So, quick context.
Updated from W10 to 11 a couple days ago, working perfectly haven't had any errors until today, my accent key isn't working.
My main language is spanish so I need the accent and the Ñ, I found that I could use the english lenguage pack and use the international keyboard but it doesn't match any of the keys in my keyboard (as in, the "?" key prints a "-").
Searching for the cause I found that apparently my keyboard (Redragon Kumara K552) has a english firmware so windows overwrites my configuration with that one.
Is there any way that I could keep my spanish keyboard and just reactivate the dead keys or remap that specific key to work like it worked in the past?
Not an expert with this since I don't use any languages other than English, but maybe this might help you?
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/keyboard-manager
That’s a good recomendation but sadly I don’t know how to set it so that it is a dead key.
You need to choose a keyboard layout with dead keys enabled, I think.
Use virtual keyboard to press the dead key.
Probably offtopic, but since Redragon Kumara is a mechanical keyboard, you may find some switches and change them by yourself easily (https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Redragon+Kumara+K552+Key+Switch+Replacement/148374). So that you won't need to rebind your keys and try to get used with the new binding.
That’s not a bad idea, I will take a look at that.
Take a look in the box the keyboard came in. I had five extra switches in my K552 box along with a keycap puller and switch puller.
I don't think OP has mentioned any faulty keys though?
Couldnt you just use the international keyboard layout for the two keys that dont work and otherwise use the normal layout. You can use Win + Space to switch between them. Other thing you could try if your keyboard has replaceable switches to just change the not working ones with a switch from a button you dont use.
To be honest that’s an option but im just way too lazy to be changing from one to another so I think I will just have to get used to using AltGr+Letter and Cntrl+Alt+n for ñ.
Remap keys with PowerToys.
Most likely!
AutoHotKey would probably work. You can remap the keyboard to what you're used to.
I just asked Claude to remap the entire English keyboard to act like a Spanish keyboard. That's as an example. You can work with it to make it your own. If you do like this, set the keyboard in Windows to English and use the linked script.
The slight downside is the script needs to be set to run when you start Windows and it'll need to continue running in the background.
It's not memory heavy though — I have an a script that's literally thousands of lines long and it takes up 5MB of memory.
There's also a possibility it interferes with applications that have their own keyboard short cuts, and AutoHotKey might preempt those. You can pause the script or rework it to exclude certain applications or have a shortcut that toggles it on and off.
Anyway, that should work until you find a more permanent solution.
This was the closest I have actually been from getting what it was before, there were still some stuff that didn't work but if I were to continue tinkering with it using AI it might have worked just fine.
Anyway, after evaluating what I have to do to just keep the accent working like it used to I decided to just keep the english pack with the international keyboard and get used to it, feels like it wont get broken as often 😂, then again, this was the closest to what it was before so thanks for the information.
If someone has the same problem this could be their solution.
At least you found something that kinda works for you. I lived overseas for several years and memorized a bunch of ASCII codes to make accent marks. That's not fun either.
I also learned the AZERTY keyboard for work. Switching back and forth would break my brain.
I've also watched my Chinese friends typing. That's a whole other level of effort, but they seem adept.
Anyway, keep AHK in the back of your mind though. If you ever find yourself wishing Windows could do this or that or you need to automate repetitive tasks, that program is godsend. I use it for tons of stuff and been using since way before AI. It's easy to learn the basics, but AI does make coding stuff like this a lot quicker.
I don't really understand what the problem is. Keyboard layout and system language don't have to be the same. I've got a Spanish laptop with Windows in English but I have a Portuguese external keyboard so I have the Portuguese keyboard layout installed.
Just go into Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region. If Spanish is installed you can make it the default keyboard layout. If not, install Spanish.
I was thinking the same thing, been doing exactly that since I got this keyboard and it was working just fine on W10, a few days after I changed to W11 it just decided to stop working.
I have alredy tried different types of spanish lenguage packs and they all have the same problem:
Install the pack > Use it for about 20/30 mins > accent stops working (correctly).
Sounds like you have some program interfering with the keyboard somehow.
A workaround: A tiny free program called AX. You configure it for the languages you want, then to get accents you press the letter, eg, e, then press F8 and it will change the e to é. (If there are multiple accents for any letter, pressing F8 again will cycle through the options.) I used it all the time when I needed to type Spanish on a UK keyboard, very easy to use. https://vulpeculox.net/ax/
I don't think firmware can override Operating system settings, at most it will be optional or configurable somewhere.
Just to be sure, double check that Spanish (Spain) is set up as the keyboard layout.
One thing I've seen happen multiple times is, if you install Office, it will somehow create additional keyboard layouts that get added automatically and silently to your keyboard layouts so you need to switch over to your configured ones.
copy the symbols from charmap. /j
The ISO style always gives me a jumpscare.