I was able to remap it with Autohotkey on Windows.
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Yeah, I used PowerToys and it's now Right Control again. It was probably easier than finding drivers for Linux.
"tldr: AI took a perfectly working modifier key from you." - 'AI' ?? I can't see how this is anything but Microshit and Capitalism that 'takes away" anything..
That's the former right click button location. They took it away to implement a AI button. So it's AI that's done it, not literally but figuratively.
They (Microsoft) did actually also originally implement it, the application key was added to Microsoft keyboards in 1994 along with the Windows key. It's meant to give compatibility to the Windows user interface when your PC had a mouse with only one button. Don't remember those being very relevant in the recent years.
So it's Microsoft deciding that their right-click button isn't necessary any more after 32 years, and swapping it for a Co-Pilot/Windows Search button.
And they took the place of a useful key to put that
Let's be grateful, they could have swapped it with the spacebar.
If this garbage is on my keyboard I will drill that motherfucker out no second thought
I have a Lenovo usb keyboard with a fn Key in place of the Ctrl key that has absolutely no purpose. It's for volume control like fn+F7 BUT... IT ALSO HAS DEDICATED BUTTONS FOR VOLUME CONTROL!!
After the nth time I accidentally switched fn and Ctrl I took a screwdriver and popped it out permanently (being USB it doesn't report fn status to the os and of course the BIOS doesn't allow FN remapping because it's not a laptop)
But if you slap Linux on it, it just does nothing then or is it mapped as old AltGr or whatever?
Did Microsoft demand vendors include such a button with those specs? If not, that sounds like a vendor issue, and I'd be looking at other vendors. Either way I'm happy to use keyboards/OSs without that "feature."

It is/was required for vendors to use the AI PC / Copilot+ label and Microsoft "invented" the key-sequence.
src: https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/26/24112500/microsoft-ai-pc-intel-windows-copilot-key-requirements
So to be clear, this key sequence is just how windows interpret the key, the hardware is exactly the same and any other OS can still use it as the context menu key?
Edit : oh, just saw the thing about the linux workaround. So no, they actually fucked it up on hardware level. Wow.
nope, the hardware / keyboard controller sends a complete key sequence instead of a distinguishable key-up and key-down event. The OS can interpret that sequence as it sees fit, but you loose the physical key-up signal when you release the key with your finger.
That's insane. Even if they did this intentionally to be as difficult as possible, they locked themselves out of being able to detect long presses?
I've made an update edit: Some hardware vendors fucked up when to send the key-up-sequence apparently so now every keyboard can behave differently. I don't know if this makes the situation better or worse.
Note to self: start looking into building my own keyboards if it ever becomes standard, somehow.
You can remap that key on a hardware level with a little flathead screwdriver. 🪛 🗑️
Just don't buy an AI slop PC and get a Thinkpad, or a Framework laptop instead. Vote with your wallet. If you already own an AI PC, well, OP's post might help.
Pretty sure MS made this a "standard keyboard" button, which could mean it needs to be included for the OEM to be able to put windows on the machine.
so fucking stupid
In Windows:
PowerToys -> Keyboard Manager -> New Shortcut -> press the Copilot key -> select "Ctrl (right)" from the drop-down. Job done.
Not sure why is it so hard on Linux that it generates such headlines.
IDK I was able to remap it just fine using Power Toys.
Is it? I mean, if I have Linux installed, you know.
Yeah... All the tools in Linux are going to do this weird thing where they expect it to behave like a normal key. So you'd have to do all the hacks mentioned to make it work. For example, GNOME keybind stops detecting the key bind when you release. Etc. Maybe the kernel will accept a “broken copilot key hack“ that implements it but it's not good.
Even with hacks, it still won't work like a modifier like most people use alt/ctrl/win because those rely on knowing the key up to see multiple keys pressed together before release. So... Broken.
Another great product of Free Market Capitalism ©