How to type unicode characters in Windows 10?

With Microsoft Word, Wordpad and Notepad running in XP and Win7, you could type any unicode character by typing its number followed by Alt+X. For example, you could type ≠ by typing 2260AltX. This doesn't work in Wordpad or Notepad running in Win10; it seems to work in Word, but other codes don't work. Is there a way to type '≠' from the keyboard in Win10?

I haven't the right keyboard available on my laptop, so I can't test this, but the way we used to do it was:

1. Press and hold down the Alt key.
2. Press the + (plus) key on the numeric keypad.
3. Type the hexidecimal unicode value.
4. Release the Alt key.

This comes from:

How to enter Unicode characters in Microsoft Windows

Which leads on to this small utility:

UnicodeInput - a utility to enter Unicode characters on Microsoft Windows

Which I also cannot test.

In Microsoft Word,there must be numerous published macros for handling Unicode - some will be better than others - just go to:

microsoft word unicode macro - Google Search

for loads of links.

I looked at and tried some of those Google search results before posting my query. Some don't work in Windows 10; some don't work with my laptop, which has only an awkward virtual numeric keypad with no +. I need this function mostly for Notepad and Wordpad, which have no macros. The function I described in starting the thread worked so well in Win7 and XP, I'm surprised it wasn't continued with Windows 10. Or maybe it has been in some undocumented form.

I have to say that if I know I need to repeatedly unicode stuff (or any non keyboard symbols) in a document, and that's not often, I make a short document either with the individual characters or short strings taken from Charmap.exe, or another document which already has the symbols or glyphs that I need, and cut and paste as required. It's not the easiest way, but neither is <nnnnAltX> - you have to remember the hexadecimal unicode value or have a crib sheet with them on.

Notepad and Wordpad are not the only editors - there's a slew of plaintext editors with unicode support built in:

unicode editor - Google Search

or

rtf unicode editor - Google Search

if you wish for a Wordpad replacement.

Thanks, I´ll have a look at the unicode writers. It´s almost always the '≠' I want to access in Notepad or Wordpad, but I use it every day, and I know the hexadecimal by heart. I used to copy and paste from a file or use the character map but was so happy when I discovered 2260AtlX. It works on every computer in the school where I volunteer, both XP and Win7. I hope the school doesn't upgrade to Win10.

jfniss said:

With Microsoft Word, Wordpad and Notepad running in XP and Win7, you could type any unicode character by typing its number followed by Alt+X. For example, you could type ≠ by typing 2260AltX. This doesn't work in Wordpad or Notepad running in Win10; it seems to work in Word, but other codes don't work. Is there a way to type '≠' from the keyboard in Win10?

PS > [char]18662
䣦