Quick Facts
- Author
- Michael Capewell
- Year
- 2007
- Finger Map
- Traditional
QWERF
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Y
K
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A
S
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T
G
H
U
I
O
P
"'
Z
X
C
V
B
N
M
<,
>.
?/
Quick Facts
- Author
- Michael Capewell
- Year
- 2006
- Finger Map
- Traditional
_-
Q
W
E
R
F
J
Y
P
L
K
A
S
D
T
G
H
U
I
O
<,
"'
Z
X
C
V
B
N
M
:;
>.
?/
Quick Facts
- Author
- Michael Capewell
- Year
- 2005
- Finger Map
- Traditional
QWERF aims to reduce finger movement while maintaining some similarity to QWERTY. Like other QWERTY mods of the era, it moves the most common letters to the home row and places frequently used keys under the strongest fingers. However, its improvements over QWERTY are much more modest than the other QWERTY-inspired layouts of the time, including Colemak and Asset.
Install
Section titled “Install”There are two downloads available for Windows:
| Method | Admin Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Native | Yes | Official Microsoft method for adding custom keyboard layouts. |
| AutoHotkey | No | Requires 3rd party remapping software. Does not take effect until AutoHotkey is launched. |
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Install Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC):
-
Download the KLC file for the desired version of QWERF:
-
Open the downloaded
.klcfile in Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator. -
In MSKLC, go to Project → Build DLL and Setup Package.
-
Navigate to the generated folder and run
setup.exeas Administrator. -
Follow the installer instructions to complete the installation.
-
Go to Windows Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region → Language Options → Add a keyboard and select your new QWERF layout.
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Install AutoHotkey:
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Download the AutoHotkey script file for the desired version of QWERF:
-
Save the downloaded
.ahkfile to a convenient location on your computer. -
Double-click the
.ahkfile to run the script. You should see the AutoHotkey icon appear in your system tray. -
Make sure you know how to type your computer password using QWERF.
-
Your keyboard is now remapped to QWERF! The script will continue running until you close it or restart your computer.
-
To run automatically on startup: Copy the
.ahkfile to your Windows Startup folder:C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartupYou can quickly access this folder by pressing Win + R, typing
shell:startup, and pressing Enter.
There are two downloads available for macOS:
| Method | Admin Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Native | Optional | Does not require 3rd party key remapping software. Admin is required to install for all users and use on first login. |
| Karabiner-Elements | Yes | Requires 3rd party key remapping software, including the installation of a Driver Extension. Allows for remapping of only specific keyboards. |
-
Download the keylayout file for the desired version of QWERF:
-
Extract the downloaded zip file.
-
Install the
.keylayoutfile:Run one of the install scripts from the extracted folder:
- install-user.sh to install for a single user
- install-system.sh to install for all users
- qwerf_X.keylayout the layout to install
To install for a single user: Copy the
.keylayoutfile from the extracted folder to~/Library/Keyboard Layouts. Create the folder if it doesn’t exist.To install for all users: Copy the
.keylayoutfile from the extracted folder to/Library/Keyboard Layouts. -
Restart macOS.
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Open System Settings.
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Go to Keyboard → Text Input → Input Sources → Edit… and add your new QWERF layout.
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Press the “+” button at the bottom left.
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Search for “QWERF,” select your new layout, and press Add.
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Install Karabiner-Elements:
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Download the Karabiner rule file for the desired version of QWERF:
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In Karabiner-Elements Settings, go to “Complex Modifications,” then press “Add predefined rule” at the top.
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Make sure you know how to type your computer password using QWERF.
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Scroll down to the “QWERF” section and enable the rule you want.
“All keyboards” remaps QWERF onto all keyboards while connected to this computer. Select this reason unless you want to exclude some keyboards from remapping.
“Built-in keyboard only” remaps your device's built-in keyboard, as well as any other keyboard for which “Treat as built-in keyboard” (under the “Devices” section) is enabled. Select this option if you plan to map QWERF onto an external keyboard using custom firmware.
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To use QWERF on the password entry screen before logging in, follow the official instructions:
-
Download the XKB file for the desired version of QWERF:
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Extract the downloaded tar.gz file.
-
Run the install script from the extracted folder:
Terminal window sudo ./install-system.shThis copies the layout files to
/usr/share/X11/xkband registers the layout with the system. -
Add the layout to your desktop environment. Refer to your desktop environment's documentation for specific instructions.