Fix a Keyboard That Types the Wrong Characters

Each installed layout adds its own input method. Two layouts mean the taskbar shows a switcher, and a stray **Ctrl+Shift** or **Win+Space** cycles between them.

Get-WinUserLanguageList | Select-Object LanguageTag,Autonym
Get-WinUserLanguageList | ForEach-Object { $_.InputMethodTips }
Get-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride

Keeping one layout removes the way to switch by accident. Set-WinUserLanguageList with **-Force** replaces the list in one step.

$list = Get-WinUserLanguageList
$list = $list | Where-Object LanguageTag -eq 'en-US'
Set-WinUserLanguageList $list -Force
Get-WinUserLanguageList | ForEach-Object { $_.InputMethodTips }

**Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride** decides which layout a new window gets. Without it, Windows reuses the last layout used per app window.

Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride -InputTip '0409:00000409'
Get-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Keyboard Layout\Preload' | Select-Object -Property * -ExcludeProperty PS*

AltGr, Alt and Ctrl produce the same wrong-symbol symptoms as a layout mismatch. Sticky Keys and a physically stuck key both look identical from the app side.

Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Control Panel\Accessibility\StickyKeys' | Select-Object Flags
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Control Panel\Accessibility\ToggleKeys' | Select-Object Flags
# open Notepad and type: a b y z 1 2 3 @ # \ |
notepad.exe

If the on-screen keyboard produces the right character while the physical one does not, the problem is the hardware or a remap. If both are wrong, it is the software layout.

Start-Process osk.exe
# press the same keys on screen and compare
Get-PnpDevice -Class Keyboard | Select-Object FriendlyName,Status,InstanceId

A Scancode Map value or a PowerToys keyboard remap silently rewrites keys. Both survive a layout change, which is why the wrong characters return after the fix.

Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout' -Name Scancode -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout' | Select-Object Scancode
Get-Process powertoys -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name,Id