Making character letters?

Can anyone tell me how to make the character letters on a laptop when there isn't a numbered key pad on the right of the keyboard? Thank you!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lynn Milton Anderson on February 20, 2010 at 12:34pm

In this group site go to the discussion Learning Swedish. I don't remember which lesson it is in but try ONE first.

If you are using a Windows operating system Windows 95 or later, you can "install an international keyboard." That is the best way for a lot of typing. It actually converts your US English (I only assume you are in the US) keyboard to a real Swedish keyboard (temporarily). I have my comuter set up with Swedish and Norwegian keyboards so I can switch quickly. A little icon appears on the task bar over to the right... it says EN right now. If i click on it it shows the keyboards I have installed and I can pick one. Set it up thru Control Panel Regional Settings (in Vista, may be different in earlier Windows). When you are in SV Ö is where semicolon is, Ä where quote marks, Å just right of P.

The second way is to use the Alt+number codes, the third is to just copy them from another document ö ä å letter at a time.

(Lynn researching Johannes Bengtson in Kvistbro parish)

Permalink Reply by Cheryl Palmer on February 20, 2010 at 1:12pm

Hi Lynn. I will check out the learning Swedish discussion and start with the first post. I just upgraded my computer to Windows 7. I am in the US. I think my old laptop had the added keyboard, as it was stuck in another language at one time. I think I will pull this laptop out and see. Actually, right now it is really the Norwegian keyboard I need. I was sent a page from a book and am trying to translate a few paragraphs for the person who sent it to me, so I can give back. I have most of it done except for those words with special characters. I tried to copy and paste, but the document wouldn't let me copy any of the words, even after I saved it. As you can tell I am in the very beginning stages of my Swedish and Norwegian family geneaology. I thank you so much for the info!

Permalink Reply by Cheri Hopkins on February 20, 2010 at 1:27pm

Some of the regular keys should have numbers on them just like a keypad configuration, if you are using a laptop, look close they should be there. Mine is a gateway and I have to hit Fn and the Scroll lock key to activate the numerical keypad--THEN you can enter your alt keycodes just like any other time. If you have a different brand laptop, and do not know how to activate your keypad numbers, try putting in google search "activate the numerical keypad on a (brand) laptop". This should bring up something to tell you how to activate your particular brand of computer keyboard. Email me if you need further help, don't know if I can , but I will try to figure yours out if I have a brand and model number. Lynn's suggestion of the international keyboard is good too, I just don't like switching back and forth on that. I find it easier to just enter with the alt codes when I occasionally want to enter a Swedish letter. Cheri clchopkins@gmail.com

Permalink Reply by Cheryl Palmer on February 20, 2010 at 1:57pm

Cheri, this is EXACTLY what I have been trying to do! I am so very excited, it worked! All I have to do is hit the num lock button to get the numbers, and I never knew the numbers were on the keyboard, absolutely amazing! I can not believe I have been going so long without knowing this. I can now make the characters! Thank you SOOOO Much!

Lynn, I did look at my laptop and it doesn't look like I have any other languages set on this one, but I am going to check out my other laptop still because I believe it does. For how much I am going to use this, I am happy with the number lock switch to make characters, but I do want to know if I have capabilities for other languages on my other laptop.

Thank you both so very much for taking the time to answer my question, my day has been made! :-)

Permalink Reply by Lynn Milton Anderson on February 20, 2010 at 8:12pm

It is great that you got your numlock running. Alt codes for the three Norwegian vowels are done similarly but the codes are different. The vowels are the same but the graphics are different. Do note that they are at the END of the alphabet when you are sorting things like in an index.

The international keyboards should be available on just about any computer. I think the codes are stored in Windows not the hardware. Yes it required that you switch keyboards. I leave it in Swedish or Norwegian for all of the text Im typing UNLESS I need to do special characters (punctuation). It is hard for me to remember dashes and ats and such. Periods and commas are same as English.

Now, when it comes to translating short things, there are real Swedes and Norwegians on this group and some of us that can read the languages reasonably well. I can read Swedish but Norwegian only fair (My Norwegian cousin insists that I must learn Norwegian and will answer in English when I speak Swedish to her.) People here are very willing to help.

Permalink Reply by Sue Pearson Greichunos on August 11, 2010 at 10:22pm

Alt + 134 or Alt 0229 = å
Alt + 143 or Alt 0197 = Å
Alt + 132 or Alt 0228 = ä
Alt + 142 or Alt 0196 = Ä
Alt + 148 or Alt 0246 = ö
Alt + 153 or Alt 0214 = Ö
Alt + 130 or Alt 0233 = é
Alt + 144 or Alt 0201 = É

Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Fröberg Morris on May 13, 2011 at 2:10pm