Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10  

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    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10

    How to Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    10 Jun 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10


    In Windows, you can configure your keyboard to use a different keyboard layout or input method to type in another language.

    The language of your keyboard layout controls the characters that appear on your screen when you type. By using the different layouts, you can type all the characters for the language, including diacritics such as the umlaut (ä) in German and the tilde (ñ) in Spanish.

    This tutorial will show you how to add and remove keyboard layouts for your account in Windows 10.


    Contents







    OPTION ONE

    Add a Keyboard Layout in Settings


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Time & Language icon.

    2 Click/tap on Language on the left side, click/tap on an added language (ex: "English (United States)") you want to add a keyboard for, and click/tap on Options. (see screenshot below)

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-keyboard_layout-1.jpg

    3 Click/tap on Add a keyboard. (see screenshot below)

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-add_keyboard-1.png

    4 Click/tap on the keyboard layout language (ex: "United Kingdom") you want to add. (see screenshot below)

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-add_keyboard-2.png

    5 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    Remove a Keyboard Layout in Settings


    1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Time & Language icon.

    2 Click/tap on Language on the left side, click/tap on an added language (ex: "English (United States)") you want to remove a keyboard from, and click/tap on Options. (see screenshot below)

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-keyboard_layout-1.jpg

    3 Click/tap on the added keyboard layout language (ex: "United Kingdom") you want to remove, and click/tap Remove. (see screenshot below)

    If the keyboard layout you want to remove is not listed here, then you may need to add it using Option One first, then remove it.

    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-remove_keyboard.jpg

    4 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.






    OPTION THREE

    Remove Keyboard Layout in Registry Editor


    This option can be handy when keyboard layout you want to remove is not listed in Option Two.

    This option will not uninstall the keyboard layout. It will only remove it from the language bar.


    1 Lookup the Keyboard identifier (ex: "0x00000809") for the keyboard (ex: "United Kingdom") you want to remove from the language bar at the link below from Microsoft.
    2 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

    3 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 6)

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Substitutes

    4 In the right pane of the Substitutes key, look in the Data column to see if the Keyboard identifier (ex: "00000809") from step 1 for the keyboard (ex: "United Kingdom") you want to remove is listed. (see screenshot below step 6)

    5 If the Keyboard identifier (ex: "00000809") is not listed in the Data column, then skip step 6, and go to step 7. (see screenshot below step 6)

    6 If the Keyboard identifier (ex: "00000809") is listed in the Data column, then follow the steps below: (see screenshots below)
    1. Make note of its substitute ID (ex: "d0010409") in the Name column.
    2. Right click on the substitute ID (ex: "d0010409") string value (REG_SZ) in the Name, and click/tap on Delete.
    3. Click/tap on Yes to confirm deleting the value.
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-remove_keyboard_layout_regedit-1.png
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-remove_keyboard_layout_regedit-3.png

    7 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 9)

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload

    8 In the right pane of the Preload key, look in the Data column for the Keyboard identifier (ex: "00000809") from step 1 or step 6 for the keyboard (ex: "United Kingdom") you want to remove. (see screenshot below step 9)

    9 Follow the steps below: (see screenshots below)
    1. Right click on the string value (REG_SZ) for the Keyboard identifier (ex: "00000809" or "d0010409") from step 1 or step 6, and click/tap on Delete.
    2. Click/tap on Yes to confirm deleting the value.
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-remove_keyboard_layout_regedit-2.png
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-remove_keyboard_layout_regedit-3.png

    10 Either sign out and sign in or restart the computer to apply.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 5,478
    2004
       #1

    Something worth adding is if you can't see the keyboard you want to delete you may need to add and then remove it.

    At least as of 1809 Windows will include the default keyboard of your system language but not show it in settings (so keyboard "US QWERTY" if you install en-US).

    For example I installed Windows en-US choosing a French keyboard at install time (and added an UK Apple keyboard later) but the US keyboard was added by default but it is not seen in settings.

    Here is US keyboard in second position
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-taskbar.png

    But US keyboard is not shown here at all
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-settings.png

    Adding and immediately removing the US QWERTY keyboard fixed that.

    Gone - no US keyboard
    Add or Remove Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10-after.png

    I found the solution in one of the comments by user Jubai in this SuperUser question but not as an answer so idk how long it will stick around.

    It is clearly a bug but as lots of us foreign people install en-US version of Windows (as it is more reliable sometimes) it is worth noting :)
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Good tip @lx07. Thank you. Now added.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 14
    Windows 10
       #3

    Thanks, @lx07. Sometimes the solution is as as silly the problem itself. :)
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #4

    Could be useful to add the Powershell option for problem cases.. e.g. Option 3 here:

    FIX: Cannot remove keyboard language in Windows 10/11
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    dalchina said:
    Could be useful to add the Powershell option for problem cases.. e.g. Option 3 here:

    FIX: Cannot remove keyboard language in Windows 10/11
    Hello mate,

    Nice option, but I can see a high potential of something getting messed up if not followed exactly.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #6

    Thanks, understood- any thoughts about this one, which is what reminded me of this approach?
    Cannot remove keyboard from existing preferred language
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #7

    dalchina said:
    Thanks, understood- any thoughts about this one, which is what reminded me of this approach?
    Cannot remove keyboard from existing preferred language
    Was Portuguese the installed system language, and why it's not wanting to easily be uninstalled?
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 42,634
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #8

    User said
    I have Portuguese installed since I want the regional format to be the Portuguese one.
    However, it forces me to have the Portuguese keyboard which I have no interest in, and cannot delete:
    so I assume so..
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #9

    dalchina said:
    User said

    so I assume so..
    Other than the method you posted, I'm not aware of any easy way to remove its keyboard other than removing the language itself.
      My Computers


 

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