Can't set Windows 8.1 to use a UK Keyboard and English (United Kingdom) as Language Preference

Anonymous
2013-10-20T14:43:22+00:00

Downloaded and installed the UK (English) Language Pack. Can't set Windows 8.1 to use a UK Keyboard. Try to change Languages Preferences to English (United Kingdom)  - and 8.1 won't let you. Try to remove English (United States) and 8.1 won't let you. English (United States) keeps coming back.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2013-11-13T17:18:56+00:00

I was getting this problem. On one of my accounts it appeared to be using the keyboard set to US English. No amount of changing settings to set it use the UK English keyboard layout worked. If I tried Windows Key + Space nothing happened happened - no selections appeared for choosing the desired keyboard. There was no language icon on the taskbar.

I added the UK English language pack and set the preferred language to UK English via Control Panel, Then via the Charms settings/PC Settings/Change PC Settings/Time and Language/Region and Language.

Selected 'Options' for UK English and Added the UK Extended Keyboard.

After that I could use Windows Key + Space to select the UK keyboard.

To be honest, I have no idea why that worked or which was the critical step. The other account on the PC did not of this problem. I assume I must have missed something when setting the new account.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-06-19T15:30:58+00:00

    I Had the same problem, but I went out to the nearest Apple Store, and they were able to provide me with a Mac Book Air. Had no problems what so ever to get the Swedish keyboard working on that machine, running Mac OS X, did not even need to restart.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-06-10T23:28:09+00:00

    I was wondering if anyone can tell me to access temporary use of the british pound key I can see it on my key board on number 3 key but I don't know steps to use to access it.  Can anyone help me with this?

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-22T18:21:06+00:00

    Brian - thank you for your well meaning reply. If you read between the lines a little I think it is apparent that I know of other office software, which I donate to and use on my other PC. The keyboard problem is for new users. I can change it for me, but all new users get lumped with the US keyboard and no matter what I do (see above) on reboot it goes back to the US keyboard. PS there is also LibreOffice, a spin off of OpenOffice

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-05-22T12:06:42+00:00

    To fix it I did the following:

    Please bare in mind I'm working on a domain and needed to fix it for multiple users who log into the same computer.

    1. Create a text file in notepad with the below information

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout]

    [HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload]

    "1"="00000809"

    @="00000809"

    [HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Substitutes]

    [HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Toggle]

    1. Save the file as "Keyboard.reg"
    2. Create another text file with the information below in it.

    @ECHO OFF

    reg import "\mydomain.local\NETLOGON\keyboard.reg

    exit

    1. Save the file as "keyboardUK.bat"
    2. Place both Keyboard.reg and KeyboardUK.bat into my NETLOGON FOLDER
    3. In Group Policy on Computer Startup Scripts for the PC I then told it to run my keyboardUK.bat script.

    It seems to have worked! I have shutdown and rebooted many times and it is still working for whoever logs in since.

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