Windows registry entry for swapping tilde/backtick and escape keys?
Keytweak is also easy to use and effective.
Customize your keyboard layout with the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator.
It appears the actual question was never answered. :)
The registry entry would be:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"ScanCode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,05,00,00,00,3a,00,1d,00,1d,00,\
3a,00,01,00,29,00,29,00,01,00,00,00,00,00