Change Keyboard layout for windows

  • You can change the keyboard layout using the keyboard control panel applet 
  • start –settings — control panel — keyboard –Input Locales
  • however this does not affect the layout used during logon 
  • which is by default English (United States)
  • To change this perform the following:
  1. Start the registry editor  (regedit.exe)
  2. Move to HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTKeyboard LayoutPreload
  3. Double click on 1 and change the number to your local layout (you could get this by looking at HKEY_CURRENT_USERKeyboard LayoutPreload1). Click OK
  4. You may also change HKEY_USERS.DEFAULTControl PanelInternationalLocale to this value however it is not mandatory to do so.
  5. Close the registry editor
  6. Logoff and then on again
Make sure you select a country code that has been installed via the control panel or your system will not boot.
You can view the codes @ 
HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlKeyboard LayoutDosKeyCodes