Special character problems

There are different instructions based on version macOS and earlier Mac OS X.

Some are combined, such as this:

• How to use emoji, accents, and symbols on your Mac - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201586

"..Press and hold a key until its alternate characters appear, then click or type the

number under the character that you want to use. If no additional characters are

available for the key that you're holding, the accent menu doesn't appear. If you

decide that you don't want to type an accented character after holding a key,

press the Esc (escape).. "

• A Guide to Special Characters on Your Mac

https://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/a-guide-to-special-characters-on-your-mac--mac

• Type special characters in OS X | Macworld

https://www.macworld.com/article/2036310/type-special-characters-in-os-x.html

• How To Type Special Keyboard Symbols On Mac - Setapp

https://setapp.com/how-to/type-special-keyboard-symbols-on-mac

The Character Viewer and also Keyboard Viewer in macOS can also be useful here.

Good luck & happy trails!🌞

EliasWilliams wrote:

I didn't find any folder called "ApplePressAndHoldEnabled.plist" in my Preferences folder as instructed.

There's no need for you to find anything. The instruction is to open the terminal app and type in that command

defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool TRUE

and then hit Enter and then restart. Did you do that?

for a possible fix, see

https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/os_x_lion_using_and_disabling_the_character_picker

(use TRUE at the end of the terminal command)

another way to make most accents is via option key shortcuts

https://sites.psu.edu/symbolcodes/mac/codemac/

You don't tell us what characters you are trying to type. Try this: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH23625?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

While the newest macOS I use is El Capitan, the various links I posted offer different ways to get those

characters; and I can use most if not all. (They all do not access the same feature set.) You can avoid part

of your issue by using character viewer or keyboard viewer, too.

{..a restart in Safe mode could help the underlying cause of the symptom, to help keys work correctly..}

And though later Mac systems may offer different means toward these ends, a newer macOS (Mojave)

while installed on newly acquired macbook pro9.2 13-in (mid 2012 non-retina) is not yet not in use.

Happens 'safe mode' was mentioned awhile ago, in earlier reply:

+=+=+=+

+=+=+=+

Something that I actually do in conjunction with 'restart' but

without the belief it is necessary. Every 20 or 30 days I restart.

My older Mac mini (PPC G4) goes 6 to 12 months w/o restart.

However I'm on my 600th of Apple computers now.

Had a batch early-on ~ to 'jump start' figuring repairs.

And advanced troubleshooting had 'become normal.'

Those early years kept me fixing & donating Macs.

Good luck & happy computing!🌞

Which special characters do you need?

EliasWilliams wrote:

Nevermind. I contacted the support and got it fixed through safe mode. Thanks for helping, anyway.

Good news, thanks for the update!

Thanks for the tip. Works fine for me now.