Resolving the Issue of Unwanted Keyboard Layouts in Windows 10/11

Many Windows users have encountered an annoying issue where Windows 10 or 11 inexplicably adds keyboard layouts without user consent. This often happens when new languages are added, leading to multiple unnecessary layouts appearing in the language bar. Users find it particularly frustrating when layouts like English US – Greek (220) Latin Keyboard and English UK show up, even when they already have English US configured.

The Challenge of Managing Multiple Keyboard Layouts

Using multiple languages on Windows can be cumbersome, especially if you’re only working with two. The system’s tendency to automatically switch keyboard layouts while typing leads to interruptions, as users frequently find themselves having to revert to their preferred settings to fix punctuation and formatting issues.

How to Disable Automatic Keyboard Layout Additions

Here are several strategies to tackle the problem of unwanted keyboard layouts in Windows 10 and 11:

1. Disable Automatic Layout Changes
2. Add and Remove the Unwanted Layout
3. Utilize PowerShell to Override Settings
4. Modify Registry Settings

1. Disable Automatic Keyboard Layout Change

To begin troubleshooting, users can disable the automatic keyboard layout change feature:

• Open the Settings application and navigate to the Time & Language section.
• Click on Typing from the menu on the right.
• Select Advanced keyboard settings.
• Uncheck the option that says Let me use a different input method for each app window.

If this initial approach does not resolve the issue, proceed to the next method.

2. Add and Subsequently Remove the Automatic Layout

Another effective workaround involves adding the unwanted keyboard layout and then removing it:

• Open Settings and select Time & Language.
• Click on Language & Region from the right panel.
• Click the three-dot menu next to the chosen language and select Language options.
• Tap Add a keyboard and choose the automatically added layout.
• After you’ve added it, return to the menu, click the three-dot icon next to the layout, and select Remove.

Repeat this process if the layout reappears.

3. Override Microsoft’s Automatic Language Settings via PowerShell

For those comfortable using PowerShell, a script can be employed to enforce preferred settings:

Set-WinCultureFromLanguageListOptOut -OptOut 1
Set-WinUILanguageOverride -Language en-US
Set-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride -InputTip "0426:00040426"
Set-Culture lv-LV

Keep this script handy to execute whenever unwanted layouts show up. In organizational settings, consider running this script at user login.

4. Fixing the Issue with Registry Editor

If previous solutions fail, a Registry modification may be necessary:

• Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and hit Enter.
• Navigate to the following key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout

• Right-click in the right panel and select DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it IgnoreRemoteKeyboardLayout.
• Double-click the newly created DWORD and set its value to 1.
• Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Hopefully, this resolves your keyboard layout challenges.

Disable Keyboard Layout Synchronization

To prevent keyboard layout synchronization across devices in Windows 11:

• Open Settings and head to the Accounts tab.
• Go to the Windows backup section.
• Expand the Remember my preferences dropdown.
• Uncheck the Language preferences option.

Are you facing similar issues? If your keyboard tends to switch languages randomly, we invite you to share your experiences and let us know if these solutions worked for you.