Momento: Your Guide to Fixing the PickUp Keybind Soft Lock

The infamous PickUp keybind soft lock in Momento is a progression-blocking bug that you can fix in under five minutes by manually editing the game's configuration file. This issue occurs when you rebind your primary interaction key. A specific late-game event is hardcoded to only accept the default 'E' key, trapping players who use a custom keybind. You are not stuck forever, your save file is not corrupt, and the solution requires no technical skill.

This guide provides the definitive, step-by-step solution to this frustrating bug, explaining the cause, the precise file edit required, and how to prevent it from ever happening again.

01

What Exactly Causes This Soft Lock?tag

The bug is frustratingly simple in its design, which is why it’s so easy to miss during development and so maddening for players. It occurs in a single, critical story moment late in the game, and stems from a conflict between your custom settings and a single, unchangeable script.

The specific trigger location is the Alabaster Atrium, immediately after you solve the Chronos Dial puzzle. Upon solving it, a pedestal rises from the floor, presenting the final story-critical item: the Unveiled Momento. A UI prompt appears on screen—for example, "[F] Take Momento" if you’ve rebound your interact key to 'F'. The problem is, pressing 'F' does nothing. The game's script for this one interaction only listens for the default 'E' key. Because your 'E' key is likely unbound or assigned to another function, you cannot send the command the game is waiting for. At this point, the game soft locks: you cannot move, open the menu, or save your game. Your only option is to force-quit.

This isn't a problem with your PC or game installation. It's a specific oversight where the developers failed to have this one event query the player's current keybind settings, instead hardcoding the default. Verifying game files or reinstalling will not fix it, as the issue lies within your personal configuration file.

02

The Definitive Fix: Editing Your Config Filetag

To break free from the soft lock, you need to tell the game you're using the 'E' key again, just for this one interaction. You'll do this by directly editing the settings.ini file where your keybinds are stored. Don't worry, this is much simpler than it sounds and is completely safe.

Step 1: Safely Exit the Gametag

Since you can't access the in-game menu, you'll need to force the application to close. The cleanest way to do this is by pressing Alt + F4 on your keyboard. If that doesn't work, open the Windows Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find Momento.exe in the list of processes, select it, and click "End Task."

Step 2: Locate Your settings.ini Filetag

Your keybinds and other settings are stored in a plain text file. The game does not store this in its main installation directory (e.g., in SteamApps). Instead, you will almost always find it in your Documents folder. The exact path is:

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\Documents\My Games\Momento\settings.ini

Navigate to that folder. You should see the settings.ini file. If you do not see file extensions like .ini, go to the "View" tab in File Explorer and check the box for "File name extensions."

Step 3: Edit the InteractionKey Linetag

Right-click on settings.ini and choose "Open with > Notepad" (or any other text editor). You'll see a list of game settings. Scroll down until you find the section for keybindings, which will look something like this:

[Keybindings]
MoveForward=W
MoveBackward=S
MoveLeft=A
MoveRight=D
Crouch=C
Sprint=Shift
InteractionKey=F
JournalKey=J

The line we care about is InteractionKey. In the example above, the player has rebound it to 'F', causing the soft lock. Change the value after the equals sign back to 'E'.

Your edited line should look like this:

InteractionKey=E

After making the change, go to File > Save in Notepad, and then close the file. Your keybind has now been reset to the default, but only for interaction.

Step 4: Relaunch and Secure the Momentotag

Start Momento again. Load your most recent save, which should place you right before picking up the Unveiled Momento in the Alabaster Atrium. Approach the pedestal. The prompt will now read "[E] Take Momento." Press 'E', and the interaction will now work correctly, triggering the cutscene and allowing you to proceed with the game.

Step 5: (Optional) Rebind Your Keys Againtag

Once you are past this sequence and have control of your character again, you are completely safe. The hardcoded 'E' key issue is exclusive to this one event. You can now go back into the in-game settings menu and rebind your interaction key to whatever you prefer. The rest of the game will respect your custom setting.

03

Why Don't Other Common Fixes Work?tag

If you've searched forums for a solution, you may have seen other suggestions. Most of them fail because they don't address the root cause: the settings.ini file.

• Plugging in a controller: This won't work. The game is still running on the PC input layer, and the script is waiting for a specific keyboard signal ('E'). Controller inputs are handled separately and won't trigger the event.
• Verifying integrity of game files: This popular Steam/Epic Games feature is designed to fix corrupt or missing game files from the core installation. It does not touch user-generated configuration files in your Documents folder, so it will find no errors and make no changes to your keybinds.
• Reinstalling the game: While drastic, even a full reinstallation might not work if your save and config files are backed up to the cloud. When you reinstall, the cloud sync may simply restore the problematic settings.ini file, putting you right back where you started.

Editing the config file is the only direct and guaranteed method because it targets the precise source of the conflict.

04

How to Prevent This Bug on Future Playthroughstag

Knowing the cause makes prevention simple. If you're starting a new game of Momento or advising a friend, there are two easy strategies:

1. Keep the Default Interact Key: The simplest method is to just leave the 'Interact/Pick Up' key on its default setting of 'E'. You can rebind everything else, but leaving that one alone ensures you'll never encounter this lock.
2. Temporarily Reset Before the Atrium: If you absolutely prefer a different key, just make a mental note. Before you enter the Alabaster Atrium near the end of the game, go into the settings menu and manually change your interact key back to 'E'. Once you're through that sequence, you can change it back.

As of mid-2026, the developer, Stillwater Interactive, has not yet patched this issue, despite it being reported on community forums since the game's launch. Until they do, these manual workarounds are the only reliable solutions.

05

Frequently Asked Questionstag

• Will editing the settings.ini file corrupt my save? No, absolutely not. The settings.ini file only controls game settings like graphics and keybinds. Your save files are stored separately and will be completely unaffected.

• Can I get banned or flagged for cheating if I edit game files? No. This is a client-side configuration file that you are meant to have control over. It's no different from changing settings via the in-game menu. It does not affect multiplayer or leaderboards (of which Momento has none).

• I can't find the My Games\Momento folder. Where could it be? First, double-check that you are looking in the main Documents library, not another folder. Also, ensure you have enabled "Show hidden items" in your File Explorer's "View" tab. In very rare cases, cloud storage services like OneDrive might have moved your Documents folder, so check there as well.

• Does this soft lock happen on PlayStation or Xbox? No. This is a PC-exclusive bug related specifically to the ability to rebind keyboard keys. Console versions use a fixed controller layout for interaction ('X' or 'A'), and this issue does not exist on those platforms.

The Final Wordtag

Encountering a game-breaking bug like the PickUp keybind soft lock can sour an otherwise immersive experience, especially so close to the game's conclusion. It feels like a punishment for simply customizing your controls. But with a quick edit to a single line of text, you can bypass this frustrating oversight and get right back to uncovering the final secrets hidden within Momento.