incorrect key mapping on windows 10 via bootcamp

I don't think these simple differences between the US and British PC keyboard layouts are really "bugs". Normally you fix such mismatches by just making sure your keyboard settings are correct. The missing backslash is normally caused by the fact that everyone in Europe uses a keyboard with one key more than that used in the US, and the \ happens to be on that one in the British PC layout.

In any case k3nzb's problem is most likely that his Windows 10 is currently using the MS UK layout and he needs to switch it to US or "British (Apple)" if there is one. A Macbook is always going to have a keyboard with 2 and @ on the same key, even if it is a UK model.

The incorrect mapping of @ and " when using software that combines Mac and Windows is one of the oldest bugs in computing, actually more accurately it is a bug that is regularly re-created by new generations of sadly stupid, ignorant American programmers. 👿

I say American because this problem typically does not happen if you are using a US keyboard layout on the Mac to communicated with a US keyboard layout in Windows. It does happen for example with a UK to UK layout and I believe all non-American keyboard layouts.

It has affected Virtual PC, Microsoft Remote Desktop Client, Timbuktu Pro, and many many others, the commonality being that they were written by American programmers. I believe VNC, at least the original version was not affected because it was originally written at AT&T labs in Cambridge, England and not Cambridge, Massachusetts i.e. by English programmers who realise that the world is not flat and that if you leave the US you do not fall of the edge of the world. Remember that one of the first people to sail around the world was an Englishman - Captain James Cook, so we English at least know the world is not flat even if Americans remain firmly geographically challenged. 👿 We English also know that the Discworld series of books by Sir Terry Pratchett are works of fiction.

I have not thoroughly checked using Windows 10 and Boot Camp and any keyboard layout issues but historically Apple have despite having the misfortune of using American programmers been far better at coping with non-US keyboard layouts than other companies. My Windows 7 Boot Camp setup for example has no problems at all when using a UK keyboard. Apple even provide proper support for using Windows keyboards on a Mac, for example not only do Apple provide a British keyboard layout for using a Mac British keyboard, but they also provide a British PC keyboard layout for using a Windows British keyboard on a Mac. This is because Apple realise unlike so many other American programmers that not only are other country keyboards different layouts but also that PC and Mac keyboard layouts are also different.

I would advise double-checking the keyboard settings in Windows 10 and making sure it is set to UK layout - this presumes you have a UK keyboard. It might be worth also checking to see if Windows lists both standard Windows and Mac layouts. It is possible Apple 'install' Mac keyboard layouts in to Windows as part of their Boot Camp drivers.

Note: The basis for the American repeated programming error is that they do not do the obvious step of 'listening' for a character from the keyboard they instead listen for a key in a particular location which might have a specific key identifier number and just send that identifier. This of course completely falls down when you use a different layout. It is lazy, stupid and guaranteed to cause this problem. This is compounded by their failing to consider other layouts and assuming only US layouts exist.

As an example of how generation after generation of American programmers keep making this same mistake -

Microsoft Remote Desktop Client for Mac version 1.x had this bug

Microsoft Remote Desktop Client for Mac version 2.x fixed this bug

(there was no version 3 to 6)

Microsoft Remote Desktop Client for Mac version 7.x returned this bug

Microsoft Remote Desktop Client for Mac version 8.x still has this bug

Note: While @ and " are the ones most people instantly spot, it is also typically not possible to generate a \ (backslash) when hit by this 'bug'. As Windows uses a backslash a lot this is particularly frustrating.

if you find no easier way you can remap keys as you like using the windows registry

http://superuser.com/questions/630964/how-to-edit-keyboard-registry-settings-for -keys-with-3-character-scan-codes

more

windows change key layout registry

The Language settings determine what the keyboard outputs. Please also see Windows on Mac via Boot Camp: Apple keyboard not working in Windows 10 .

k3nzb wrote:

I have however noticed the @ and " symbols have swapped places. Even weirder is that the 2 and the ' symbol (the regular functions of both keys) are mapped correctly.

Having 2 and @ on the same key is normal for US keyboards, but British keyboards have 2 and " together, with @ on the ' key. So it sounds like your Windows has the wrong keyboard layout set.

If I was what Microsoft seem to think is true of all Mac users using their Mac RC client a dumb user then I might have for example my Mac set to use a UK keyboard layout and the PC set to use a US keyboard layout. However I have both set to the UK keyboard layout and I have seen this bug for literally decades on various products and I know it affects all non US keyboard users.

It is not a user setting issue. Honest!

It is dumb programmers assuming a key is in the same position on all keyboards.

"The missing backslash is normally caused by the fact that everyone in Europe uses a keyboard with one key more than that used in the US, and the \ happens to be on that one in the British PC layout."

Yes exactly, the software should not assume that keyboard layouts are the same at both ends.

If it was a setting issue then when I run RDC 2.x on a Mac it would fail in just the same way as RDC 1.x, 7.x and 8.x do. RDC 2.x however works without making a single change in settings on either the Mac end or the PC end.

Note: There are no keyboard mapping settings in the Microsoft RDC software so I have not magically managed to configure RDC 2.x correctly and messed up al the other versions.

It is a dumb programmer bug. Honest!

I am so fed up by this issue because it keeps being done by so many different companies and affects so many Mac users except Americans.

See this long list of reports just for Microsoft RDC, remember it affects nearly all other software that involves linking Macs and PCs.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=microsoft+remote+desktop+client+keyboard+mappi ng+site:social.technet.microsoft.com&saf…

Thanks for the links, John! Thankfully fixing such problems with Windows/Bootcamp is usually a lot simpler than with remote desktop apps.