Many keyboards on the laptops carry multi-function keys. They usually help to combine keys or enable an elevated extra key marked on the keyboard. If you have seen extra keys marked on a key, i.e., in the image you can see there is a dot, hyphen, and an underscore. In this guide, we will discuss – What is the Alt Gr key, how do you use it, and how to enable or disable Alt Gr key on Windows 11/10 keyboard (non-US keyboards).
What is the Alt Gr key on my Keyboard?
ALT GR or the ALT GRAPH key is found on some international keyboards, which also support locale, i.e., accented letters, currency, and special symbols. This key is handy for anyone working with a language where accent characters are sometimes needed.
Using it is rather straightforward. Just like you use the Control key for Ctrl + C, you can use the ALT GR + key, which also houses the special or accented letter. Windows allows emulating Alt GR when you press Ctrl + Alt keys together.
Here is an interesting fact about Alt Gr. It was introduced initially as a means to draw lines and rectangles directly in the GUI. However, today, it is used to produce alternate characters.
How to enable Alt Gr key on Windows Keyboard
There is no way to disable this key. The default mode is turned on. However, workarounds are available depending on your plan with the Alt Gr key.
1] If your computer has an Alt Gr key, you can disable it by pressing the shift key and the control key at the same time. It is possible that it has been activated to be always on; this can turn it off.
2] We know that Windows mimics this key when you press Ctrl + Alt keys together or use the Right Alt key. If your physical Alt Gr key has stopped working, you can use this combination.
3] If you do not want Alt Gr to work at all, we can remove the characters it produces. This is possible using the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator.
Download, install, and launch the tool. Then click File > Load Existing keyboard. Make sure to select the correct keyboard layout.
Tick the checkbox next to Alt + Ctrl (Alt Gr). It will reveal all the characters it can produce as soon as you do that.
Here, you have two choices.
- Delete those characters which you don’t need. If you don’t want it to work at all, remove it all.
- Replace them with the character you want to produce.
To delete or replace, click on the unique character. It will open an edit box. Here you can remove or type your own choice of character.
Once all changes are complete, click on File > Save as image.
Go to the menu Project > Properties. Add a name and description.
Then again click on Project > Build DLL and Setup package.
Open the folder where you chose to save the setup package. Double-click to install it. Then go to Settings > Time and Language > Language > click on the default language pack > options > add keyboard > select the name of the keyboard we just created and apply it.
Now when you use the Right Alt Key or Alt GR, it will not output any character, or it will output characters you have chosen.
Fix Alt Gr key not working issue
1] Remote connection issues
If it’s not working in a remote connection or open Hyper-V connections have stopped working suddenly, it’s best to close that remote connection. The Alt Gr will start working again. It is a known bug. As an alternative, you can use the Ctrl key in combination with the Alt GR + key to make it work. It seems the Remote Desktop Manager blocks or disables the key.
2] Check if any other program is using it
It is possible that some other program could be interpreting some of the AltGr keyboard inputs as shortcuts. Figure out the recently installed or update program, and you should be able to resolve it. Similarly, the right ALT might be in the same situation.
3] Use AutoHotKey
You can use AutoHotKey to emulate Alt + Ctrl on Windows 11/10. The right ALT key should work, but if it doesn’t, the script should help.
4] Changing keyboard Locale
Sometimes, switching the keyboard locale from the current language to a foreign language can mess with the keycode. To fix it, you might have to remove that keyboard and set it to default.
I am sure one of these will help you fix your ALT Gr issues on Windows laptop. Usually built on non-US keyboards, this is an important key that most English-using editors or consumers aren’t aware of.
