- Strange accents are usually caused by mixed layouts or dead US-International keys; adjust the default input method.
- Locking the session with Ctrl+Alt+Del restarts the input subsystem and resolves errors without restarting the computer.
- Remove ghost keyboards and set the language in Settings; check accessibility, repeat, and number lock.
- If the problem persists, update your BIOS/drivers, reinstall your keyboard, and use your system and manufacturer's troubleshooters.
¿Does the keyboard have strange accents? When your keyboard starts typing accents and strange characters unpredictably, the problem is usually with your language and keyboard layout settings, not the hardware. In many cases, input layouts are mixed or a mode with dead keys is activated, and that triggers strange behavior when pressing the usual keys.
The good news is that there are quick and easy fixes you can apply without restarting your computer. From the legendary Ctrl+Alt+Del session lock to adjusting your default input method, to disabling accessibility features that slow down or duplicate keystrokes, you'll see how You will regain normal keyboard behavior in minutes.
Why strange accents and symbols appear
One of the most common reasons is that the United States International layout is loaded. This layout is designed to type accents and European characters using dead keys, so pressing the accent key and then a letter generates a composite character. If you're not familiar with this mechanics, it may seem like a mistake, but it's actually This is the expected behavior of the US-International layout.
Another common cause is that Windows boots with multiple layouts active at the same time. For example, you may have Spanish Spain and, intermittently, English United States or Portuguese ABNT2 added without realizing it. In these cases, with a simple system shortcut (such as switching languages with a key combination) you can inadvertently activate another keyboard. When this happens, What you type no longer matches what appears on the screen.
If you see black boxes with a question mark in applications like Notepad or installers, you're looking at the typical replacement character. This indicates an encoding problem: the text contains symbols that the application can't display. It's not the keyboard's fault, but rather how the text is interpreted; even so, the user may experience strange letters. In these cases, Make sure you use UTF-8 encoding and check the regional options for Spanish.
It's also possible that keys trigger shortcuts instead of typing. Several Windows 10 users have noticed that, randomly, keys like the M key mute a browser tab or the F key opens a search box. This indicates a temporary glitch in the input subsystem; luckily, there's a very effective trick to reset it without a full reboot: lock the session and re-enter.
Finally, there are hardware and driver scenarios: from character delays due to enabled accessibility features to keystroke duplication due to repeat settings. On laptops, the state of the BIOS and motherboard, keyboard, and touchpad drivers can play a role; in these cases, Update to recent versions or reinstall the device from the manager it is a miracle cure.
Quick fixes and how to lock the language from changing
When your keyboard suddenly starts opening functions or typing strange symbols, first try a soft reset of the input subsystem. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, enter the security menu, and choose the Lock option. When you log back in with your PIN or password, input handlers are reset without rebooting the entire systemIn many cases, the keyboard returns to normal behavior immediately.
If the problem is caused by mixed layouts, use the language bar in the taskbar to choose the correct layout. Hovering over the icon will show you the active language and layout. Click and select the one you need, for example, United States International or Spanish Spain, depending on your preference. This selection is immediate and avoid surprises when writing accents or symbols.
To add or set the appropriate layout on older systems, you can do so from the Control Panel. Go to Keyboards and Languages, click Change keyboards, and then Add. Expand the desired language (for example, English United States), open the Keyboard branch, and select United States International. Accept the changes, and in the Default input language, choose the language with the newly added layout. After confirming, You will see the language bar in the taskbar with the active layout.
In Windows 11 and 10, the modern route is Settings, Time & Language, Language & Region. Check that the preferred language is correct and go to Language Options to review the associated keyboards. Remove unused layouts (such as English United States or Portuguese ABNT2 if they appear unintentionally) and add only the ones you need. In Advanced keyboard settings, set the default input method and disable the option to allow a different input method per app if you don't want it. So, You lock the language for the entire system and prevent random changes..
A practical tip: review the system shortcuts that switch languages. If you tend to accidentally trigger the switch, consider disabling them or choosing combinations you don't use. Also, check that language syncing with your account doesn't restore layouts you've already deleted. With these two measures, Ghost keyboards will no longer reappear upon login.
For strange characters with question marks, it's a good idea to force saving in UTF-8 in Notepad or your text editor. If you're working with older installers or software, check the regional and formatting options and, if applicable, enable the use of Unicode for global compatibility in the system locale settings. In practice, this makes Spanish letters with accents and eñes are displayed correctly in most programs.
