Windows 10: Can't (completely) remove language keyboard layout

I have searched high and low and no one else seems to have had this issue, or at least I coudln't find it, so here goes:

(Using Windows 10 Home 64 bit with all the latest normal updates).

I used Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator to create a custom keyboard, based on and nested within the US English keyboard configuration. Within that program in the "Description" in the Options menu I had a long description that also contained backslashes. When I compiled the installer and ran it, the installer came up with errors and said to run it again. I figured this might be the problem. So I ran the installer file and chose to remove the keyboard, so I could remove the old DLL file.

So far, no problem.

I then edited the file and recompiled it within MKLC. I reinstalled it and again it gave me an error. This time I re-ran the setup file and chose to repair, and it said it was successful. Sure enough, the keyboard is there and it works.... BUT it has the description from the previous keyboard (they both had the same name).

So, look, long story short, here is what the issue is. If I go to Settings-> Time and Language -> Region then I have "US English" installed as the only language, which is correct. When I click it and choose "Options," it currently only has "US QWERTY" installed as a keyboard. If I choose "Add a new keyboard" then ---- and here is the problem --- the custom keyboard I had installed AND uninstalled is listed there four times, all of them with the old/long description that was only included in the first installation!




I am still working out the kinks with this custom keyboard, before it gets distributed to friends who are working on a text input project with me. So I might be installing and uninstalling it a few times before I am 100% happy with it. But why is it not disappearing from the list?

Basically, somewhere within Windows, however it stores the information for the US English language input, it has a number of keyboards installed/associated with it. That is where I need to get my dirty little paws.

I am not having a problem with the language bar showing up, or with the keyboard not being removed... When I remove it from the active keyboards it is gone, my system is like normal. But when I want to add a new keyboard there it lurks, even though it has been repeatedly uninstalled AND even though the newer versions of the installer package had a different description!

And the real reason this is a problem is because when I distribute this keyboard to others, I want to be confident in what it will appear as in their system, and so forth. I want to make sure the new description is included, not the old one, and so forth. But no matter what I do, all I keep getting is the same description with each subsequent build, regardless of what I compiled using MKLC. I could list it as a different keyboard, English UK or something like that, but really at this point I want to know why even after uninstalling it the keyboard is still lurking, and how to get rid of it entirely...

ALSO - Even though I have uninstalled it, if I choose to add one of those keyboards? It works fine. Well, the input is fine. But in the language bar it shows that keyboard always highlighted, whether it is active or not...

::Edit:: Just to add:
(1) Yes, I have restarted Windows a few times in this process, without any change;
(2) Whether I access the language settings through the Control Panel or through the Region and Language menus the issue is the same. The way those two menus lay out the options are different, but in the end I have the same issue, underneath the US English language option I have this keyboard listed 4 times with the old name;
(3) I have seen suggestions abuot deleting or modifying the registry key HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload , but that seems to be dealing with which keyboards are installed and/or showing up in the language bar. My custom keyboard is not showing up the language bar, and not giving me that kind of problem, so I do no think that is the solution... Though within that folder in my registry I have an entry for "1" which has a value of 00000409 which is US English and then an entry of "(Default)" which is not defined.

:)

 

Remove secondary keyboard language.

Hi Jacob,

Removing a keyboard layout can be done through Control Panel and
Settings. Before doing so, make sure that the language pack of your preferred keyboard layout is installed on your computer. To remove a keyboard layout through
Control Panel, here's how:

• Go to Control Panel. Under Clock, Language, and Region, click
  Add a language.
  
• Click the keyboard layout that you want to remove, then click Options
  > Remove.

To remove a keyboard layout through Settings, refer to these steps:

• Go to Settings > Time & language >
  Region & language.
• Click the keyboard layout that you want to delete, then click Remove.

Feel free to post back if you have further questions.

 

I can't remove extra keyboard layouts

I have my language set to "English (Canada)" and keybord set to "Canadian Multilingual Standard" only and I somehow get more than one layout

here is a screenshot of the keyboard layouts : https://i.imgur.com/tJOuzwv.png

and here is a screenshot of my keyboard settings : https://i.imgur.com/cQwO4Dg.png

How can I remove the extra keyboard layouts if I can't see them in the settings?

 

Do a search in the Registry for other areas where the Keyboard Layout is specified - you might find other places such as:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\KeyboardLayout.ini
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\KeyboardLayout.ini\Keyboard Layout

Use the Find command from the Edit menu of the Registry and search on the string Keyboard Layout.

 

Ok.... Well, I found a number of instances of that string but I do not understand what any of them do... most are REG_DWord values

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\Assemblies\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}
REG_DWORD 8090409

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x0000044f\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD 439044f

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000451\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD f0b50451

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000809\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD f0c00809

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\KeyboardLayout.ini
--> Two subfolders, Keyboard Layout and Substitutes
--> All three folders REG_SZ values

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\KeyboardLayout.ini
--> Two subfolders, Keyboard Layout and Substitutes
--> All three folders REG_SZ values

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration
REG_DWORD 0

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
REG_DWORD 0

CREG_DWORD omputer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\DefaultUserConfiguration
REG_DWORD 0

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
REG_DWORD 0

Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\CTF\RemoteSession
REG_DWORD 0

Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\CTF\Assemblies\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\CTF\RemoteSession
REG_DWORD 0

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\Microsoft\CTF\Assemblies\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\CTF\Assemblies\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-924010366-3942029750-3201353873-1001\Software\Microsoft\CTF\Assemblies\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}
REG_DWORD 8090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-924010366-3942029750-3201353873-1001\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000409\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD 4090409

Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-924010366-3942029750-3201353873-1001\Software\Microsoft\CTF\SortOrder\AssemblyItem\0x00000451\{34745C63-B2F0-4784-8B67-5E12C8701A31}\00000000
REG_DWORD f0b50451

 

OK, that didn't work out - I was hoping some of them might make sense and you would spot where your custom keyboard was being referenced.

 

Yup, no such luck. My next step will be to temporarily install another language as the system language (like English UK or something), and remove US English as the default language and the keyboard, and everything, and then reboot and install it again and see if that does anything....

But I am betting it won't. And my reason is because when I was inspired to make my own keyboard layout I downloaded one another person had made, whidch was based on English UK keyboard, and it did not work correctly for me so I uninstalled it (and have since improved, I think, upon what he had done,) and I just now realized that that keyboard, which was under English language and keyboard, is still in my list as well. When I had installed it then UK English had become one of the available languages, and I have since removed it from being active and so forht. So, basically I did to UK English what I am propsing to do for US English... and yet that old keyboard layout remains.

There has to be somewhere that Windows keeps references all the different keyboard layouts available for the different language packs installed.... The question is where is that and how to modify it?