Solved How do I setup a laptop in UK with German Keyboard

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

Could someone please guide me to setup a laptop in UK which has German keyboard, do I need to buy an external UK keyboard?

ShamrockRig · Oct 19, 2022

Hey, So i believe it may be easier if you search for QWERTZ or QWERTZU laptops, Uk keyboards are QWERTY where as German are the two stated previously.

Amazon.co.uk : qwertz laptop

Fun bit of info, I was buying a keyboard a few years ago, a razer ornata chroma, The uk version was £40 more expensive than the german version, So hey i got it, Popped off the Z and the Y, Swapped em, Remapped the keys and boom sorted. Guess i also learned some new german words too! And 40 quid saved

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

ShamrockRig said:
Hey, So i believe it may be easier if you search for QWERTZ or QWERTZU laptops, Uk keyboards are QWERTY where as German are the two stated previously.

Amazon.co.uk : qwertz laptop

Fun bit of info, I was buying a keyboard a few years ago, a razer ornata chroma, The uk version was £40 more expensive than the german version, So hey i got it, Popped off the Z and the Y, Swapped em, Remapped the keys and boom sorted. Guess i also learned some new german words too! And 40 quid saved

Hi,
Thanks, but I have already got a laptop with German keyboard, I find it difficult to setup Windows because there's no English UK or USA available, so do you think if I buy a English UK external keyboard I will be able to setup Windows in English?

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

Language choices & keyboard layout choices are two entirely separate things in Windows.
- You can use your German keyboard layout even though you are in the UK & even if you choose English as your Windows language.
- Similarly, you could choose a UK keyboard layout even if you chose to keep German as your Windows language.

You could do any of these things and it is entirely your decision:
1 Keep using your German keyboard layout even though you have set English as your interface language.
2 Tell Windows that your keyboard layout is English even though it's not. You could, for example, put sticky tape on the relevant keys showing what they do in English layouts.
Your Shift Ä key will, for example, produce the @ symbol. I've had to do this with two keyboards and it's not the pain in the neck it might sound [I normally use UK keyboard layouts but these particular keyboards are laid out & hence labelled as US ones].
3 Buy a UK layout keyboard and use that instead of your built-in keyboard.

Change Keyboard Layout - ElevenForumTutorials
Keyboard Layout Input Method Override - Change Default - ElevenForumTutorials
Add or Remove Keyboard Layout for Input Language - ElevenForumTutorials

Change Display Language - ElevenForumTutorials
Add a Language - ElevenForumTutorials

What is your current situation? Are you, for example, about to do a clean install? Or perhaps you've just decided to use a different Windows language and now find the different keyboard layout awkward?

Best of luck,
Denis

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

Try3 said:
Language choices & keyboard layout choices are two entirely separate things in Windows.
- You can use your German keyboard layout even though you are in the UK & even if you choose English as your Windows language.
- Similarly, you could choose a UK keyboard layout even if you chose to keep German as your Windows language.

You could do any of these things and it is entirely your decision:
1 Keep using your German keyboard layout even though you have set English as your interface language.
2 Tell Windows that your keyboard layout is English even though it's not. You could, for example, put sticky tape on the relevant keys showing what they do in English layouts.
Your Shift Ä key will, for example, produce the @ symbol. I've had to do this with two keyboards and it's not the pain in the neck it might sound [I normally use UK keyboard layouts but these particular keyboards are laid out & hence labelled as US ones].
3 Buy a UK layout keyboard and use that instead of your built-in keyboard.

Change Keyboard Layout - ElevenForumTutorials
Keyboard Layout Input Method Override - Change Default - ElevenForumTutorials
Add or Remove Keyboard Layout for Input Language - ElevenForumTutorials

Change Display Language - ElevenForumTutorials
Add a Language - ElevenForumTutorials

What is your current situation? Are you, for example, about to do a clean install? Or perhaps you've just decided to use a different Windows language and now find the different keyboard layout awkward?

Best of luck,
Denis

Hi Denis,
Thanks for the quick response, I have received the laptop with German Keyboard, when I tried to setup Windows there's no UK(Eng)/USA(Eng) region available in the initial setup, so I thought of recovering old image which I had in my spare HDD, then another problem cropped up

it was asking for current password which I don't have, so I have asked for more support from Acer and waiting for the reply, if I know the password for BIOS I could try a clean installation, I will take your advice No3 and buy a UK layout external keyboard and use.

