How to Change the Keyboard Layout in XP
If you want to set up your keyboard for another language or use a non-traditional layout, doing so is quick, easy and free for any version of Windows XP.
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Instructions
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Download InchWest's MapKeyboard program or a similar program. You can find it on InchWest's website or by searching for a similar program on the Internet.
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Unzip the file named mapkeyboard.zip to a readily available location, such as the desktop. All you need is the executable file of the same name. No installation will be necessary. Other keyboard remapping solutions may require an installation.
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Open the program. With InchWest's MapKeyboard, you will now see a virtual keyboard layout on your screen. Other programs should show a similar image.
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Select keys you would like to change and remap them by selecting another option or by pressing a different key on the keyboard. For instance, if you wanted to remap the S key to B, you would need to click S in MapKeyboard and then either type the letter B on the keyboard or select it from the dropdown menu at the bottom of the program window.
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Once you've finished remapping keys, save the layout by selecting "Save layout" in the bottom right corner of the program window. MapKeyboard will inform you that it must make changes to your Windows registry, and that a restart will be necessary for the changes to take effect. Other programs will likely work similarly, making minor changes to the Windows Registry to remap keys.
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Allow the computer to restart, and then test the newly changed keyboard layout.
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Tips & Warnings
While InchWest's MapKeyboard provides many advantages and is simple enough for any computer user to operate, more advanced users may want to try Microsoft's Keyboard Layout Creator, also compatible with all versions of Windows XP. Microsoft's Keyboard Layout Creator allows remapping of Shift, Ctrl and Alt functions, and the creation of new ones, a feature that InchWest's MapKeyboard lacks.
If you don't like the way you remapped your keyboard, you can always set things back to default.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit keyboard #3 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
