Japanese XP + English keyboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter bdinmstig
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bdinmstig

Hi, I live in Japan and use Japanese versions of Windows at work and at
home, but prefer the US (104-key) keyboard layout. I've never had a
problem with this combination before, but I just bought my first ever
USB keyboard (104-key) and I can't seem to find a way to make Japanese
XP recognise it as a US-layout keyboard. As a result, some of the keys
map differently to what's printed on them.

I have tried going into the keyboard properties and clicking "Update
Driver..." (actually "ドライãƒã®æ›´æ–°...") but it doesn't seem to
list a 104-key keyboard.

Can anyone help?

I am using Windows XP (SP2) with a Filco FKB-108-EU USB keyboard.
 
Look in Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages -
details..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User






Hi, I live in Japan and use Japanese versions of Windows at work and at
home, but prefer the US (104-key) keyboard layout. I've never had a
problem with this combination before, but I just bought my first ever
USB keyboard (104-key) and I can't seem to find a way to make Japanese
XP recognise it as a US-layout keyboard. As a result, some of the keys
map differently to what's printed on them.

I have tried going into the keyboard properties and clicking "Update
Driver..." (actually "???????...") but it doesn't seem to
list a 104-key keyboard.

Can anyone help?

I am using Windows XP (SP2) with a Filco FKB-108-EU USB keyboard.
 
There are tons of options in there for the IME, but nothing about the
keyboard at all... :-(
 
Japanese XP must be different then.. are you sure that you went to the right
place?

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User
 
I found the solution (yay!):

It seems that Windows can support multiple physically connected
keyboards at once - so for example you can have a PS/2 keyboard *and* a
USB keyboard plugged in and useable at the same time.

However, it only supports *one* keyboard layout at a time, so
hypothetically if you had a Japanese PS/2 keyboard and an English USB
keyboard Windows would see them as either both Japanese or both
English.

On top of that, it seems you can't set the layout of a USB keyboard -
only a PS/2 one! So the solution (found at the link below - in Japanese
only) is:

1. Connect a PS/2 keyboard - Japanese or English
2. Restart the PC
3. Go to Control Panel > Keyboard > Hardware, select the PS/2 keyboard,
and click Properties
4. On the Driver tab, click Update Driver
5. Install a generic/default 104-key driver (reboot required)
6. Disconnect the PS/2 keyboard

If you don't have a PS/2 keyboard handy, according to the link below
you have to edit the registry to change the *single* keyboard layout
for your Windows installation!

The reason your (Mike's) solution didn't work is because the Regional
and Language Settings dialog shows "US" as a keyboard layout for
English, but that is actually the value of the "keyboard layout or
input system" setting (when you click Add in that dialog it gives you 2
dropdowns - language and input system). For Japanese, all it gives you
is the IME, which has nothing at all to do with keyboard layout. (A
plague on the house of the UI designer that came up with this very
confusing dialog box!)

So problem solved - I hope this is helpful to other people with a
similar problem. Thanks Mike for trying.

Here is the web page of the manufacturer of my (awesome) keyboard that
explains all this stuff:
http://www.diatec.co.jp/support/details/wxp-108setup.html
 
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