features

4. Download the VLC media player as shown.

vlc media player official site

5. After downloading, run the setup file.

6. Check the Delete preferences and cache option in the Choose Components section,

click on delete preferences and cache. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

7. Click on the Next > option.

click on next

8. Then, choose the Destination Folder and click on Install to install the VLC media player

click on next. Fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts Not Working

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the difference between global and normal hotkeys?

Ans. The main difference between the two is that when a keyboard combination is assigned to a global hotkey by the user then it can be triggered anywhere including on other apps whereas a normal hotkey only allows using keyboard combinations while using the particular app in which it was assigned.

Q2. Why my keyboard shortcuts are not working?

Ans. There are various reasons why the shortcuts are not working, follow the above guide for fixes. You can also use Windows sticky keys, it allows you to use key combinations with just only one press of a button.

Q3. What is HID Service and do I need it?

Ans. Human Interface Device is exclusively for USB-based devices such as keyboard, mouse etc. Enabling the service may allow for assigning a hotkey function.

Q4. There are language preferences near my taskbar, what do I do?

Ans. You probably only have installed one language on your system, installing more than one language will make the language preferences appear near the Taskbar.

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We hope that you have found the above article on how to fix VLC Hotkeys and Shortcuts not working issue useful and that you were able to solve your problem, let us know which one of the solutions worked and please leave a comment below for any suggestions and/or queries regarding the same. Thanks!

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Jaspreet Singh Ghuman

Jaspreet Singh Ghuman

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