Windows on screen keyboard and ALT codes

Question

* Mod note: To anyone brought here by a search. See if this thread, created on 26 June 2023, helps.

Windows on screen keyboard and ALT codes

My laptop has no numeric keypad nor Numlock. How can I enter multiple digit ALT codes on the virtual OSK (on screen keypad) ?

You only seem to be able to enter 1 digit ALT. Seems pretty useless that this does not seem to have ever been addressed. Must be a better way than going to character map.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Ron,

As per your description, I understand that the issue you are facing with ALT codes (Special Characters) related to their shortcut commands which you can use from Numeric Keys. If your Laptop doesn't have Numeric Key then you need to purchase Numeric Key pad separately as the laptop model varies for it functions and capability.

On-Screen Keyboard allow to use complete features if you are using touch screen Computer. Though you can enable On-Screen Keyboard's Virtual Numeric pad by the following steps:

1. Press Windows + R, type control.exe and hit Enter.

Change the view by (from file explorer) to large icons or small icons.

3. Click on Ease of Access and then click On-Screen Keyboard.
4. Click Options (On On-Screen Keyboard), select the Turn on numeric key pad check box and then click Ok.

I recommend you using External Numeric Keypad because it will certainly complete your requirement.

Hope the information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance with Windows related issues, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Answer 2

This answer doesn't quite work. The computer keyboard and the external number pad don't speak to each other well enough to recognize the alt code. (I tried to buy one and found this out the hard way.) The only, and very frustrating, way to create alt-codes is with character map. Creating alt-codes with the onscreen keyboard is really hit or miss.

Answer 3

Hello,

Thank you for the Update on related issue.

The on-screen keyboard is very much different from external keyboard.

Only the numpad works with ALT greater to generate the ASCII codes or special characters. If you will not use the NUMPAD external keyboard then it would be quite difficult for you to type special characters.

This is a built-in feature of Windows for the input of Special Characters.

Please do let us know if you need further assistance with Windows, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Answer 4

I open osk ok and can type regular characters with it. Trying to use alt+numeric keypad ascii code does not work:

physical keyboard alt+numbers from the osk numeric keypad do nothing

clicking alt on osk and then a number in the osk numeric keypad gives me the code but works only for codes 0-9 (single key press); I cannot lock the alt and pressing any number releases the alt-key

thus I have to repeat the original question: how do I use osk to enter characters using the numeric keycodes?