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I came across some really strange behavior in Windows 7. I usually have open a remote desktop connection to another Windows (Win 7 or 10) machine. Nevertheless, I mainly work on the local machine. Everything, including the Alt Gr key works perfectly. Now let's say I lock my PC by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and unlock it again, the Alt Gr key just does not work anymore. I need to Alt+Tab to the Remote Desktop Window, then Alt+Tab back to some local program like some browser and - voilá - it works again.

This is a problem as some characters on a German keyboard can only be accessed by using the Alt Gr modifier key. When entering passwords I don't usually see what characters I type, so this causes failed login attempts.

Note that I already completely re-installed Windows on both the remote machine as well as the local machine and it does not seem to depend on which remote machine I am connected to. (However, I cannot tell if this also happens when connecting to remote machines running other OSes.) And, of course, when I am not connected to any RDP session, I don't have any issues with that key.

While researching on this issue I stumbled upon this link, unfortunately it does not provide a solution: https://forum.devolutions.net/topic9714-altgr-key-disabled-by-rdm.aspx

Some (German) Microsoft help page suggested to switch the "Apply Windows key combinations" in the RDP settings to "On this computer" - however, it does not change anything.

Any further suggestions?

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  • If you use a different keyboard layout, does the right ALT key, work then?
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jun 20, 2018 at 14:11
  • 1
    I suppose, if anyone knew the answer to this, Microsoft might actually find it in them to fix this apparently long-standing bug.
    – tobibeer
    Commented May 6, 2020 at 7:47
  • 1
    Does this answer your question? Altgr randomly stops working on windows 8
    – David Balažic
    Commented May 12, 2023 at 7:21

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I view it as a behavior which can be called a defect from some viewpoint. I am not sure if there is any solution to that. Maybe you can try with Slovak keyboard layout, it has all the German characters (placed differently, and for example ö might require pressing dead key AltGr+-, o but they are all there) because I do not remember any issues with AltGr on that keyboard layout.

Another workaround is to click accessibility icon on login screen (or press Win+U for the same action) and enable On-screen keyboard from displayed menu. Then you can access desired characters by clicking on that on-screen keyboard.

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where the bug is still present!

Windows 10, same issue. I use the Slovenian keyboard layout.

  1. The issue happens every now and then (always when RDP is used). Did not notice a pattern.
  2. I resolve it by going to the RDP window, and there pressing and releasing one after another: SHIFT, CONTROL, ALT, AltGr (sometimes also ESC for a good measure)
  3. Alternatively you can press CTRL and ALT (the left one) at the same time, this is same as AltGr. So instead of AltGR+X you use Ctrl+Alt+X. This way you do not have to go to RDP as in point 2.

(the idea from point 2 is also mentioned in the forum linked in the question)

(there are millions of post about this issue on the web, including stack overflow; I'll try to merge them or at least notice the admins)

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