# Windows: undocumented Key combination for language/ country options

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 12, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329 "2012-01-12T19:16:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329/1 "2012-01-12T19:16:56Z")

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In Windows, there are some undocumented key combinations that, when pressed (usually unintentionally) activate a function.

In particular, sometimes my keyboard switches its layout from German to English.

Anybody knows:

which combination that is?

What quick combination would reverse it?

How to disable it?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329/2 "2012-01-12T19:38:12Z")

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Alt+Shift changes the Windows keyboard language (assuming you have multiple languages installed). Hitting that again should switch you back.

The only way I know to disable it would be to remove English from your keyboard options in the Control Panel.

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**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329/3 "2012-01-12T20:09:08Z")

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In Windows Vista and 7 (at least), you can configure the keys used to switch between languages.

(Translating to likely English names from my French version of Windows: )

In Control Panel, go to Regional Settings. Choose the third tab, “Keyboards and languages”. Press the topmost button, “Modify keyboards”. You should see a new window, “Text services and languages”. Go to the third tab, “Advanced key parameters”. The keys are defined in there.

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**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-undocumented-key-combination-for-language-country-options/609329/4 "2012-01-13T11:04:58Z")

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**Constanze** , I feel your pain, for years Windows mysteriously (at least for me then) switched the keyboard layout before it dawned on me that an unintentionally activated keyboard short-cut could be the culprit :smack:. After having googled that short-cut, it became at least clear that a combination like Alt-Shift is easily pressed by accident, and my years old puzzlement was finally cleared. Yes, I’m thick sometimes.