Imagine that while typing on your keyboard you realize that the key you pressed does not correspond to what is being typed on the screen. This problem can become a nuisance if we are not able to write what we want, but it has a solution in most cases.
What has happened is probably a keyboard configuration problem that is easy to fix, rather than a more serious mechanical problem with the keyboard.
Keyboard Language Settings
Keyboards in Spain have a standard QWERTY keyboard layout . However, in other languages there are other configurations (like Dvorak) or changes of positions of some symbols. For example, we have the letter eñe to the right of the ele, but obviously this key is not on other devices where it would be practically useless.
Dvorak keyboard
That is why, if the keyboard language is deconfigured, we may be physically having the same keyboard as always, but it is entering commands that would be on the keys of that respective territory.
Most likely, you accidentally pressed the keyboard shortcuts Alt+Shift or Control+Shift . These allow you to jump between keyboard languages. Alt+Shift changes the input language (the one you type), while Control+Shift changes the keyboard layout.
To match them again we have two options: the first is to press those shortcuts again so that the configuration is changed and we return to our previous keyboard configuration.
The second option is to enter the control panel and make changes to the regional and language settings .
- Click Start, search for and select “Regional Settings” from the list of search results.
- In the menu select Language and then Keyboard.
- Choose your Language again in case it does not put «Spanish» or your distribution if now it is not “QWERTY”
So that these shortcuts do not bother you in the future, if you are not using them consciously, you can disable their use:
Remove keyboard shortcuts
- Go into Settings and look for the Advanced keyboard settings option.
- Hit the blue phrase that says: Input language hotkeys.
- Among the selections to change “Input Language” and “Keyboard Layout”, select “Not Assigned”.
keys out of place
There are many keyboards that allow you to lift the keys to clean quite easily, since it is precisely dust, dirt or liquids that can damage the keyboard causing it to respond incorrectly when you type.
Spanish key layout (with eñe)
If you are not typing enough to type without the visual reference of the letter on the key, you may find that the match between what you read on the key and what is typed on the screen is failing.
It may be a mistake of placing the keys in the wrong position . Above these lines you have an example of a QWERTY layout for a peripheral in Spanish that includes the letter eñe. Of course, there are variants, especially on laptops, which may or may not include a separate numeric keypad or have hotkeys assigned to certain shortcuts, but the key sequence should be as follows.
- Top row (from left to right): Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P
- In the middle row (left to right): A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, Ñ
- Bottom row (L to R): Z, X, C, V, B, N, M
Update BIOS and drivers
If keyboard errors and these misconfigurations happen constantly, try updating both your computer’s BIOS and drivers to the latest version and maybe fix some kind of previous error.
device manager
In the event that none of this works for you, you can always remap the keys to your liking and correct these configuration errors, for example, using SharpKeys or the Windows 10 PowerToys.