New computer, keyboard issue, please help!

LykosEcho · 19 Dec 2010

My grandmother bought me a brand new Dell XPS 8100 for an early Xmas gift, so I could actually have a 'home office' of my own, in my bedroom. It works good, nice and quiet and speedy. It's running Windows 7 (though I'm not sure how you tell what version?).

Now I'm having an issue with the keyboard. The drivers are all up to date/installed. I'm a novelist, so I need a functional keyboard and I went to write tonight and: on the '/" key, my " turns into @, but the ' works? And my # button becomes my " Any ideas? I cannot write like that!

I unplugged the keyboard (which is a Microsoft Ergonomic 4000, brand new) and plugged it into my kitchen computer, which is an old dimension dell, running XP Home SP2. All the keys worked fine. So it's not that keyboard. Still, Microsoft's troubleshooting site told me that perhaps it was my keyboard port. That's fine.

So I go back into my room, and pull out the keyboard that CAME with the XPS from Dell (it's a typical flat wired keyboard, I don't prefer them, so I bought an ergo 4000) and installed/plugged it into a different port (one of the top USBs). Same exact key problems. I need my "" key to work!

So... It's the computer. It has to be. Or is it a problem with 7 that...I can't obviously live with this. Is it fixable, or will I have to send it back and get a new one? But I -just- got everything set up. >< Helpppp me.

Thanks-Kodi

Golden · 19 Dec 2010

Hi Kodi,

The issue is the "region" that the keyboard is picking up : the US keyboard has a slighlty different layout to the UK keyboard. This is easily fixed, and no need to replace any hardware.

Steps:
1. Click Start > Devices and Printers
2. Right-click on your keyboard, then click the Region & Language option
3. Click the Change Keyboards option, and then select either US, or UK, depending on where you are.

The image below will help you. Let us know how you get on.
Golden

Regards,
Golden

Kari · 19 Dec 2010

Hi Kodi, welcome to the Seven Forums.

This is most probably a keyboard layout issue. If so, it's easy to fix.

First, check which keyboard layout your XP machine is using. Open XP's Control Panel. If you have the Control Panel in Category view, click Date, time, Language and Regional Options:

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!-xp_language_1.png

Now click Regional and Language Options:

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!-xp_language_2.png

If your Control Panel opens in Classic View, click Regional and Language Options icon:

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!-xp_language_3.png

Now open the Languages tab and click Details:

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!-xp_language_4.png

Check which keyboard layouts you have installed, and which layout is set default:

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!-xp_language_5.png

Go back to your new Windows 7 computer, and change the layout to that of your XP computer. Here's a tutorial to show you how that can be done: Keyboard Layout - Change

Please come back to tell if that did not solve your issue.

Kari

LykosEcho · 19 Dec 2010

Thank you -so- much guys. It took a bit of fiddling, but that was the issue and it WORKS. Thank you! I was so worried I'd have to send the comp back and we juuuust set it up lol. So relieved -hugs everyone-

I'm definitely bookmarking this site for future reference!

Kari · 19 Dec 2010

Nice to hear you got it fixed.

Golden · 19 Dec 2010

LykosEcho said:

Thank you -so- much guys. It took a bit of fiddling, but that was the issue and it WORKS. Thank you! I was so worried I'd have to send the comp back and we juuuust set it up lol. So relieved -hugs everyone-

I'm definitely bookmarking this site for future reference!

Happy days

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!

New computer, keyboard issue, please help!

Yay!