Age of Empires 4 hotkeys not working? Try these fixes

Some users have reported facing trouble with hotkeys in Age of Empires 4, and in some cases, they don't seem to work at all.
It is likely due to problems with the game files, running an older version of Windows, conflicting applications, amongst others.
If nothing else works, you can reinstall Age of Empires 4 to fix the issue in no time.

Hotkeys are not working in Age of Empires 4

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With the release of Age of Empires 4, the latest in the series, users have been nothing but thrilled. However, some of them reported that the Age of Empires 4 hotkeys are not working.

Given the amazing graphics and fascinating gameplay, problems with the hotkeys prove to be a major disappointment. Now, this could be due to a bunch of issues, either a faulty keyboard, conflicting apps, issues with the game files, amongst others.

In order to liven up your experience, we have listed some of the most effective methods to get your Age of Empires 4 hotkeys working.

What do I do if the Age of Empires 4 hotkeys are not working?

1. Restart the computer

Navigate to the Desktop and press Alt + F4 to launch the Shut Down Windows box.

Click on the dropdown menu and select Restart from the list of options.

Restart Windows 11 to fix hotkey in Age of Empires 4

Next, click on OK to reboot.

Wait for the computer to restart, launch Age of Empires 4 and check if the hotkeys are working.

If this is the first time you are encountering problems using the hotkeys, a simple fix would be to restart the computer. Sometimes, when Windows is booting, a bug may creep in and cause trouble. When you restart the PC, the OS is reloaded and any such bug is eliminated.

Also, before restarting the computer, make sure you save any open files to avoid loss of data.

2. Check if the keyboard is properly connected

Though this may seem obvious, a lot of users later realize that the keyboard wasn’t properly connected. Check if you can use the keyboard on other apps and across Windows in general. Also, verify if the hotkeys for other games work fine.

If there’s an issue, unplug the cable for the keyboard and replug it firmly. You can also refer to our guide to fix issues with a Bluetooth keyboard. Though it’s for Windows 10, we checked and it works just as well on the latest version.

3. Check the integrity of Age of Empires 4 game files

Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu.

Search for the Steam app in the text field at the top and click on relevant search result to launch it.

Navigate to the Library tab.

Right-click on the Age of Empires 4 icon and select Properties from the context menu.

Select Local Files from the navigation pane on the left.

Click on Verify integrity of game files and wait for the process to complete.

After it’s done, check if you are able to use the hotkeys in Age of Empires 4.

If you use the Steam app to play Age of Empires 4, it’s even simpler to fix trivial bugs. Simply verify the integrity of games files and if any issues are found, they would be fixed automatically.

Also, see how you can install Windows 11 skin on the Steam app.

4. Update Windows

Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app.

Select Windows Update tab from the ones listed in the navigation pane on the left.

Update Windows to fix hotkey problems in Age of Empires 4

Again, click on the Windows Update option on the right.

Click on Check for updates and let Windows scan for any pending updates. If there are any available, download and install them.

It’s always recommended that stay up-to-date on Windows. With each update, a bunch of features and patches are released, and these may fix the problems with hotkeys in Age of Empires 4.

Along with that, DirectX, a critical system requirement for Age of Empires 4 is also updated along with the Windows, another reason to check and install any pending updates.

5. Disable/uninstall conflicting applications

NOTE

You can disable a problematic app from its built-in settings. Since the process is different for each app, we recommend that you check the FAQ section on the official app website. In case disabling it doesn’t work, follow the steps listed below to uninstall the app.

Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app.

Select Apps from the tabs listed on the left.

Click on Installed apps, the first option on the right.

Locate the app that you believe may be conflicting with Age of Empires 4, click on the ellipsis next to it, and select Uninstall from the list of options that appear.

Uninstall app causing issues with hotkeys in Age of Empires 4

Again click on Uninstall to confirm removing the app from the computer.

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In some cases, it could be another app that’s conflicting with the functioning of Age of Empire 4, and thereby, the hotkeys are not working. But the real question here is, how are you going to identify the problematic app?

A simple, yet highly effective, approach is to recollect when you first encountered the error and think of the apps that were installed around the same time. Now perform a thorough research as to whether any of these apps are known to cause trouble with Age of Empires 4 or other games.

Now, uninstall the ones that could be leading to the problem with hotkeys. After removing each app, check if the problem is fixed. Once you have uninstalled the problematic app and the game works fine, reinstall the ones that were removed prior to it.

Another simple fix that comes in handy a lot of times is to disable background apps from running.

6. Reinstall Age of Empires 4

If nothing else works, you are left with no option but to reinstall Age of Empires 4 to fix the hotkeys not working issue. To reinstall, first, simply uninstall the app as we did in the previous fix, and then reinstall it from Steam or any other source that you choose earlier.

This will work, in case the issue lies with the installation of Age of Empires 4 itself. So, if you come across the error in the initial days or the first very first time you are playing the game, reinstalling it would be an effective fix.

Can I change the hotkeys in Age of Empires 4?

There are certain hotkeys that cannot be changed in Age of Empires 4 and you are left with no option but to use the preset ones.

There is no one way to set the hotkeys, it is an individual preference and users like to set them as per their convenience. But, with Age of Empires 4, that’s not the case. We went through several forums where users shared how the inability to change certain hotkeys will dampen their experience.

Whether it will attract more people or send the existing fans away, the jury is still out. What we know for certain is that you can’t customize all the hotkeys in Age of Empires 4.

The fixes mentioned above will resolve any issues preventing the hotkeys from working in Age of Empires 4.

It’s recommended that you execute them in the same sequence as they are listed for quick troubleshooting. Also, check out our guide to fix games from stuttering on your PC.

Tell us more about your experience with Age of Empires 4 and the fix that worked for you in the comments section.

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