KEYB

Starts the KEYB program, which configures a keyboard for a specific language.

Use KEYB to configure a keyboard for a language other than United States English. For an introduction to the KEYB program, see the chapter "Customizing for International Use" in the DOS User's Guide.

At the command prompt, use:

KEYB [xx[,[yyy][,[drive:][path]filename]]] [/E] [/ID:nnn]

In your CONFIG.SYS file, use:

INSTALL=[dos-drive:]dos-path]KEYB.COM [xx[,[yyy][,[drive:][path]filename]]] [/E] [/ID:nnn]

drive: ( path filename v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the location and name of the keyboard definition file. The default filename is KEYBOARD.SYS. If KEYBOARD.SYS is in a directory included in the path, you do not have to specify these parameters. (v6.22 includes two keyboard definition files: KEYBOARD.SYS, the default file, and KEYBRD2.SYS, which provides support for keyboards not included in KEYBOARD.SYS. For information about using KEYBRD2.SYS, see the COUNTRY file.)

dos-drive: ( dos-path v3.30 Win95)

Specifies the location of the KEYB.COM file.

xx (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the code for a keyboard layout. See the table at the end of this topic for a list of valid values for this parameter.

yyy (v3.30 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the character set (code page). See the table at the end of this topic for a list of valid values for this parameter. If this value is not specified, KEYB uses the current character set.

/E (v5.0 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies that an enhanced keyboard is installed. Use this switch if you are using an enhanced keyboard with an 8086 computer.

/ID:nnn (v4.0 Win95 NT3.1)

Specifies the keyboard in use. This switch is valid only for countries that have more than one keyboard layout for the same language (France, Italy, and the United Kingdom). See the table for a list of valid values for nnn.

Values for xx, yyy, and nnn

The table shows the valid values for xx, yyy, and nnn for each country or language supported by KEYBOARD.SYS:

    XX         YYY         NNN
    Keyboard   Character   Keyboard         Country or
    layout     set         identification   language
    be         850, 437     120             Belgium
    br         850, 437                     Brazil
    cf         850, 863     058             Canadian-French
    cz         852, 850                     Czechoslovakia (Czech)
    sl         852, 850                     Czechoslovakia (Slovak)

    dk         850, 865     159             Denmark
    su         850, 437     153             Finland
    fr         850, 437     120, 189        France
    gr         850, 437     129             Germany
    hu         852, 850                     Hungary

    it         850, 437     141, 142        Italy
    la         850, 437     171             Latin America
    nl         850, 437     143             Netherlands
    no         850, 865     155             Norway
    pl         852, 850                     Poland

    po         850, 860     163             Portugal
    sp         850, 437     172             Spain
    sv         850, 437     153             Sweden
    sf         850, 437     150             Switzerland (French)
    sg         850, 437     000             Switzerland (German)

    uk         850, 437     166, 168        United Kingdom
    us         850, 437     103             United States
    yu         852, 850                     Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian)
    XX         YYY         NNN
    Keyboard   Character   Keyboard         Country or
    layout     set         identification   language

This list includes only keyboards supported by the KEYBOARD.SYS file. For a list of keyboards supported by the KEYBRD2.SYS file, see the COUNTRY file.

For information about using active and prepared character sets, see the CHCP command.
Replaced the KEYBxx in v3.20.

• Displaying the current keyboard layout and character set
• Implementing Keyb
• Installing character sets
• Switching between Keyb settings

The character set you specify for yyy must be installed on your system. If it isn't, any characters not in the current character set will not be usable.

For information about installing a character set, see the chapter "Customizing for International Use" in the DOS User's Guide.

If you use the KEYB command with no parameters or switches, the operating system lists the current keyboard layout (keyboard code), the current keyboard's related character set (code page), and the current character set (code page) used by your keyboard and monitor. The information is displayed in the format:

    Current keyboard code: FR code page: 437
    Current CON code page: 437

To switch from the current Keyb keyboard configuration to the default keyboard configuration, press CTRL+ALT+F1. To return to the memory-resident keyboard configuration, press CTRL+ALT+F2. To switch to "typewriter mode," the standard for some countries, press CTRL+ALT+F7.

The list shows the three different ways that you can start the Keyb program:

• Type KEYB at the command prompt.
• Include an INSTALL command for KEYB.COM in your CONFIG.SYS file.
• Include the appropriate KEYB command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

To use a German keyboard if your KEYBOARD.SYS file is in the DOS directory on drive C, you would type:

    KEYB gr,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS

• 0 Keyboard definition file was loaded successfully
• 1 Invalid keyboard code, character set, or syntax was used
• 2 Keyboard definition file is bad or missing
• 4 An error occurred while communicating with the keyboard or monitor
• 5 The requested character set has not been prepared

External

DOS

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Windows

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Windows NT

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