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Many Windows users are used to holding down the Alt key and using the keys on the numeric keypad to add accents and other special characters. Although many Alt key combinations work in Windows XP, some characters aren't easy to use, so you end up rummaging around the Character Map program trying to find them. Plus, if you use a laptop, they often don't have numeric keypads or you have to go through such keyboard function key contortions that it's impractical. But you have another option, which avoids these Alt key codes completely.
Instead of typing in codes, you can change to the International keyboard or one of the many keyboards available for particular languages. Microsoft continues to add new keyboards. For example they just added support for the Welsh language in Service Pack 2. After you install a keyboard, you use what's called the "dead key" technique. You type the diacritical mark first, then the letter. So for example, if you want to type an n with a tilde, you'd type the tilde first (~), then the n.
Installing a different keyboard is easy:
1. Choose Start|Settings|Control Panel|Regional and Language Options.
2. Click the Languages Tab and then click the Details button.
3. Under Installed Services, click the Add button.
4. Using the drop-down boxes, change the Input Language and the keyboard layout. For example, if you wanted the Welsh keyboard, you'd choose Welsh as the input language and the United Kingdom Extended layout.
Now you can type special characters that are particular to the Welsh language such as a y with a circumflex above it.
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