Keyboards - Change of Function

I have tried 3 keyboards all the same. I use the keys Alt Gr and 'letter' to form a little stroke above a letter. My grandsons name has two in his name. All of a sudden this function is no longer working. I use, by preference, an original microsoft multimedia keyboard 1.0a (I have 2) which had always worked perfectly. I also tried another keyboard, a mechanical gaming one, the same effect. I imagine the problem then is software not physical.

This is not the first time windows has altered something without my doing. Ideas please on where to check? The keyboard is a PS2 socket but currently on a USB converter, but this is not the problem.

Did a reboot no change.

Found 2 new updates, installed them, and the keys started working again! Now gone again!!

I have no solution but do have a workaround suggestion.

I list all my foreign language characters in a Note within MS Office Outlook. I copy them from there when I want them


I could equally well use a text file but I find Outlook convenient because it is always running.
Foreign characters.txt

Code:

Á á À à Â â
Ç ç
É é È è Ê ê
Î î Í í 
Ó ó Ô ô
œ
Ú ú Ù ù Û û
These shortcuts work in Word & in Outlook Calendar, Emails, Contacts [Notes field only]
Á á Ctrl' {on the @ key} then A/a
À à Ctrl` {on the top-left triple key} then A/a
Ç ç Ctrl, then C/c
- - - - - - - - - - -
Ä ä Ctrl: then A/a
Ö ö Ctrl: then O/o
Ü ü Ctrl: then U/u
ß     Ctrl& then s
The shortcuts work in Word & in Outlook Calendar, Emails, Contacts [Notes field only]
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Symbols
therefore ∴ Alt-t [Word only] 
infinity ∞

Best of luck,
Denis

I recently changed an SSD in a Notebook that came from North of me in Canada and noted the Canadian English language on it had some different marks, didn't pay much attention to which but installed US English and Canada English so she could change as desired. The Notebook had both English and French labels on it. Her husband was just cleared to go back home a week ago and haven't heard yet how she likes it.

Pacman23 said:

Do you use the Microsoft UK Extended Keyboard? It's still QWERTY, but far easier to call up foreign characters. I live in France but find find using their AZERTY keyboard extremely difficult (I'm a lousy typist even with a QWERTY), so this is a great solution for me to type accented characters! Maybe you did have that keyboard set as default previously but a Windows Update has modified your choice?
Type French accents in Windows - Lawless French Typing Tips

The keyboard is qwerty, yes. It has worked fine until yesterday. When I put the Alt Gr key down, then A, I get nothing at all; lift the Alt Gr and hit 'a', I get 'a'

Sorry about delays in replying. I have been running tests on 4 diff keyboards and running software deletions/reboots to no avail. The problem is within windows as far as I can tell. As I approach 72; my memory (and keyboards) see to be lapsing into neverspeak. Space and missing letters are becoming more apparent. Whether this is an 18 year old me in an ancient body is not yet known. I have even ordered a new 'machine' keyboard in the hope it will have identifiable software (red dragon) that may set things right. Some of it may be me, I still type as fast as I did years ago (yeah right) but suspect my eyes are not as fast as my fingers. I suspect a lot but it does not explain the anomaly on the Alt Gr/A. This is not as important as I think, as my wife said, I bet Faelan (grandson no 2) does not care.

English UK is my language. Sorry not been here, working on various potential solutions nothing working as yet. It is a very minor problem in relation to the massive situations seen in here, but if something is wrong, then its broke!