You may be working on your computer and while trying to open the task manager using hotkeys, you have noticed that the Ctrl + Shift + Esc is not working or not bringing the task manager on your screen.

We know how annoying your current situation is and therefore have provided the perfect solution to the problem in this article.

So, let’s see how you can fix this and what are the alternatives to this issue.

How to Fix Ctrl+Shift+Esc Not Working on Windows 10

As many causes can trigger this issue, you need to apply the following solutions one by one until the issue completely resolves on your computer.

Fix 1: Check for Hardware Issue

The Ctrl, Shift, and Esc may not work due to hardware issues. If you press Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously, it may not take you to the task manager if any of these keys don’t work.

To check if all these keys are working properly or not, take a notepad on your computer and try pressing all these keys. Again, check your keyboard on another computer to ensure that the issue isn’t with the keyboard.

Fix 2: Run the Keyboard Troubleshooter

The Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys may not work if there are any software issues with your Keyboard. Running the troubleshooter will find and fix the issues automatically. Follow the steps below to run the keyboard troubleshooter:

For Windows 10

• Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
• Then, click Update & Security option.
• After that, select Troubleshoot from the left panel and click “Additional Troubleshooters” from the right panel.
• Under the Find and Fix Problems section, scroll down to Keyboard and click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button.

For Windows 11

• Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
• Then select “System” from the options and navigate to “Troubleshoot > Other trouble-shooters”
• Finally, click the “Run” button beside the Keyboard option.

Fix 3: Update the Keyboard Driver

Updating the keyboard driver often fix key not working issues. Here is how you can update your keyboard driver:

• Press the Win + X key and select Device Manager from the Windows user power menu or WinX menu.
• On the Device Manager window, click to expand the Keyboards.
• Now, right-click on your keyboard driver and select Update driver.

• Finally, select the update automatically option and after updating the keyboard, check if Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys are working or not.

Fix 4: Uninstall Recently Downloaded Software

If you encounter the issue that the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc buttons stopped working after downloading and installing an external software on your computer, then try to uninstall the software and check if the solution is working or not. If not, then try the next solution below.

To uninstall the software, press the Windows key, right-click the software and select Uninstall.

Fix 5: Turn Off Filter Keys

Here is the instruction to turn off filter keys:

• Go to Control Panel from the Windows Search bar and select “View by Small Size”.
• Then, go to “Ease of Access Center”.

• No, scroll down to “Make the keyboard easier to use” and uncheck the Filter Keys.

• Finally, click Apply and OK to save the process.

Hopefully, the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc buttons will work fine after these steps.

Alternative Ways to Ctrl + Shift + Esc Keys

The Ctrl + Shift + Esc is the shortcut key to open the Task Manager. If these keys stop working, then there are other ways to open the Task Manager. Here are the alternative solutions:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager from the list.

• Type OSK on the Windows search bar and use the on-screen keyboard to open the task manager.

• Press Windows + X and select Task Manager from the Power User Menu.

• Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.

• Press Windows + R and type taskmgr on the Run Search Box.

• Press Windows + Search and type Task Manager.

• Go to File explorer and search for “Taskmgr.exe”.

• Create a shortcut on the Desktop and paste the following location

C:\Windows\System32\Taskmgr.exe

• Pin the Task Manager to the Taskbar and type Windows + (number). For example: If the Task Manager is in the 4^th position on the taskbar, then type Win + 4 to open the Task Manager.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Turn On Ctrl Shift Esc Keys?

• Press Win + R and type regedit.
• Then paste the following address to the address bar of the Registry Editor.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

• Now, click Edit – New – String Value and enter TaskMan as the name.
• Finally, double-click the entry and set the value TASKMAN.EXE and then hit enter.
• Reboot your computer after completing the process.

What to Do If Ctrl Shift Esc Doesn’t Work?

• Right-click on your desktop, put your cursor to “New” and select “Shortcut”.
• Then paste the given address and click “Next”:

C:\Windows\System32\Taskmgr.exe

• Then name it “Task Manager” and click “OK”.
• Now, right-click on the created shortcut named Task Manager and click “Properties”.
• On the properties, go to the “Shortcut” tab and select the “shortcut key”.
• Finally, give the shortcut key such as Ctrl + Shift + Esc and click “OK”.

How Do I Fix Ctrl Shift Not Working?

Here are the solutions to fix Ctrl Shift not working issue:

• Check if the Keyboard is Working Correctly.
• Turn off Sticky Keys and Filter Keys.
• Update, Rollback, or Reinstall Keyboard driver.
• Check the connection of the Keyboard.
• Run the Keyboard troubleshooter.
• Uninstall the Recently Installed Program.

Conclusion

All the possible reasons and methods to fix Ctrl, Shift, and Esc not working issues are given in this article. Almost all the users who have encountered the same issue, have used these solutions to get rid of this problem. So, hopefully, you will also be able to fix it by applying the above methods.

If these methods don’t work for you, then you can apply the alternative options which are also given above in this article. We strongly encourage you to share your suggestion or opinions about the mentioned issue in our comment section below.