Hey Windows: stop changing my keyboard language to Swahili

posted Apr 2, 2014, 9:55 AM by Ezra Kenigsberg

#DataTipOfTheDay 2014-04-02

Q: "Why is my keyboard suddenly acting strangely?"

A: For example, you hit the "Z" key and a "Y" appears on your screen? It's probably because Windows 8 interpreted an earlier keystroke as "change my keyboard language to German".

Windows 8 also suppresses the Ctrl+Shift+0 keystroke, which is annoying for us Excel keystroke nerds who know that as "unhide column".

To disable Windows 8's language-switching keystrokes:
  1. Navigate to Control Panel
  2. Click “Language” icon
  3. Click “Advanced Settings” link in left-hand pane
  4. Click “Change language bar hot keys” link in “Switching input methods” section of window
  5. Click “Advanced Key Settings” tab in “Text Services and Input Languages” dialog
  6. Click “Change Key Sequence…” button
  7. Under “Switch Input Language”, click “Not Assigned” radio button
  8. Under “Switch Keyboard Layout”, click “Not Assigned” radio button
  9. Click “OK” button
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