Windows 10: Special characters in Win10

Hi, we have a bit of a weird issue with special characters. (kind of hard to explain but I`ll try) We are currently running a Win10 pilot, and the users are saying that the special characters, like é and õ, differs from Windows 7, even though the language input (norwegian) is the same.

In win7, the users hits ALTGR+the key left of backspace(backslash button) and hits E, which then gives them the letter é on all applications.
In Win10 1709, this for some reason, seems to work in EDGE, notepad, Word, Skype for business etc. But not in Outlook for some reason. I have tried pretty much anything in the autocorrect, format options etc but nothing works.
In Win10 1703, when entering this key combo in EDGE, we got double accents, and then an e, like this: ´´e
So it seems a BIT better in 1709, but still some issues.

Anyone come across anything like this before?
Sorry if this was a confusing thread, but i am growing older and frustrated trying to fix this...
Thanks for any advice.
The Win10 1709 is US in the bottom, and the english input language has been removed, only norwegian is present.

:)

 

Special characters ^

In the English (United States) keyboard, tap the &123 key in the bottom left of the keyboard, then tap the -> key just above it to get more characters. Just above the -> key (which is now a <- key), you'll see a ^.

If you're using it in emoticons, perform the same actions as above, just tap the emoticon key instead of the &123 key in the first step. There are pre-set emoticons that use ^ such as ^_~, ^_^ and even just ^^

 

Special characters

Using the qwerty slide out keyboard you can use the sym key and e.g the u - key to get ü. Sym key and E to get é etc. Those which are mostly used.

By just pressing the 'sym' key you will get a pop up screen with various characters to choose from.

For some of the more unused ones you will have to use the touch screen keyboard (qwerty that too) and press the '1*' key and hold it for half a second, then a pop up box will appear and you an choose those more not so usuall characters. I have not found how
to do those with the slide out keyboard. However, They are there to use with e.g messaging

Be aware that I don't know how it will work with a swedish language set, but I guess you will get pretty much the same? I'm Norwegian and for letters 'Æ', 'Ø', 'Å' I have keys for that on the keyboard. Or - I can get an 'Å' by pressing sym and A, or Ø by pressing
sym and O.

What you could do is to print this thread and take it with you and check out a swedish E7!

 

My personal feeling is that the special functionality of the right Alt Key is being depreciated, All the keyboards I had to hand here did not have any markings such as the GR they used to have ... and I have read some reports is issues with the right Alt on some keyboard maps Mostly the issues with Russian after the addition of the Indian Rupee symbol, but other reports mentioned others including US

All the characters in the Full Unicode Character Sets can be inserted in windows using the Alt Key + a four digit number - All these codes are shown in windows own Character Map applet, (click on start type c h a and it will be at the top of the list. you could then make a crib sheet of those you use most and always use the Character Applet for those rare ones

 

Thanks for the reply.
I noticed that on our win10 machines, ALT and the four digit combos do not work. Maybe there could be an issue here as well.
I also compared the keyboard layout (where you see an image of the keyboard) between Win7 and Win10, and they looked 100% similar. If there is no solution, i guess we have to teach the users the new "shortcuts".

The thing that strikes me as extremely weird, is that the ALTGR+backslash+e button gives me the right symbol on every other app on Windows 10 besides Outlook. This has me completely baffled....
I thought Outlook used the same "editor" as Word..

 

Which version of Outlook are you using? It could be that is using the wrong Keyboard Map (the actual language in use) It would need to be using a UniCode character set Older versions may not be set to this by default, It may be that some versions will not support them

Test

ž œ ½ ½ ■ _ ¢ “

It would appear that the Alt Combinations only work with the Left side Alt key - Also the older 3 digit alt codes still work

 

Hi, thanks for the reply. We are testing with Office 2016. The users that are on Win7 (where all the combinations are working) are on Office 2013. (both 32bit).
Do you know if the keyboard maps are different or can be changes via registry/policy?
Thanks

 

By Older versions I'm aware of some companies using Office suites designed / released in the early days of XP. 2013 and 2016 should be using the same Keyboard maps, and other background services

I've just had a look at Outlook, ( I run my calendar and email online so do not directly use Outlook day to day), and there is an option to "Insert Symbols", this also gives an option to assign these Symbols, (which include all the Diacritals I've seen in my time in IT), to your own keyboard shortcuts - so the characters that you need do seem to be supported, (although in a slightly non standard way), Maybe you could assign shortcuts to your most used "special characters" to combinations similar to that you were using.

 

Sometimes it is necessary to get special characters requires the Alt key plus the numbers on the 10-key pad [not the numbers above the other keys on the keyboard] and with the NumLock On. With my Notebook without the 10-key pad it is the Fn+Alt+the numbers.

 

If this can help it contains what you need.

In search Windows type << Character Map >>. Open it and copy/paste what you need. Works in all types of text file.

See Keystroke number bottom right. Works with ALT left key only.

 

Thank you for all you suggestions. I just talked to a friend of mine, which is running the same setup of Windows 10 1709 and Office 2016, and he is able to get the é letter in his Outlook by using the combo we are accustomed to (ALTGR+backslash and e)

I fear that if we deploy this to 300+ computers with these special key functions not working the same way for WIn10 as they do for WIn7, we will have alot of support-calls in the future....i don`t know what to do next to be honest, this seems to be a very special issue...

 

Just installed Norwegian keyboard (NNO) and now I understand the meaning of Altgr when On-screen keyboard is active.

Go there: Settings/Ease of Acess/On-screen keyboard/Turn it ON/Pin to taskbar.

The special characters shown in post #1 are available, when we click Altgr. Not normally or without it. Must do ALT left+ 0233 or ALT 0245.

In Outlook, there must be a parameter to set Unicode default? Unfortunately, I'm not using Outlook. Maybe Unicode must be force.

Got it now!

Control Panel/Region/Administrative/Language for non-unicode programs:/Change system locale/Region Settings/Norwegian Nynorsk/Apply and exit.

That enables Altgr here and the characters are show the Norwegian way.

Should work in Outlook now.

All the best,

Edit: Is the clean install was made en-US ?

 

Thank you so much for all your assistanse and help! I tried to change the non-unicode programs to all norwegian but that did not help. So i started uninstalling and removing all addins in Outlook. Finally, it was our document management system, called Worksite, that was causing this. Luckily, there was a registry setting to input for making all the key-combinations work. Finally, three weeks of troubleshooting and grey hairs are over, thank you all for your input!