Accented characters on a UK laptop keyboard with UK input locale

[Martin James Thornhill]

I am struggling with getting foreign accents in my documents - in Word,
Excel, Outlook (anywhere in Windows, in fact).

I think that I need to tell Windows which keyboard combinations result in
which character. How can I do this?

I have read the other posts in this community re: AltGr+~N to get ñ, and
Ctrl+" to get an umlaut over the next keypress (subject to an available
character). But neither of these techniques work on my laptop.

I can't use the US input locale because then I lose the Euro symbol
(AltGr+4, as marked on the keyboard).

Using the ALT+nnnn method is very tricky on a laptop keyboard, because a
laptop keyboard is arranged such that unusual keys are far away from the
centre of the keyboard. A simple accent results in repetive strain injury ,
eg. é is Fn+NumLock, ALT+0233, Fn+NumLock, then continue typing.

Sickeningly, AltGr+E and AltGr+A do work: they produce the most common
French accented characters. But my keyboard remains is so difficult to use
that my French writing is abominable. German is nigh impossible.

So, I guess that I need to tell Windows which keyboard combinations result
in which character. How can I do this?

 

[keepITcool]

try using a US international keyboard.

usintl keyboard will makes typing 'e turn into é "u=> ü etc.
but you'll need to learn to type a space after " and '
to get your accent characters themselves.
(which when coding in VBA is a real nuisance)

usintl also has several [RIGHT alt] key combinations.
€ (altr 5)
ß (altr s)
ú (altr u)
ü (altr y)
(you should experiment a little


so I've a system with


I've English (US)/ English (UK)/ Dutch / German and French
as input languages, each with 2 keyboard definitions,
(USintl and US) keyboards hooked to each language.
(left ctrl/shift will toggle the keyboard)


--
keepITcool
| www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam


Martin James Thornhill wrote :

 

[Martin James Thornhill]

Quality. I have now got the US-international keyboard as an additional
layout. Writing in foreign languages has now suddenly got so much
*easier*...!

Thanks

try using a US international keyboard.

usintl keyboard will makes typing 'e turn into é "u=> ü etc.
but you'll need to learn to type a space after " and '
to get your accent characters themselves.
(which when coding in VBA is a real nuisance)

usintl also has several [RIGHT alt] key combinations.
€ (altr 5)
ß (altr s)
ú (altr u)
ü (altr y)
(you should experiment a little


so I've a system with


I've English (US)/ English (UK)/ Dutch / German and French
as input languages, each with 2 keyboard definitions,
(USintl and US) keyboards hooked to each language.
(left ctrl/shift will toggle the keyboard)


--
keepITcool
| www.XLsupport.com | keepITcool chello nl | amsterdam


Martin James Thornhill wrote :

I am struggling with getting foreign accents in my documents - in
Word, Excel, Outlook (anywhere in Windows, in fact).

I think that I need to tell Windows which keyboard combinations
result in which character. How can I do this?

I have read the other posts in this community re: AltGr+~N to get ñ,
and Ctrl+" to get an umlaut over the next keypress (subject to an
available character). But neither of these techniques work on my
laptop.

I can't use the US input locale because then I lose the Euro symbol
(AltGr+4, as marked on the keyboard).

Using the ALT+nnnn method is very tricky on a laptop keyboard,
because a laptop keyboard is arranged such that unusual keys are far
away from the centre of the keyboard. A simple accent results in
repetive strain injury , eg. é is Fn+NumLock, ALT+0233, Fn+NumLock,
then continue typing.

Sickeningly, AltGr+E and AltGr+A do work: they produce the most
common French accented characters. But my keyboard remains is so
difficult to use that my French writing is abominable. German is
nigh impossible.

So, I guess that I need to tell Windows which keyboard combinations
result in which character. How can I do this?