A note for those who do want to take advantage of United States International: remember that this layout uses dead keys. To type accented vowels, press the accent first and then the vowel; to type an accent alone, press the accent followed by the space bar. If this doesn't suit your typing style, switch to the standard layout of your preferred language. By adjusting the layout to your habits, You avoid friction and speed up your daily writing.
If keyboard layouts keep appearing and disappearing after a restart, delete the ones you don't want, set your favorite layout as the default, and restart once to consolidate the change. If they reappear after restarting, disable language sync for your account and review apps that manage languages (for example, suites that add their own layouts). With that cleanup, the system will be maintained with a single consistent input method. You may find that reading other guides about Windows like this one about The taskbar disappeared in Windows 11: a guide to recovering it help you master everything better.
If the problem persists: Drivers, Fn shortcuts, and diagnostics (Windows 11 and 10)
Update your computer first. Keeping your BIOS, Windows, and drivers up to date often improves stability and resolves keyboard issues. From Settings, go to Windows Update and apply all available updates. If you're using a laptop, visit the manufacturer's support page, enter the model, and download the latest drivers for your system, keyboard, and touchpad. This simple maintenance routine fixes many intermittent crashes and erratic keystrokes.
If after updating you notice that certain keys are unresponsive or behaving strangely, reinstall the keyboard from Device Manager. Open Device Manager, expand the Keyboards category, right-click on the keyboard device, and choose Uninstall Device. Repeat until all listed keyboards are removed and restart; Windows will automatically reinstall the driver. This cleanup process, Fast and secure, removes corrupted settings that may be causing the problem.
Also try the built-in Windows troubleshooter. In Windows 11, go to Settings, Troubleshoot, and under Other troubleshooters, run the Keyboard troubleshooter. In Windows 10, open Settings, Update & Security, Troubleshoot, select Keyboard, and run the wizard. Let it detect and apply fixes; it's a simple tool that often detects services or input configurations in an anomalous state.
If you notice a delay before the character appears on the screen, you may have Filter Keys enabled. Go to Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard, and disable them. If pressing once causes two or more characters to appear, go to Control Panel, open Keyboard, and adjust the Repeat Delay slider to Long. With these settings, Unwanted slowness and repetitions are corrected in writing.
When you type on certain keys and numbers appear, check the status of the Num Lock. You can open the on-screen keyboard from Run by typing osk, activate the numeric keypad in Options, and press the Num Lock key to turn it on. After that, the keys will return to their normal alphabetic assignment if the problem was only numerical.
If the characters you see don't match the keys, double-check your preferred language and installed keyboard. In Language Settings, confirm that the correct language is at the top of the list and that the active keyboard is the one you want. If it's missing, use Add a language and then Add a keyboard to add it. Also, make sure you select it as preferred by using Move up or setting it as default. These steps unify text input across the system.
On laptops, some Fn shortcuts may stop working if specific utilities or drivers are missing. Use the manufacturer's tool (e.g., MyASUS) to install the System Control Interface and the appropriate touchpad drivers, such as Precision TouchPad or Smart Gesture, depending on the model. After installing and restarting, shortcuts such as Fn to turn the touchpad on or off will return. This is important because These utilities manage keyboard functions beyond typing.
One thing to keep in mind for gaming rigs: disabling the Windows key from system utilities (for example, in Armory Crate settings) disables some display-related shortcuts. If you're having trouble switching between display modes or brightness, check that option. If in doubt, restore the setting and verify that Windows Update is up to date; that way, graphical shortcuts usually work again.
If the problem appeared recently and everything was fine before, consider using a system restore point to a date before the failure. Restoring the system can undo changes to drivers or settings that caused the error. And if nothing fixes it, save your files and try resetting your PC, preserving data whenever possible. This is the most drastic option, but returns the environment to a clean state without dragging conflicts.
Finally, if you have a diagnostic tool from the manufacturer handy, run it. In the ASUS ecosystem, the MyASUS System Diagnostics feature checks hardware and settings and suggests fixes. These suites are useful for verifying that there is no physical problem with the built-in keyboard and that it is, in fact, working. It all comes down to software and configuration.
By now, you should be typing normally on your keyboard. If you're stuck with US-International out of necessity, practice dead key logic; if not, stick with the layout that best suits your language and delete the rest. By combining session lock for quick fixes, good language management, and accessibility and driver settings, You will prevent the keyboard from playing tricks on you again. in your daily life. For more information, we leave you the Windows support on this same topic.
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