Command-Space, Windows key

Whenever I press Command-Space to bring up Spotlight and Parallels is the application in focus, the "Start" menu also pops up. It seems that since Parallels cannot interpret Command-Space, it only "sees' the "Command" keypress which is interpreted as the Windows key.

Note that sequences like Command-C, Command-X, etc. do NOT cause this issue.

Is there some way to "un-map" this key in Windows?

Or, should Parallels have seen "Windows key"-Space and totally ignored it instead of having seen only "Windows key" and consequently brought up the menu? (i.e. bug?)

 

Hello HZC,

The issue you have reported on is a known hot-keys conflict and there is currently no in-house solution for it. I can only propose you a workaround that's been effective for me: you can disable Windows key in VM and use Ctrl+Esc to open Start menu. Now when pressing Command+Space you will be getting Spotlight only. I've found this article very helpful to disable Windows key.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Thanks Xenos. That's what I was looking for. However, this also seems to disable the Start menu from popping up when I click on the Parallels icon in the Dock (does Parallels send the Windows key code to Windows?)... and Ctrl+Esc does not seem to be working for me.

If you can suggest what might be stopping Ctrl+Esc from working please let me know, otherwise I'll leave it the way it was. I'm using ctrl+space now for Spotlight.

 

Are you using Coherence or Single window mode?

Ctrl+Esc does not work for me in Coherence mode only. When I have restored Windows key using the link above, it did not restore in Coherence mode, so you get just Spotlight when pressing Command+Space but you have to open Start menu manually. However in Single window mode Windows key works as usual and Command+Space opens Start menu as well as Spotlight. So... Future investigation is needed. I will keep on investigating.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Xenos, I'm in coherence mode. When I disable the windows key, I can't even click on the Parallels icon in the Mac OS dock to open up the Start menu. As you have stated, ctrl+esc doesn't work either. So, disabling the windows key is not a good solution when in coherence mode.

Thanks.

 

HZC, you can change the keyboard shortcut for Spotlight:

1. Go to Mac - System Preferences - Keyboard&Mouse - Keyboard Shortcuts;
2. Find the line "Show Spotlight search field". You will probably see a yellow triangle there with the message at the bottom of the window: "Another action has the same hot key...";
3. Right click the shortcut image on the line and put in another shortcut, for example: ^Space.

Worked perfectly for me.

Best regards,
Xenos

 

Wow, I am experiencing this issue 15 years later?!

Let me throw another workaround into the mix. Instead of remapping the spotlight shortcut, I created 1 custom shortcut in Parallels (parallels desktop preferences/shortcuts) simply mapping the command key to ctrl. This prevents command from opening the windows menu which is my preferred behavior since I use coherence mode. Now there's no conflict with spotlight. I haven't encountered any drawbacks so far.