Weird one - my keyboard doesnt type the right symbols...

[[Phill]]

I just got a new computer (running XP media centre OS) and after firing everything up, ive found that some keys on my keyboard are backwards - like @ becomes " and visa versa, and some keys dont work at all, like the pound symbol is a hash # and the key with a hash and that squiggly line thing is \ and |.

Is there someway of changing this in the software - im a bit of a computer noob but know a little - ive looked around the control panel and tried the troubleshoot utility but cant find an answer.

[erbbysam]

changing inputs on your computer it a pretty hefty thing to do... have you tried replacing the keyboard?, because that's likely the source of the problem in the first place.

[CT11]

you may have your imput locale setup wrong. Windows an remap your keyboard however you want it. This way you can use the same keyboard for different languages that require for example the two dots over some vowels. Another use is remapping for ergonomics. ie my home row is as follows
aoeuidhtns-
which are the most common keys right there on the home row to speed up typing and lower fatigue.

In any case the important thing is in windows XP go to start->settings->control panel
open regional and language options
in the languages tab click details.

underkeyboard it should say US

if there is nothing wrong there then your keyboard may not be sending the correct scan codes but I have never heard of that happening.

[bigalt]

[ QUOTE ]
ie my home row is as follows aoeuidhtns-

[/ QUOTE ]
holy cow this just blew my mind

[CT11]

lol. if you want to know more:
wikipedia has some info on the dvorak keymap.

[CORed]

There's an old story, probably an urban legend:

A guy calls up tech support at a computer company, and tells them there is smoke coming out the back of his computer. The tech support guy tells him he needs a new power supply. The dumb user asks, "Isn't there some command I can put in my autoexec.bat or config.sys (I told you this is an old story. For you kids, those were configuration files for DOS.) to stop the smoke?"

"No. You need to replace your power supply." The user just won't listen, and finally the tech support guy tells him to put a "nosmoke.exe" command in his autoexec.bat. He does so, and gets a "bad command or filename" message. The tech suppor guy tells him to call Microsoft and get them to send it to him on a floppy (Old story: Al gore hadn't invented the internet yet).
He calls the manufacturer's tech support back the next day, and says Microsoft told him his that nosmoke.exe is incompatible with his power supply, so he needs a new one.

The moral: You can't fix bad hardware by mucking around with the software. You've got a bad keyboard dude. It's a new computer, so get the manufacturer to send you a new one under warranty. Don't tell them about the coke, beer, water or whatever you spilled on it (if that's what happened). If for some reason, you can't get it replaced under warranty (like you foolishly told them about the spill), buy a new keyboard.

[CT11]

If he has the wrong IME selected he can buy 1000 keyboards and it won't help.

moral of the story: New hardware won't fix a software (or settings) problem.

I'm not saying its definitely not a HW problem but if it takes 5 seconds to check for a SW problem before deciding to spend time changing hardware. spend the 5 seconds first.

[CORed]

Well, you are correct that correctly diagnosing the problem is critical. Checking the control panel settings should be the first step. I know you can map keys in XP (or just about any OS), but I've never bothered. I've been typing on the QWERTY layout way too long to change now. Besides, I'm left-handed and qwerty really isn't too horrible a layout for a left-hander. A lot of the most common letters are on the left hand.

It seems unlikely to me that a brand-new PC with a factory install of Windows would have the wrong keyboard set, but stranger things have happened and it's certainly worth checking. You are of course correct that replacing the keyboard if the settings are wrong would be every bit as useless as(and more expensive than) fiddling with software settings on a fried or liquid-damaged keyboard.

[goldtoes]

changing your regional options and keyboard language to English (United States) should fix it.

[[Phill]]

Been screwing on with language and regional settings, going between English US, English UK (where i am btw) and anything i can think of or see and its made litterally no difference.

Assuming no one else has any other software based ideas, ill drop some cash on a keyboard - fwiw, i would have probably done that anyway in the long term, the layout is pretty crappy with the right shift key being shorter and having a hash/scuiggly line thing to its right which i tap with my right pinky constantly since thats how ive always capitalised.

Thanks for the help guys.