Special Characters in Windows 98

[Timon]

Hello everybody,

I have a fairly old computer, and I use Windows 98. It used to be that when I wanted to use a special character, such as an a or an e with an apestrophe, I just had to type the apestrophe, followed by the letter.

So for instance, ' + e made é automatically. But recently I carried out Compaq Quick Restore, and Windows 98 was newly installed. Since then, my computer doesn't do that anymore.

Can someone tell me how I can re-activate this function?

Thanks very much in advance,

Timon

[homecomputeraid]

You may have to add Character Map to your computer. I don't think it's installed by default. To do this, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Click on the Windows Setup tab, then scroll down to System Tools. Highlite System Tools by click on it, then click Details. Put a check in the box by Character Map, then click Ok, then Ok again. You will be asked for your Windows 98 CD. You can put it in, or browse to your .cab files if you know where they are.

That's it! To get to Character Map, you go to Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and click on Character Map. I'm not sure installing this will let you do things the way you did before, but it will let you do special characters manually, at least.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I have a tool called ShortKeys that gives me the functionality that you describe. The free version can define up to 15 such keyboard shortcuts.

See http://www.shortkeys.com/

[-pops-]

Remember that you can get a number of accented characters by holding down the Alt Gr key when typing the letter.

On a UK keyboard I can get á é í ó ú this way and also € by pressing the 4 on the alpha keyset.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Remember that you can get a number of accented characters by holding down the Alt Gr key when typing the letter.

On a UK keyboard I can get á é í ó ú  this way and also € by pressing the 4 on the alpha keyset.

Now what is the "Alt Gr" key -- I have never seen such a thing...?

[expertec]

It is just to the right of the space bar.

[-pops-]

Early Personal Computers had an extra "Alt" key (Alt meaning alternative) to allow the alpha keys to have a alternative function to those of standard typewriter keys. It was soon found that the Alt key was insufficient to offer the functions required so another Alt key was added. To distinguish this second Alt key from the first, it was coloured green. The green colouration was abandoned but the name Alt Gr added as it was retained as an identifier.

I am surprised that you have never seen the Alt Gr key, pwillener. It has been installed on all the computer keyboards I have seen, including a number of foreign language ones.

[bvw]

To distinguish this second Alt key from the first, it was coloured green. The green colouration was abandoned but the name Alt Gr added as it was retained as an identifier.

You learn something every day :)

[-pops-]

I can easily remember huge IBM machines with a green Alt key. There were some other keys which were coloured but I can remember which they were now. I think Esc was red - this needed to be found quickly as emergency run-aways were quite common.

[Timon]

Hi everybody,

Thanks very much for the replies so far!

I have Character Map on my pc. It works fine, but I find it pretty annoying to have to use this application every single time I want to use a special character. I write a lot in Portuguese, and I need special characters - a lot.

I read on the shortkeys.com website that the program is only valid for 30 days. Do I need to download again after 30 days, or purchase the program at US$ 19,95? Or is there a similar application that is free and has no trial limit?

I have two Alt keys on my pc, either side of the spacebar. Both just say "Alt", in white letters. I suppose I can use those.

But could anyone tell me how I can install this function as it used to be?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Timon

[-pops-]

Timon, you should be able to get a Portuguese keyboard and change the language settings on your computer to include that language as well. It is easier that way than struggling with a UK keyboard layout.

Someone in my family writes in French so, one of my machines has the French language as an alternative setting and we have a French keyboard. Both keyboards are USB so they are "hot swappable". It does save all that trouble of searching for accented letters and using the character map.

[doug]

Timon. I'm pretty sure you can get a Portugese keyboard. We were in Portugal last year and the keyboards on the public PC's in our hotel certainly looked Portuges or they may have been Spanish. They were definitely not English (UK or USA).

[Timon]

Hi everybody,

I have solved my problem. Someone gave me the answer in a different forum. In the control panel, I changed the language setting to Dutch (which is my native language), and the keyboard to US international instead of US standard. Now I can type my è's and ä's again!

Thanks everybody for your help. And Doug, good luck with the Great North Run!

Até à vista,

Timon

[nellie2]

Thanks for letting us know!