Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 2000 - Esc key opens context menu

[chiller15]

I'm getting quite annoyed with the Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 2000 that I purchased a couple of months ago. I've found that pressing the Esc key whilst on the desktop brings up the context menu for the pinned 'File Explorer' item on my task bar. It's really annoying, especially as it happens in games. When I come to pause/go to the menu of the game (especially to manually save)...the Esc key will minimise the game and bring up that context menu. It will often also crash the game too, which is really frustrating.

 

I'm using Windows 10 Home 1709 x64

I have uninstalled the actual keyboard from the PC and reinstalled it (dongle and all)

I have the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Centre installed, which has no congfigurable option for the Esc key. (I have also reinstalled this software)

The keyboard does not have an 'F'/Function lock key, which can be toggled on or off. Instead it is a key to the right of the space bar which needs to be held down when pressing the F Keys to access their other function.

I have connected my old wired Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000 and the issues does NOT happen.

I've also tried doing some Googling, but cannot find anything relating to my issue.

 

I cannot figure out why the Esc key on this keyboard is doing this. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Here's a screenshot of the context menu it brings up:

 

 

Edit: If I unpin File Explorer from the Task Bar - it appears to no longer happen (will require more time to test). However, I don't want to have File Explorer unpinned...maybe I'll just have to?

[Master Disaster]

Probably the CTRL key is stuck down as CTRL + ESC is the hotkey (iirc?) for that.

[Murasaki]

10 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

Probably the CTRL key is stuck down as CTRL + ESC is the hotkey (iirc?) for that.

That opens the start menu lmao

[chiller15]

Thanks for the replies, though it appears to now be sorted.

 

After I unpinned File Explorer from the task bar and Esc stopped doing things...I re-pinned it again. Esc no longer opens the context menu.

 

No idea why that would work, but there you go.

[chiller15]

Update #2 - The issue is back again. I re-pinned File Explorer and it didn't do it for a little bit...then it started doing it again. So I unpinned File Explorer and left it unpinned. This meant that my other pinned task bar items all shuffled left one space, meaning that Google Chrome is now in that task bar slot. Guess what happens when I press Esc now? It opens the context menu/right click options on the Chrome icon.

 

Very frustrating.