Shift Key Not Working

[mohamedmened60]

Hello, 

Yesterday i was using Shift key ortho mode normally but today that wont work ever even i tried TEMPORRIDES and all things and it never works, even i installed 2025 version and still not working

Help me please

[CGBenner]

@mohamedmened60 

Hello and welcome!  Is this AutoCAD 2025?

[jmartt]

I came across this issue recently. My tempoverrides was 1. The Temporary Override Key in the CUI was set to SHIFT. The Macro 1 (Key Down) was populated with 

^P'_.orthomode $M=$(if,$(and,$(getvar,orthomode),1),$(-,$(getvar,orthomode),1),$(+,$(getvar,orthomode),1)) 

which, I assume is ootb default. 

I discovered that SHIFT actually DID work, but I had to press both SHIFT keys on my keyboard at the same time. 

This is not normal. 

I had installed C3D 2026 recently (I reinstalled after this issue and found the same double-shift behavior). But this has not been happening on a laptop that I have had C3D 2026 on for awhile, so I dunno. 

Thinking it might be a Windows thing, since that is always updating and "improving", I turned off all the sticky key stuff. No change. I don't know of anything else it might be.

For the time-being, I've turned on Polar Tracking with 90d increments. Not a bad workaround, imo. 

[jmartt]

I made an Auto Hot Key to trick Windows to think both shift keys were pressed when I press the left one. 

[nate]

I had this issue come up just in the last few days so I knew it had to be something that happened this week. There was a Windows updated installed on 4/1 so I uninstalled that update and the temporary SHIFT ortho is now working again. But that update didn't come out until after mohamedmened60's issue occurred.

[lauri_barnhart]

Hello, @mohamedmened60,

Did the information provided by @nate or @jmartt help you and answer your question?

If yes, please click on the "Accept Solution" button. This will assist other community users in finding and benefiting from this information.

If not, please do not hesitate to give an update in this thread so all community members receive an update on the progression of your question, and can suggest next steps that may be helpful for you to achieve what you're looking for.

All the best,

Lauri | Community Manager

[TheCADnoob]

Does the shift key behave normally in other applications?

Have you checked on your windows filter keys or sticky key settings?

[lauri_barnhart]

Hi @mohamedmened60,

I wanted to check in and see if you saw @TheCADnoob's follow up questions and if assistance is still needed or if you found a solution to your question already? Please share any available information so the community can assist you further.

All the best,

Lauri | Community Manager

[nate]

Microsoft automatically installed the same update (KB5086672) again and SHIFT override has disappeared, same as before. I'm not sure who has to make a fix for this, AutoDesk or Microsoft, but one of them needs to. I can't keep uninstalling the update.

[nate]

Hi Lauri,

This is a Windows Update issue. Microsoft's latest update (KB5086672) is causing SHIFT override to disappear. It's happened to me twice as Microsoft reinstalls the same update. Who needs to address this? Microsoft or AutoDesk?

Thanks,

Nate

[siemersm]

I have the same issue on Civil 3D 2026. I don't see the KB5086672 Windows update, but I did uninstall the most recent updates (KB5066128 & KB5079473) and the SHIFT override is working again. Definitely a Windows update issue. How do we get this fixed? We can't delay Windows updates forever.

[chriscowgill7373]

Im sure an update to either Windows or AutoCAD will resolve the issue at some point, in the meantime, there are several other threads here that have workarounds that can be used in the short term.

[terri8MDJH]

Hello!  Did you resolve this issue?  I have the same problem after a Windows update.  CUI and TempOverides are as they should be but neither shift key works to override the problem.

[AllenJessup]

These two threads contain information on how users solved the issue. There are different method. So read and decide with is appropriate for you.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/shift-temp-override-ortho-not-working/td-p/10345987

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/shift-key-will-not-toggle-ortho-mode-tried-all-solution...

[terri8MDJH]

I have already seen these posts when I was searching for a solution.  They are not helpful as the options have been checked and are as they should be.  It is clearly a windows update issue but I don't know how to resolve it.

[AllenJessup]

If you don't know how to uninstall a windows update. Search the web. 

If you don't have administrative privileges. Contact you tech support or IT people.

[AllenJessup]

Update. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/civil-3d-forum/c3d-2026-will-not-launch-after-os-update/m-p/14101234#...

[jflynnCXA68]

That thread appears to be focused on an issue with launching C3D and an issue with needing to repair VC Redistributable libraries. Are you saying that the Shift/Double Shift behavior is impacted by this as well?

[jmartt]

Some guy, above in this thread, made an auto hot key that tricked windows into believing both shifts were pressed when pressing only one. 

Can confirm: still works great.

[lawfull7LWU7]

Hi everyone,

Just a fellow CAD user here who has been incredibly frustrated by this exact same issue.

I know there's been a lot of confusion, so I wanted to share what I found after digging into the OS/hardware side of things.

I've read through the threads and saw that many of you correctly pinpointed recent Windows updates (like KB5083769 or KB5086672) as the culprit.

I also saw that some people found a weird workaround by pressing both Shift keys at the same time

Here is exactly what is happening:
In recent Windows 11 updates and some laptop power-saving firmwares, the way modifier keys (Shift, Ctrl, Alt) are handled has changed.
Normally, when you hold down a key, it sends an initial key_down signal, followed by a continuous stream of repeat key_down signals.
However, Windows is now suppressing those repeat signals for modifier keys--it only sends a single down signal and nothing else.

AutoCAD's temporary override (like holding Shift for Ortho) requires at least two consecutive down signals to register as a "held" key.
Because it only receives one signal from the OS now, the feature completely breaks.

The Solution:
Since we can't pause Windows updates forever and pressing both Shift keys is annoying, I wrote a few lightweight C++ background tools to bypass this OS limitation and fix the root cause.

I've uploaded the compiled tools and source code to my GitHub here:
https://github.com/Jione/AutoCAD-Shift-Fix

There are two main tools you can use:

1. AcadShiftFix:
This is a targeted fix. It monitors for a Shift key press only when acad.exe or acadlt.exe is the active window.
If it doesn't detect a repeat signal from Windows, it injects one automatically so AutoCAD recognizes the key is being held.

2. KeyRepeatAssist:
A universal fix that restores the classic repeat behavior for all modifier keys (L/R Shift, Ctrl, Alt) across the entire Windows OS.

There is also a KeyRepeatTester console app included if you want to verify that your system is dropping the repeat signals.

You can run these as standalone .exe files for your current session or use the installer to have them start with Windows.
I hope this saves some of you the massive headache I had trying to figure this out!