# Help with typing ascii codes
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 1, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100 "2011-03-01T20:29:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/1 "2011-03-01T20:29:06Z")
My computer keyboard as decided to malfunction. The ‘shift + 2’ does not give the “@” character anymore. :mad:
It is hard to type out email addresses without this character. :mad::mad:
I know the ascii decimal code is 37
I know the ascii hex code is 64
I know the hex unicode is 40
But How do I make it work when I am typing it out in an input box (like this one) or when I making my email addresses.
right now, I go to word, insert the special character and copy and paste the symbol. that is how I inserted the ‘’@’’ in the first sentence and here.
There has got to be an easier way.
Is is ''Alt +" the unicode? or the ascii Hex code or the decimal code?
I can live with malfunctioning keyboard. The “up arrow” key is also malfunctioning and I can overcome that as well. But I do not want to have to go to word to copy and paste the “@” symbol every time I need it.
---
### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/2 "2011-03-01T21:10:40Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#):
>
> There has got to be an easier way.
If you have a keyboard with a numeric keypad (or the ability to invoke this on a smaller keyboard) it is indeed easy:
Hold down both the Shift and the Alt keys. On the numeric keypad, press 6 and then 4. Release the Shift and Alt keys.
---
### Author:  [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/3 "2011-03-01T21:11:52Z")
Alt + 064 gives me an @.
That is:
Press and hold down Alt,
Press and Release ‘0’ on the numeric keypad,
Press and Release ‘6’ on the numeric keypad,
Press and Release ‘4’ on the numeric keypad,
Release Alt.
---
### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/4 "2011-03-01T21:15:08Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#):
>
> I know the ascii decimal code is 37
> I know the ascii hex code is 64
[This table](http://www.asciitable.com/) has it differently:
37 decimal = 25 hex = ‘%’
100 decimal = 64 hex = ‘d’
64 decimal = 40 hex = ‘@’
---
### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/5 "2011-03-01T21:18:04Z")
> [@Deflagration](#):
>
> Alt + 064 gives me an @.
Interesting.
Alt without Shift doesn’t work for me.
---
### Author:  [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/6 "2011-03-01T21:47:20Z")
You could also get one of the various keyboard programs and define something generally unused like alt-shift-3 to be @.
---
### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/7 "2011-03-01T21:54:53Z")
I have a lap top, no numeric keypad.
---
### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/8 "2011-03-02T02:45:45Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#):
>
> I have a lap top, no numeric keypad.
My laptop can invoke a numeric keypad from the keys 7,8,9,U,I,O,J,K,L and M keys by means of a “numlock” function. Perhaps yours has something like this.
---
### Author:  [@Crackrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crackrat)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-typing-ascii-codes/573100/9 "2011-03-02T05:23:46Z")
> [@Xema](#):
>
> My laptop can invoke a numeric keypad from the keys 7,8,9,U,I,O,J,K,L and M keys by means of a “numlock” function. Perhaps yours has something like this.
Or a function key. Mine’s between the left ctrl and alt buttons