Disable On-Screen Keyboard on Vista Login Screen - How To

Resolving the Persistent On-Screen Keyboard Issue

If you utilize a Wacom drawing tablet connected to your computer, you may encounter an unwanted onscreen keyboard appearing on the welcome screen after installing Vista's Tablet PC utilities. This issue can be challenging to resolve through standard settings adjustments. The same problem is also known to occur with the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP. We will outline solutions for both operating systems.

Removing the On-Screen Keyboard by Disabling Tablet PC Features (Recommended)

The appearance of the onscreen keyboard is directly linked to the installation of Tablet PC Optional Components. These components encompass the Input Panel, Windows Journal, and the Snipping Tool. If you regularly use these features, it may be preferable to simply adapt to the keyboard’s presence.

To proceed, open the Control Panel and enter "windows features" into the search field. Alternatively, navigate to Programs and select "Turn Windows features on or off."

Locate "Tablet PC Optional Components" within the list and uncheck the corresponding box.

Click "OK" and allow the process to complete. A system reboot will be required, after which the onscreen keyboard will no longer be displayed.

Maintaining the Snipping Tool While Removing the Keyboard

Should you wish to retain the functionality of the Snipping Tool while eliminating the onscreen keyboard, a more complex workaround can be implemented. This method effectively disables the Tablet Input Panel. It's important to note this is a less conventional approach and is not generally recommended; consider alternative screen capture utilities.

If you choose to proceed, be aware of the following:

Attempting to open the panel after applying this workaround will result in repeated error messages.

To prevent these errors, begin by opening "Services" from the Control Panel. Then, disable the "Tablet PC service" by double-clicking its entry in the list.

Change the "Startup type" to "Disabled" and click the "Stop" button before continuing.

Next, navigate to the following directory:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ink

You will need to gain ownership of the file within this folder. The "Take Ownership" context menu hack provides a convenient method for doing so.

Rename the "tabskb.dll" file to a different name. Deletion is possible, but unnecessary.

You will likely encounter a User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

Following these steps, the onscreen keyboard should be removed from the welcome/login screen. However, attempting to launch the Tablet PC Input Panel will result in failure.

Removing the On-Screen Keyboard on XP

The onscreen keyboard can also be removed from the Windows XP login screen by unregistering the responsible component. This process is simpler than the Vista workaround.

Open a command prompt and execute the following command:

regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Ink\loginkey.dll"

To re-enable the keyboard, use this command instead:

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Ink\loginkey.dll"

A system reboot may be necessary for the changes to take effect. This method has not been personally verified but is reported to function effectively on various message boards.