USING ALT CODES ON LAPTOP WITHOUT NUM LOCK

is there a simpler way?Because a have a windows 8 laptop with no num lock and im tired of looking at articles that say num lock.

From my EBook at https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=E2F0CE17A268A4FA%21121 called Windows Shortcut Keys and Key Modifiers.

Entering International Characters [Prev | Next | Contents]

There is a number of ways of entering international characters and symbols.

• Use Character Map.
• Use Alt + <the character code entered on the numeric keypad>
• Hex to Unicode IME
• Converting Between Decimal and Hexadecimal
• Character Codes
• Use the US International Keyboard

• The Right Alt (Alt Gr) Key
• Dead Keys
• Names of Accents

• Switching Keyboards
• Tips

Note: If these techniques do not work for your application then you have the wrong keyboard selected (for that character like with arabic in older windows programs) or you have turned off Advanced Text Services. If turned off these techniques will work in Wordpad but may not in Notepad (depends on what exact character you are trying to insert into what program) or will insert the wrong character (depending on which technique being used). Start - Control Panel - Regional And Language Options - Languages - Advanced.

Run Language Dialog then click Advanced tab. Clear the checkbox Turn Off Advanced Text Services and set the checkbox Extend Support Of Advanced Text Services To All Programs.

Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Character Map (or type charmap in Start - Run) and transfer via the clipboard or drag from Character Map into your document.

Run Character Map

[Back to International Contents]

Holding down alt and pressing the character code on the numeric keypad will enter that character. The keyboard language in use must support entering that character. If your keyboard supports it the code is shown on the right hand side of the status bar in Character Map else this section of the status bar is empty. The status bar us also empty for characters with well known keys, like the letters A to Z.

However there is two ways of entering codes. The point to remember here that the characters are the same for the first 127 codes. The difference is if the first number typed is a zero of not. If it is then the code will insert the character from the current character set else it will insert a character from the OEM character set. Codes over 255 enter the unicode character and are in decimal. Characters entered are converted to OEM for Dos applications and either ANSI or Unicode depending on the Windows' application. See Converting Between Decimal and Hexadecimal.

E.G., Alt + 0 then 6 then 5 then release Alt enters the letter A

[Back to International Contents]

In programs based on the Rich Edit 3 control, such as Wordpad, enter a unicode number in hexadecimal format into the document then press Alt + X. This will convert the number typed into the unicode character. Select a character and press Alt + X to convert that character into it's unicode number. The code is shown on the left hand side of the status bar in Character Map in the form U + <hexadecimal code>, e.g., U + 0061 for the letter a.

Selecting letters A to E will result in it being considered a hexadecimal number and it will convert to the unicode characters (which are things like form feed and the enter key).

Run Wordpad

[Back to International Contents]

To convert hexadecimal to decimal start Windows Calculator (type calc in Start - Run or Start - All Programs - Accessories - Calculator) and choose Scientific from the View menu. Select Hex, enter the number, and click Dec. Hex and Decimal are also on the View menu.

Run Calculator

Or enter a decimal or hexadecimal number below to convert and preview the character.

[Back to International Contents]

The first 32 characters of the ANSI and Unicode character set are not used. In Dos they are either special characters or terminal control codes (depending on the program). In Dos pressing the Ctrl + <letter> or Alt + <a character code> may enter them, issue a terminal command (eg Ctrl + M or Alt + 13 is same as the Enter key) command, or accept it as a terminal command (it will appear as ^M for later processing). In some Dos text editors, such as Edit supplied with Windows (type Edit in Start - Run), will enter the character in the document after pressing Ctrl + P then the Ctrl + <a letter> character. Entering them in Windows (eg Alt + 8) will insert the ANSI or Unicode code for that character. Many of these characters are only in the Unicode character set and therefore will only work in recent Windows' programs. See the Introduction for troubleshooting if it doesn't accept the character. Most programs require special settings.

If a square is inserted it means the font you are using does not have that character in it. Choose a different font (Arial is a good choice).

If most of the characters below are shown as squares then you have overridden this page's choice of fonts and using a font that doesn't have that character in it as most fonts with windows, and Internet Explorer's default font, don't have these unicode symbols in it.

Codes 32 to 127 are common among OEM, ANSI, and Unicode (for English). Codes 128 to 255 are common between ANSI and Unicode.

Some computers may use OEM character set 437, the original IBM PC character set. This list here is 850, the US international character set, which is the default unless configured differently by the user.

To find the OEM code page type in a command prompt mode /status | find "Code page".

Find out OEM code page

Run Edit

[Back to International Contents]

Install the US International keyboard. Start - Control Panel - Regional And Language Options - Languages - Details - Add. While here review the Key Settings to switch keyboards or turn on the Language Bar (Advanced Text Services must not be disabled).

Run Language Dialog

This works in two modes. Right Alt or Shift + Right Alt + another key and also by pressing dead keys (such as accents). On non US Keyboards the Right Alt key is called Alt Gr.

