by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2007/04/20 13:09 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2007/04/20/2209323.aspx
People will, even now, tend to confuse the keyboard hardware with the keyboard software.
(ref: this post and this one, for starters)
After installing MSKLC and using it, they will wonder why their installed layout does not show up on the hardware list next the 101-key keyboard entry....
Like the mail I got the other day via the contact link:
I created a US-Custom keyboard primarily to insert symbols that I frequently use, using Ctrl, Alt, and Ctrl/Alt keys. The keyboard tested perfectly and went through the installation process successfully according to the dialog boxes, but when I opened MS Word 2003, none of the functions I created will perform. I had previously upgraded Microsoft.net 1.1 to 2.0. Another odd thing that happened is that I no longer have a "Page Setup" option under the File menu. I'm using Windows XP Pro SP-2 on a Gateway 530 laptop. I started by loading the existing keyboard and it appeared to have the same layout and function as the one on this computer.
Looking under Device Manager, there is only the Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard listed. Does the custom keyboard just work under that listing, or does this mean it never installed?
Going back over my work, I see that I did have two commands that would conflict. Would that abort the installation?
MSKLC does not touch this area and is blissfully unaware of its existence.
What it adds is a layout DLL that will take input from such a device and map it to Virtual Keys and sometimes characters.
Though to be honest I would never use Word as a test platform given all of the interruptions in Word to many of these other shift states in order to provide "helpful" shortcuts and such, it seems pretty clear that in this case the most likely cause is that the new keyboard layout was not switched to (thus not working due to not being the DLL that sits between the keyboard hardware and he screen)....
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