English keyboard gone - can't type password

[roninbar]

Hi,

I ran into an extremely frustrating situation: somehow the US keyboard layout disappeared from the list of installed layouts. Without it, I can't type my password at the login screen. I was left with a Hebrew keyboard, which has Hebrew letters and uppercase English letters. Unfortunately my password was in lowercase.
Any ideas before I re-install?

Thanks,

Ron

 

[brianzion]

type keyboard language into start menu search box and click on change keyboards or other input methods in the results pane on the left

 

[Bill2]

In the login window, can you see a button with text at the bottom left corner of the screen? If yes, then it should display text, like for example "EN". This is the keyboard layout language. Make sure that this is set to the correct language, click the button to change the layout language.

If you see no such button it means theres only one keyboard layout available. In that case, try tapping F8 at boot to get into safe mode and see whether you can enter the password.

If nothing works, try using system restore to before this problem started.

 

[brianzion]

there is a microsoft fix it for this here :ar: How to use the United States-International keyboard layout in Windows 7, in Windows Vista, and in Windows XP

 

[roninbar]

Thank you, Brianzion and Bill2, for your almost immediate replies!
Unfortunately, Brian, I can't use your solution since I'm still stuck at the login screen, which is why I had to post this question.
Bill, there is a drop-down list (although it's at the upper-left corner of the login screen, not the bottom-left), but it only has one entry and it's "Hebrew." That's how I figured out what's wrong, although I still don't understand how the US layout got lost.
So, back to the original question.

 

[Bill2]

Did you try the F8?

 

[brianzion]

TRY THIS
RE-BOOT system and when you See Windows Welcome screen / Login screen, press ctrl+alt+del keys Twice and it’ll show Classic Login box. Now type “Administrator” (without quotes) in Username and leave Password field blank.(or put the password you used at install of windows) Now press Enter and you should be able to log in Windows. Now you can reset your account password from “Control Panel -> User Accounts”.
Same thing can be done using Safe Mode. In Safe Mode Windows will show this in-built Administrator account in Login screen.

 

[brianzion]

or using the repair disc or windows installation disc can you change the keyboard layout using the command prompt? i dont no the command looking for you now

 

[roninbar]

Safe Mode still requires me to enter my password. Makes sense, when you think about it...

 

[Bill2]

Do you have a win7 install dvd or a system repair disk? you can run system restore from that. See method 2 in this tut.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html

 

[brianzion]

Languages and International Servicing Command-Line Options :ar: Languages and International Servicing Command-Line Options

CONTROL INTERNATIONAL or INTL.CPL : opens Regional and Language option

 

[brianzion]

i think a system restore would be easier by the time i have found all this you could have done that! do you have the discs?

 

[roninbar]

Brian, this Ctrl-Alt-Del trick doesn't seem to work. What could I be missing?

 

[brianzion]

Brian, this Ctrl-Alt-Del trick doesn't seem to work. What could I be missing?

you tried this?
when you See Windows Welcome screen / Login screen, press ctrl+alt+del keys Twice and it’ll show Classic Login box. Now type “Administrator” (without quotes) in Username and leave Password field blank.(or put the password you used at install of windows) Now press Enter

 

[roninbar]

Yea, I have the installation disc. I'll try this next.

 

[brianzion]

Yea, I have the installation disc. I'll try this next.

great do a system restore best bet

 

[roninbar]

How do you get this System Recovery Options dialog? I think I saw it earlier but now I can't find it.

 

[brianzion]

How to Boot to the System Recovery Options in Windows 7 :ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html

 

[brianzion]

you ok with that when you boot from the disc it should show you options what you want to do ?


please read this and use method 2 How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7 :ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[roninbar]

When I choose my OS in the first System Recovery Options dialog and press Next, I get the following message:
"This version of System Recovery Options is not compatible with the version of Windows you are trying to repair. Try using a recovery disc that is compatible with this version of Windows."
I suspect a 32/64 issue. The installation disc allows both kinds, but it doesn't let you choose until you perform an actual installation, so it's very likely that the System Recovery Options are 32-bit-only.
I can still get the dialog with the five options by pressing Cancel at various stages, but then when I choose System Restore, I get the following message:
"To use System Restore, you must specify which Windows installation to restore. Restart this computer, select an operating system, and then select System Restore."
I'm just about to give up and re-install, unless I manage to get a 64-bit System Restore Options.