Why Doesn't My Gaming Keyboard Log Correctly?

Gaming keyboards — Corsair, Razer, Alienware, Logitech G15, Elite K5 and similar — are a special case.

Why it happens

These keyboards don't use the plain USB HID protocol. By default they run a proprietary protocol with a high volume of USB traffic, which can trick the keylogger into skipping keystrokes or inserting extra characters.

The fix

Almost every vendor provides a way to put the keyboard into normal USB HID mode — the exact steps vary by model, so a quick search for your specific keyboard usually finds it.

For Corsair keyboards, holding Windows + F1 + Windows-Lock switches the board into BIOS mode instead of emulation mode, which lets the keylogger read keystrokes correctly. Note that one of the keyboard lights flashes in BIOS mode, which can make the change noticeable.

Bottom line

Switch a gaming keyboard out of its proprietary mode and into standard USB HID (or BIOS) mode, and logging becomes reliable.