Keyboard Trauma

" key brings up @ sign [ and vice versa ] and MORE!

[cmatcme]

Help!

I have the following problems on my keyboard:

1. " sign brings up @ on screen
   
2. @ sign brings up " on screen
   
3. No way to bring up up number sign or the wiggly line above it. Instead it brings up \ and ¦
   

And there are more waiting to be discovered.

Anyone had this problem and found a solution?

cmatcme

[peewhy]

This might sound a strange question, have you bought a second-hand laptop?

[cornwall]

Sounds as if your keyboard settings have been altered to another language input.

Go to Control Panel, regional/languages, and check that you are correctly set for wherever you are. (that's in Windows XP, I think its in control panel/ keyboard in earlier Windows versions)

[dmorison]

Sounds like your keyboard settings are wrong. I think it's Control Panel > Keyboard; then try a different setting. Perhaps you have a British laptop but have US keyboard settings or something like that...

[cmatcme]

peewhy//

Hope not! I think, or according to the seller it's a first hand XP PC

cornwall and dmorison //

I'll do them now and bring back a report.

---

Report:

I've ran the Troubleshooter and it cannot help me

It thinks everything is fine

Using Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard

OS is Windows XP

---

I have seen this problem on another keyboard I've used, could there be some registry editing to do?

<added> Hold the phone, don't think it's my problem. When I reply to a WW thread or write in a textarea, the problem occurs only here. When I open notepad and word, it's OK! But that's still annoying. Anyone know how to rid of the problem? </added>

cmatcme

[cornwall]

There is nothing wrong with your keyboard, which is why troubleshooter won't find errors.

You have to check the language that your keyboard is set to - as strange as it may seem, not all keyboards are set to type in "American English" ;)

[Leosghost]

Mine is set to French and it doesn't do this ..my Dad used to say "you probably aren't holding your mouth the right way " ;)

[cornwall]

You don't deserve this clarification but ...you have your keyboard set to "English" not the cheap, ersatz version known as "American English" that you want to use.

You have two options, either you get used to a proper English keyboard, or you change your keyboard settings as I showed to the "American English" that you crave ;)

I you, as I suspect, do not believe me, then Google for the differences between an English and an American English keyboard, and you will see that I do not speak with forked tongue.

[cmatcme]

It works?!

How can one language make such English and American English make that much difference, especially as I'm British and in Britain myself?

Well it does!

Thanks cornwall

A :) Matthew

PS: From this artical [en.wikipedia.org] it appears we have an UK and US combo of a keyboard when it comes to keys!

[cornwall]

Its what happens when you buy a computer from a chap called Arthur Daley at the pub ;)

You must have a US keyboard, and the machine has been set to "British English"

From memory there is also an "International English keyboard" around too.

The only real problem is with touch typing. If it really bugs you, you'll have to find Arthur and get him to change the keyboard for the UK one (assuming yours will only work on US English)

[cmatcme]

International English keyboard

That must be what we have.

Arthur Daley at the pub ;)

That explains a lot. We bought our PC from a "professional" international dealer whom somewhat have a reputation for selling "faulty" goods. There were local and all the shops round here which sell PCs seem to have that reputation!

No doubt he is the head of that company :)

cmatcme

PS. Thanks for the help!

[cornwall]

Another satisfied customer

[shark1e]

Hi all, can anyone tell me what letter is the £ gbp currency symbol on a us keyboard, trying to recode a us web page to run in uk currency but stuck on the symbol as they refer to the $ in their page coding, as a letter poss "L"?

thanks in advance

rob

[bill]

These might come in handy:

• ¢ Cent sign Alt+0162
  
• £ British Pound Alt+0163
  
• € Euro currency Alt+0128
  
• ¥ Japanese Yen Alt+0165
  
• ƒ Dutch Florin Alt+0131
  
• ¤ Generic currency symbol Alt+0164

[topr8]

>>can anyone tell me what letter is the £ gbp currency symbol on a us keyboard

bill has posted the code above to be used in a web page.

if you actually want to type the symbol ...

AFAIK the GBP £ key is not available on a US keyboard, you have to change your settings in the control panel as set up a US international or UK keyboard.

you would be quicker copying this symbol £ and pasting it into your work!

[trillianjedi]

bill has posted the code above to be used in a web page.

No - direct from the PC Keyboard.

Make sure you have numlock on. Hold down the ALT key and type the number you need from Bill's list using the numeric keypad.

Here's me doing a "cent" using a GB keyboard:-

¢

.... and I didn't copy paste (ALT+0162)

TJ

[bill]

Yes, all those codes can be used in almost any Windows program. I use them in all the MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)

The only times I can't use those key combinations are on certain graphics editing packages and the occasional database. They work just about anywhere.

[shark1e]

thanks all sorted it now, i was getting confused lol, the abaove i asked about was in fact another part of the coding, it was me confusing matters, wise words! "get up stamp ye feet, walk around stamp ye feet again, kick the dog and sit down, take another look and you can see te whole picture lol" i spent too much time looking for the wrong thing, and the correct part was staring me in the face lol, thanks all again top guys!

rob

[cmatcme]

¢ Cent sign Alt+0162

How do you that. I've tried various ways but I can never get it to work!

cmatcme

[trillianjedi]

cmatcme:-

Make sure you have numlock on. Hold down the ALT key and type the number you need from Bill's list using the numeric keypad.

[topr8]

how cool, i never knew that, thanks for this really useful list bill.

presumably there are more characters available?

is there a full list somewhere, or at least what might copyright and registered and trademark (symbols) be?

[bill]

There are tons of these lists. Search for Alt key characters and there should be something in the SERPs that will help you.

• © Copyright symbol Alt+0169
  
• ® Registered symbol Alt+0174
  
• ™ Trademark symbol Alt+0153