Right Alt is the same key as Ctrl + Left Alt on the US International keyboards, and on almost all keyboards except the standard US keyboards where left and right keys are treated the same . This is a reason why Ctrl + Alt should not be used to set hotkeys. Also F12 should also not be used for hotkeys as it's reserved for attaching a debugger.

[Back to International Contents]

Zoom Table (Normal/Large)

[Back to International Contents]

The dead keys are the apostrophe ('), quotation mark ("), accent grave (`), tilde (~), and caret (^). If these are pressed the system waits for the next key. If it is in the list below then it enters the symbol character else it enters both keys separately. These work with uppercase where appropriate. Press Space to insert the dead character.

See Names of Accents for a list of what the characters are called. This paragraph lists what the keys are called. See Tips for infomation on Microsoft Word.

Zoom Table (Normal/Large)

| ' then C | Ç | | --- | --- | | ' then e | é | | ' then y | ý | | ' then u | ú | | ' then i | í | | ' then o | ó | | ' then a | á | | " then e | ë | | " then u | ü | | " then i | ï | | " then o | ö | | " then a | ä | | ** then **e** | è | | ** then u | ù | | ** then **i** | ì | | ** then o | ò | | ~ then o | õ | | ~ then n | ñ | | ^ then e | ê | | ^ then u | û | | ^ then i | î | | ^ then o | ô | | ^ then a | â |

[Back to International Contents]

Zoom Table (Normal/Large)

[Back to International Contents]

| Left Alt + Shift | Switches keyboard layout or language (default). | | --- | --- | | Control + Shift | Switches keyboard layout (default) or language. | | Left Alt + Shift + <a number, tilde (~), or accent grave ()*>** | Switches to a specific keyboard layout or language (default). | | **Control + Shift + <*a number, tilde (~), or accent grave ()> | Switches to a specific keyboard layout (default) or language. |

On the advanced tab turn on both Advanced Text Services and Extend Support To All Programs to enable Left Alt + Shift support.

Keys to switch layouts are set at Start - Control Panel - Regional Options - Languages - Details - Key Settings.

Run Language Dialog then click Advanced tab or Key Settings button.

[Back to International Contents]

• Like Accessibility there is a trick here with general applicability. Normally Caps Lock is on or off and stays on or off until the key is pressed again. This can be changed to act like a typewriter at Start - Control Panel - Regional And Language Options - Languages - Details - Key Settings and one can select whether another Caps Lock press will turn off Caps Lock or if pressing the Shift key will turn it off like on a typewriter. Run Language Dialog.
• In Microsoft Word, and also programs based on the Rich Edit Control like Wordpad, one can press Ctrl + an accent to activate the dead keys. This is available even with a Standard US keyboard. See Rich Edit Shortcut Keys. Run Wordpad

[Back to International Contents]

Open up a modern web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge:

  -  Tested in Chrome and Edge

  -  Untested in Firefox but it should work

  -  Some text editors support alt codes but a lot of them don't

Locate your Function key:

  -  Usually near your left Ctrl key

  -  Commonly labeled as Fn

Locate your Scroll Lock key:

  -  Usually in the F1-F12 key row

  -  Commonly labeled as ScrlLk

Look for a numpad:

  -  Usually to the right of your keyboard

  -  On some laptops it is built into these keys:

⦁  7   8   9

    U   I   O

    J   K   L

        M

Turn on Number Lock:

  -  Usually near a dedicated Num Pad 

  -  Commonly labeled as Num Lock

  -  If your keyboard has a no dedicated numpad try Fn + Scrl Lk

If you do not possess any Number Lock key, your laptop may have a Function Lock key

  -  Usually activated by Fn + Esc

You should now be able to press the numpad keys without a modifier to type numbers

  -  Try pressing this (laptop):

⦁ 7   8   9

  U   I   O

   J   K   L

       M

  -  Or this (numpad):

⦁ 7   8   9

   4   5   6

   1   2   3

        0

  -  You should end up with "7894561230"

Type with the Alt key codes:

  -  Hold down an one of the Alt keys next to your Spacebar

  -  Use the numpad to type out an alt code (Alt + 16 should result in ► for example)

Congratulations!

 ◄*►‼↕‼◄*► 

     §►☺◄§

 ♣ȫ̉oM̉ϧM̉ōỏȫ♣

Using the character map is neither convenient nor practical for those of us who are learning a foreign language or quoting from works in foreign languages in order to use them as examples or in translating.  I have, in the past, taken to pasting a line of all the foreign characters or special symbols that I may require, both at the top and at the bottom of my work.  I am able to copy/paste from these lines reasonably expeditiously.  However, whenever possible, I do this work on my MacBook Air as the OS keyboard allows one to hold the appropriate key down so that a tiny menu pops up allowing one to select the variously accented forms of that letter.  All of the wonderful "improvements" in Windows 10 are mostly of no use to those who do a great deal of text work and have no interest in "syncing devices" or storing things in the cloud; a simple improvement that would allow one to enter these special characters without breaking out of the flow of text would be a real benefit.  Lack of such a facility makes me [a crabby old lady]

             la anciana malhumorada