Set default keyboard layout using registry (the easy way)

Since it is not possible to change the default keyboard layout and keyboard language using the standard Group Policy, system administrators need to find an alternative to configure all computers in the network using the predefined keyboard setting.

Basically there are two ways of doing this:

• Insert the registry settings, that define the keyboard layout, to the Group Policy Preferences in your Group Policy
• Create an custom ADM-file in which you can set the keyboard layout and add the ADM-file to an existing policy

I prefer the first option, as setting the keyboard layout only involves a very few registry settings. Do the following to accomplish this:

1. To get the related registry keys, you should configure a computer with the desired keyboard configuration.
2. Then open the registry and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\ Here are the registry keys located you should import into the Registry section of your group policy
3. On a Windows 7 or Windows 2008 pc, open the Group Policy Management Tool, and edit the policy that defines the user settings in your network
4. Navigate in the Group Policy Editor to User Configuration –> Preferences –> Windows Settings –> Registry
5. Manually add the registry settings. Here’s an example of the registry keys I imported and how it appears in the group policy editor

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout] [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload]
"1"="00000413"
"2"="00000409"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Substitutes]
@=""
"00000413"="00020409"
"00000409"="00020409"

 



6. Done! Questions? Leave a comment!