(my) International Keyboard Not Working Properly
(Edit: The problem I was having has gone away now, it cleared up on its own. I have no clue why it messed up but it is back to normal. I no longer require assistance.)
I've been using the international keyboard for quite some time. I have never had any difficulties until recently.
My problem is that now, instead of typing just one apostrophe I have to type two to get á, í, é, etc.
It isn't that large of a problem, I can grow accustomed to it I suppose, but I really don't like that my contractions now require me to type ' twice instead of once.
Essentially: ''a=á now instead of 'a=á
The problem arose suddenly and I do not know how to fix it. I have tried looking on the web for the past three days for a correction for the problem but I can't seem to get my search terms narrowed down well enough.
Does anyone know how to fix this?
6 Answers
You must have fun trying to type an apostrophe. If all of your keys work normally except for the apostrophe key, I'd check for physical damage or dirt..
Do you know how to remove a key or to disassemble your keyboard. It may look daunting, but it's very simple. A key is shaped like the capital letter T. You press on the top of the T. The vertical post of the T slides up and down within a hole. The T sits atop a rubber hill. The rubber hill acts as a spring. When you press down on the key with your finger, the post of the T slides down in the hole flattening the rubber hill until it makes contact with a circuit board. When you remove your finger the hill springs back up raising the T back to its original position.
![sheet of rubber hills beneath keys][1]
[1]: 
![circuit board with rubber sheet removed][1]
[1]: 
I'd suggest that you pop the apostrophe key (they're removable) and clean it. Make sure that the vertical post of the T slides freely in the hole. Make sure that there isn't dirt, etc. between the top of the hole and the horizontal cap of the T. Check that the rubber hill isn't damaged, or that there isn't dirt "within" the hill preventing the post of the T from fully contacting the circuit board. Make sure that the rubber sheet full of hills hasn't moved (the sheet is aligned by pegs located around the board.
Make sure that the circuit beneath the key isn't wearing away.
If none of that helps you may have a problem with the keyboard controller that manages the signal from the circuit. That's beyond me.
OK, Fredbong, here's my alternative (and I've made it myself): get this program, and all your keys are intact. To have spanish accents, either press win+key (like win+e gives é, win+x gives ¡, win+n gives ñ, etc), or use ctrl+space to get a menu where you can easily get the same keys and many more. The keys on your keyboard should give you just what they're showing, IMNSHO.
The United States International Sort should be fine.
What happens when you hold down the right ALT key, then hit a?
You should get á. Same with é, and ñ, ¡,¿.
The o and i work in a word processor, but not here. But it's another way to do it, that might help you troubleshoot.
I am using United States-International keyboard on XP.
I don't see Spanish International Sort on my list unfortunately, I see only spanish and spanish variation.
I've just selected the Spanish - International Sort keyboard in an old computer for the first time, and it works no problem. What keyboard exactly are you using?
Thank you for the help Qfreed, but I don't believe it is a problem with the physical keyboard, the regular English setting has no problems at all with with the ' key. I will try to take the key off anyway just to be sure, though it may be difficult since I am using a laptop.
It also does it with the ^ key, however, the ~ key seems to be working the same.
