Keyboard Manager shortcuts fail when PowerToys auto-starts as administrator

[FFinstitute]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.96.1

Installation method

PowerToys auto-update

Area(s) with issue?

Keyboard Manager

Steps to reproduce

PowerToysReport_2026-01-10-15-43-15.zip

1. In PowerToys Settings, enable both "Start up on boot" and "Always run as administrator".
2. Restart Windows and log in.
3. Test Keyboard Manager shortcuts — no response.
4. Manually restart PowerToys (without changing any settings) — shortcuts immediately work again.

✔️ Expected Behavior

After system startup, Keyboard Manager shortcuts should work immediately.

❌ Actual Behavior

After system startup, Keyboard Manager shortcuts completely fail to work. A manual restart of PowerToys is required to restore functionality.

Additional Information

OS Version: Windows 11 Home Chinese Edition 24H2 (Build 26100.7462)
System Language: Simplified Chinese
Security Software: Huorong + Windows Defender (No relevant permission restrictions found in Huorong logs)
Other Keyboard Software: None
Note: This issue occurs specifically when using PowerToys' built-in "Start up on boot" and "Always run as administrator" settings.

Other Software

None

[niels9001]

Closing as duplicate of #21497 — KBM shortcuts/remappings stop working after Windows startup/reboot.