Activating Keyboards and the Language Bar in Windows
First, activate the keyboards or input methods that you want through the Control Panel:
- Click on the Start button > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region > Region and Language.
- Click the Keyboards and Languages tab, and then click Change keyboards.
- Under Installed services, click Add.
- Double-click the language you want to add, double-click "Keyboard," and select the options you want. Then click OK.
Next, turn on the Language Bar:
- While you still have the "Text Services and Input Languages" window open (or open again following steps 1-2 above), click on the Language Bar tab.
- Make sure the "Docked in the taskbar" option is selected. Click OK to close all control panel windows open.
Use the Language Bar to select which language you want to type in:
- The Language Bar should now appear in the lower-right corner of your computer screen.
- Click on the 2-letter language abbreviation (e.g., EN for English), then select the language you want from the menu.
- Some languages have multiple keyboard options. After you select the language, click the small keyboard icon to select further options.
When using another keyboard layout, open the On-Screen Keyboard to see what characters are associated with each key:
- Click the Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Ease of Access. (In Windows XP, it's called Accessibility.)
- Then click On-Screen Keyboard to open the On-Screen Keyboard.
- The On-Screen Keyboard will show you what letters are associated with each key. You can type the letters with your keyboard, or you can click on the letters on the screen.
- When you press/click Shift, Ctrl, Alt, etc., you'll see what new characters can be typed by using these combination keys.
Need help? Contact the LCC, or check out the links below for more detailed, step-by-step instructions.