Russian mnemonic keyboard layout is missing letters in Windows 8.

Question

I work as a translator and need to constantly work with both Spanish and Russian keyboards on my computer. I just purchased a new laptop with Windows 8 and I find that the russian mnemonic keyboard layout is missing 5 letters of the cyrillic alphabet. Also, when I press two specific keys, the letters do not appear, but if I press these keys twice, the letters appears suddenly twice.

I have tried installing my own customized keyboard layout from the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator, but it does not work with Windows 8, only with older versions.

This incomplete russian keyboard is a huge impediment to my work, as I am not able to type normally and it makes it impossible to work efficiently.

I have tried to find out how to downgrade to Windows 7, but it seems that I cannot do this unless I have Windows 8 Pro, plus a Windows 7 license (which I don't because this is a new computer with Win 8 installed in it).

Could you please let me know if there is a solution? I want to return this computer and get my money back, so I can buy one with an older version on Windows. I cannot work with this one, since the product is not complete and correct. I find it very upsetting and frustrating to buy a product that is expected to be better, only to find that it is worse and does not work.

I do not have the original package, I threw it away as I did not expect this keyboard failure to happen, and now cannot return it. 

How can I return this computer? Is the fact that the keyboard layout is not complete not a reason for me to be able to get my money back for it, since the product has defficiencies?

Answer 1

Actually, I have been using Translit.ru for a while and it's great, very intuitive -- in fact, perfect for me (Russian is not my native but I'm quite proficient). I would love if the Microsoft's layout was the same, as had become a standard for translit over the years.

Instead it's awful, clumsy, unpredictable.. just irritating. I'm typing on it for more than a month and still can't get used to it. For example, delaying the appearance of the letter just because other keystroke might follow.. It's disturbing, there's no response, it breaks up the flow, and even if you don't press it twice automatically, the next is often interpreted wrongly.

I don't know the exact algos of either but it looks pretty straight forward to me. Or is replacing the letter already on display inherently not possible in the OS outside of Office environment?

For now.. JUST FRUSTRATING. I'm talking to my friends with latin characters just because using that layout takes the joy out of the conversation.

Answer 2

"the same ancient phonetic keyboard I"

It installs without any problem, same way it does under XP or Windows 7.

Here is the instruction:

• in English: http://phonetic.WinRus.com
• same in Russian: http://fon.WinRus.com

:)

Answer 3

ТHANK YOU!!!

I would have never figured this out!

don't know how I'll like it I have gotten used to the same ancient phonetic keyboard I have reinstalled on all my machines for the past 10+ years.  Will give it a chance now (caused a havoc for me till I read this post however - not very cool at all Msoft)

Answer 4

I am not advocating for the Windows 8 mnemonic keyboard, but one of the advantages of using multiple key sequences for certain Russian letters is that it doesn't require dedicating 7 additional keys to provide a unique lower/uppercase key for each of the 33 Russian letters.  That approach generally leaves alone the special characters that English typists are used to using without requiring that they handle them differently.  An exception turns out to be the use of the quote key for the Russian 'ь' so that a typist does need to make accommodation to use Russian quotes -- namely, to generate them the same way standard Russian keyboard typists have to generate them -- shift 2.  The software figures out whether it is an open or close quote, the same as with an English keyboard.

Answer 5

1. Microsoft ought to offer another version of keyboard layout creator for Windows 8, so people can use built-in option or create their own, not relying on previous versions of OS or/and existing layouts.

This program should support combinations - this way everybody would be happy!! ))

2. I do not have Win 8 yet so my question is for those who tried (Charles?)  According to the table above, Ь is displayed by pressing qoute key. So how qoute sign ¨ can be dispayed?