How to delete a keyboard layout on Windows 10

Windows 10 supports lots of different keyboard layouts for lots of different languages. It allows users to type using different keyboards, and to type comfortably in different languages. If you use different keyboard layouts, you will find that they take the pain out of changing hardware.

Need to add a keyboard layout? Follow our guide.

Delete a keyboard layout on Windows 10

Windows 10 sometimes adds new keyboard layouts when you add a new language to your machine. If you changed your location/region, it will proactively install keyboard layouts that are used in the new region, and it’s very easy to change the keyboard layout without meaning to.

Remove keyboard layout from Settings

To remove a layout, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Time & Language.
3. Select the Language tab and scroll down to the languages that you’ve added.
4. Select the language that you want to remove the keyboard for, and click Options.
5. Select a keyboard layout and click the Remove button.
6. Repeat for all keyboard layouts that you’d like to remove.

Remove keyboard layout from Registry

Removing a keyboard layout from the registry isn’t very intuitive but it is possible. If you have several different layouts added, it will be up to you to identify the one you want to remove.

1. Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run box.
2. In the Run box, enter ‘regedit‘ and tap Enter.
3. Go to the following key.

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload

4. Each value under this key represents a keyboard layout. Delete the key that corresponds to the keyboard layout you want to remove.

Removing automatically added keyboards

Sometimes, Windows 10 will automatically add keyboard layouts even after you uninstall them. It keeps adding them back no matter what. In order to stop it, you need to make a small change to the registry. Follow the steps below.

1. Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the run box.
2. In the Run box, enter ‘regedit’, and tap enter to open the Registry editor.
3. Navigate to the following key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

4. Right-click the Keyboard Layout key and select New>DWORD (32-bit) value from the context menu.
5. Name the key “IgnoreRemoteKeyboardLayout“.
6. Double-click it, and set its value to 1.

Conclusion

Keyboard layouts take hint from the language and region settings of a machine. Any change in them will normally result in a new keyboard layout being added unless of course, you happen to switch to a region that has the same layouts set for it. Even within the same language, you will find there are lots of different keyboard layouts that work with different physical keyboards. You might not have to change or add languages to end up with extra ones. Sometimes, connecting a new physical keyboard will trigger the addition of a new layout.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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