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Hez guzs... or I mean, hey guys! Ugh!

All I want is to have an English keyboard with Z and Y swapped. Why is it so hard to do? I do not want to buy a software just to have this little tweak going on. I want the change to be permanent, I do not want to be toggling it in any way. Just have an English keyboard layout with Z and Y swapped.

Sometimes I need to switch to English (because OneNote is a moron and has the worst language proofing settings I have ever seen - you have to use your mouse to change proofing language. Or use a LOT of keyboard) in order to have my text corrected as an english text. However, I switch to a different keyboard, which has Z and Y swapped and I am used to typing that my whole life and I refuse to change.

Can't I just make it work somehow?

edit: AutoHotKey is an issue. I need the switch to work only in a specific keyboard layout without performance drops and I need my current scripts to continue working.

Ev0oD
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  • If this is a language issue, you should be able to add the German keyboard layout (that's the only one I'm aware of that swaps Y and Z) to your system through the Language and Internationalization control panel (or whatever they've changed the name to in Windows 10 - I don't have my WinTen box handy at the moment to check). Then, when you need to type in German, Ctrl-Alt-F1 will switch to the German layout, and Ctrl-Alt-F2 back to English (or maybe vice-versa). – Jeff Zeitlin Feb 08 '17 at 17:41
  • No. I use Slovak with ZY swapped and an English one. And I use both, I change them frequently. Thing is, I want to have the English keyboard with QWERTZ layout too. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:51
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    I think you need to put in the question that you refuse to to press a single extra key to make this happen, but I think this is an *XY question problem*: you are asking for the wrong solution. Focus on Onenote (such as using the free version of Onetastic to make a one-key macro to change proofing) – Yorik Feb 08 '17 at 19:16
  • Did not realize Onetastic is that powerful. Thanks for pointing me in that direction. However, I thought the initial question is not saying anything about toggling, so why would I explicitly say I do not want to press toggle button to do it, when I did not ask for it in the first place? I want to have Z and Y changed on an English keyboard. No problem with the change being permanent, actually I want that. No toggling. – Ev0oD Feb 09 '17 at 08:46
  • @JeffZeitlin: All former Yugoslavia countries' (Croatia, Slovenia, ...) keyboard layouts are QWERTZ too and [this is the only layout which works well for using in Croatia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTZ#South_Slavic_Latin) (the`<>` labels are missing from `,` and `.` keys, these can be typed both by using `AltGr` or by directly pressing the key next to the `left Shift`). However, `AltGr` has to be used to type `[ ] { } \ |` which is not too suitable for typing code so UK layout with swapped `Y` and `Z` would be useful. – Chupo_cro Jul 19 '19 at 17:09
  • @Yorik: There are some other reasons for using UK layout with swapped `Y` and `Z` too, take a look at my reply to Jeff. – Chupo_cro Jul 19 '19 at 17:15
  • @Ev0oD I found something pretty interesting. Microsoft has a tool that allows you to create your own custom keyboard layout. Check out my answer, hope it helps. – SparedWhisle Sep 09 '19 at 08:41

5 Answers5

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It seems you can create your own variant of the standard QWERTY layout using a microsoft provided tool Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

I haven't had time to go through the whole process of creating a custom layout, sorry about that. You can use file -> load existing keyboard to load the default keyboard then make your modifications. Hope this helps.

Here's a screenshot I took just now when I was trying it:

enter image description here

SparedWhisle
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You can use an AutoHotKey script with

y::z z::y

I will create a script soon and post a link to both the script and an exe of it after I test it

DanHolli
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  • I should have mentioned it. I tried. It is quite difficult. I did not manage to build a script that would see what my language is and based on it replace the characters. Remember, I need to switch languages. Not have zy replaced where it was originally correct. Plus I need the change not to mess up my current scripts.. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:37
  • I can make a toggle, it will take more work, and for the startup you could open the run diolougue (Win+R) and enter in `shell:startup` and copy the exe file there – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:41
  • @Ev0oD, what would you like the toggle to be? – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:45
  • What is the toggle supposed to do? I am not sure what you are offering me. My problem proposition is clear above, I guess... – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:48
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    toggle the script on and off so it won't affect both keyboards only when you press the toggle – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:51
  • It's odd typing, I have the script on and I'm used to qwerty – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:52
  • So you would have me toggling a script everytime I would switch keyboards? That doesn't sound like something I wanna do. And of course it is odd for you, since you are not used to it. But I type with all ten fingers by memory quite fast, but my brain is calibrated for qwertz. so yeah. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:53
  • @Ev0oD, that's great for you, I have the script working with the toggle being f12, Do you want it to be something else before I compile it and give the link? – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:55
  • Look, I appreciate your big efforts @DanHolli but this is not the thing I wanted. I do NOT want to have to press another key everytime I switch the language, to have the effect present only then. Plus I am afraid it would affect the behaviour of my other AHK scripts. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:56
  • it shouldn't I make another script to test it, and I could make it so the toggle isn't something you usually use, say, scroll lock – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 17:57
  • How can you make sure it would not interfere with my scripts when you do not test all the cases I have? :D I am sorry Dan, just drop it, I do not want to use AHK for this for 90%. And if I wanted it would have to know the language I have, I repeat, I do not want to be toggling it everytime I change language. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 17:59
  • if you were, what WOULD you want the toggle to be? – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 18:01
  • :D :D :D :D why would that matter? I would pick any key combination I have free. – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 18:03
  • I just also remapped y to 7, no matter what y gives 7 and z still gives y – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 18:04
  • o.O *slowly backs away* – Ev0oD Feb 08 '17 at 18:05
  • so I believe that your other scripts will still work the same – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 18:06
  • my key board is now a `qwert7` keyboard :P – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 18:07
  • @Ev0oD, what would you like it to be? – DanHolli Feb 08 '17 at 18:12
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This does not create an English keyboard with QWERTZ layout, unfortunately, but it is a workaround for the OneNote thing, if anyone would need it.

You can have a "language" setting in Windows with a keyboard of a completely different language.

So my situation now is, that I have:

  1. Slovak language (with Slovak QWERTZ keyboard)
  2. English language (with Slovak QWERTZ keyboard)

Now I can type with English language (Slovak keyboard) in OneNote, which forces English proofing language and then when I type in Slovak I can switch to Slovak language (with Slovak keyboard) and have Slovak proofing language.

The problem with this is that I do not have the benefit of an English keyboard this way, I only have two Slovak keyboards like this (with different localizations)

Ev0oD
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Check out this answer it might help you if you just want to swap a few keys it uses a free Microsoft tool called PowerToys. enter image description here

Pero122
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I think the easiest way is to use powertoys, from there you go to "keyboard manager" – now you click remap key and you change remap the Z to Y and Y to Z.

user1763377
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    This has been already answered. – Toto Jan 11 '23 at 16:57
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    Yes, this duplicates another answer. Either you did not notice the other answer or you wanted to tell us the other answer works for you. If the former then your answer is totally redundant; if the latter then it's not how the site works (voting up is the right way to tell "this answer works"). Anyway, I'm voting to delete this answer. – Kamil Maciorowski Jan 11 '23 at 17:17
  • Please don't add "thank you" as an answer. Once you have sufficient [reputation](https://superuser.com/help/whats-reputation), you will be able to [vote up questions and answers](https://superuser.com/help/privileges/vote-up) that you found helpful. - [From Review](/review/late-answers/1166576) – DarkDiamond Jan 11 '23 at 17:28