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

I don't know if Acer will help you with a Bios password unless you can prove ownership. They've all got very touchy about this over the last few years.
Could you ask whoever sent you the laptop for the Bios password?

Buying a UK keyboard is probably the simplest solution. Then all you'll need to do is
Change Keyboard Layout - ElevenForumTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

Try3 said:
I don't know if Acer will help you with a Bios password unless you can prove ownership. They've all got very touchy about this over the last few years.
Could you ask whoever sent you the laptop for the Bios password?

Buying a UK keyboard is probably the simplest solution. Then all you'll need to do is
Change Keyboard Layout - ElevenForumTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

Yes, I will contact the supplier and see what happens, thanks for your help.

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

Try3 said:
I don't know if Acer will help you with a Bios password unless you can prove ownership. They've all got very touchy about this over the last few years.
Could you ask whoever sent you the laptop for the Bios password?

Buying a UK keyboard is probably the simplest solution. Then all you'll need to do is
Change Keyboard Layout - ElevenForumTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

Hi Denis,
Just an update, I have managed to unlock BIOS with the help of Acer Support and managed to install German version of Win 11 with English added, I will try to manage with the German keyboard, if it becomes too bothersome, I'll buy an English keyboard and use, anyway thanks for your support

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

brummyfan said:
I have managed to unlock BIOS with the help of Acer Support

Well done.

Denis

cereberus · Oct 19, 2022

brummyfan said:
Could someone please guide me to setup a laptop in UK which has German keyboard, do I need to buy an external UK keyboard?

Its easy enough to add a virtual UK keyboard setting to a laptop with German keyboard but problem is a lot of the keys are just not in same position.

I had same issue with a Danish Laptop - in the end I bought an internal UK keyboard for the laptop. Fortunately, replacing it on a Lenovo was very easy, but not all laptops are as obliging.

Of course, an external keyboard is always an option

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

cereberus makes a very good point. You do have an additional option.

Go to the Acer website to find a downloadable copy of the Service manual for your model.
That will tell you how easy or awkward the job is.
I've known keyboard replacements take anything from four minutes to four hours [and that first one included a tea break].

Best of luck,
Denis

brummyfan · Oct 19, 2022

@cereberus & @Try3
Thank you both for your support, yes I am thinking of buying an external UK keyboard, I have access to the service manual and looked in to it but unfortunately, there's no English key board available for this model, anyway, at the moment I enjoy this nice laptop except finding the correct combination keys for symbols when typing, like }_£ etc.

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

The point about the Service manual was to see if the procedure was time consuming.

But if there's no UK keyboard available for the model then that's the end of it.
I have never heard of a computer model that a computer maker decided never to sell in the UK.
I've found replacement keyboards in Amazon UK or AliExpress.

All the best,
Denis

cereberus · Oct 19, 2022

brummyfan said:
@cereberus & @Try3
Thank you both for your support, yes I am thinking of buying an external UK keyboard, I have access to the service manual and looked in to it but unfortunately, there's no English key board available for this model, anyway, at the moment I enjoy this nice laptop except finding the correct combination keys for symbols when typing, like }_£ etc.

You can buy keyboard sticker overlays very cheaply

https://www.amazon.co.uk/keyboard-Replacement-stickers-adhesive-transparent-Black/dp/B09C6CFJCD/ref=sr_1_6?qid=1666208120&s=computers&sr=1-6&srs=430436031

Try3 · Oct 19, 2022

brummyfan said:
finding the correct combination keys for symbols when typing, like }_£ etc

If you tell Windows that it's a UK keyboard then the keys will do the normal UK thing. It's just that the labels on the keys will not match the action.
Keyboard Layout Charts

cereberus said:
keyboard sticker overlays

I once looked into those but there were too many customer moans about them [10% of Amazon reviews at 1 or 2 star level is my threshold].
My bits of cut out insulating tape, however, have lasted for four years so far.

Denis

cereberus · Oct 19, 2022

Try3 said:
If you tell Windows that it's a UK keyboard then the keys will do the normal UK thing. It's just that the labels on the keys will not match the action.
Keyboard Layout Charts

I once looked into those but there were too many customer moans about them [10% of Amazon reviews at 1 or 2 star level is my threshold].
My bits of cut out insulating tape, however, have lasted for four years so far.

Denis

Well, I have used them in past with no issues and at £4 , hardly a big risk.

On one old pc, I even used evostick adhesive to keep the stickers on.

Insulating tape would work, but then you have to manually write keys.