AltGr key not working, instead I have to use Ctrl+AltGr

Question

I encountered this problem several times. I want to use a character accessible using the AltGr Key but for some reason it doesn't work. As if I didn't press the AltGr key.

Usually I experience this in remote Desktop but not on my local machine. I think that this is triggered when doing a combination of those keys : Alt/Ctrl/AltGr/Shift + Enter. But I tried many of those combinations, and it didn't solve the problem.

I also figured out that I could access the characters I needed while doing Ctrl+AltGr+Key instead of AltGr+Key.

Solution

I found a solution for my problem while writing my question !

Going into my remote session i tried two key combinations, and it solved the problem on my Desktop : Alt+Enter and Ctrl+Enter (i don't know which one solved the problem though)

I tried to reproduce the problem, but i couldn't... but i'm almost sure it's one of the key combinations described in the question above (since i experienced this problem several times)

So it seems the problem comes from the use of RDP (windows7 and 8)

Update 2017: Problem occurs on Windows 10 aswell.

Comments

[Steven K.]

I've ran into the same issue. In my case, the culprit was indeed RDC (fullscreen mode). It's easy to reproduce : open a RD connection, but before the focus switches to the newly opened window, you switch focus back to your normal desktop using alt-tab... and voila, alt gr stopped working.

[janv8000]

Related SuperUser question with answers: superuser.com/questions/602067/…

[Rune Jeppesen]

What exactly do you mean 'Going into my remote session'? When do press Alt+Enter?

[Xeltor]

@RuneJeppesen i mean bring the focus to your remote desktop window

[riddleculous]

it used to remote desktop, too, which was causing the problem all the time. At least, after clicking anywhere in the remote desktop (sometimes I had to try out all remote desktop sessions), the problem disappeared. However, now I am experiencing the problem without having run remote desktop since the last system boot.

[cljk]

Can´t believe it.... I closed my running RDP and Alt Gr is working again. Thanks. Had this already a lot of times and THIS time I was really pissed ;-)

[Dan]

Had exactly the same issue, but wasn't running any RDP clients. However, I was connected to a Hyper-V image, and going into that session pressing Alt+Enter / Ctrl+Enter solved the problem in my host os (windows 10).

[Jibato]

Didn't work for me (Windows 7). I had to switch my language to EN then switch back to FR.

[galmok]

Simply pressing and release Ctrl and Alt in turn in an editor on the remote host fixed it for me.

[Mark Willis]

Many thanks. I lost the AltGr on my local machine. Closing all my remote desktop sessions restored it (Windows 10 1703).

[leifericf]

My Alt Gr key suddenly stopped working (could not write @ with a Norwegian keyboard layout). I went to my remote connection, pressed Ctrl + Enter, which immediately solved the problem. How odd.

[Florian Winter]

This fix also adds an unwanted US keyboard layout to the keyboard layout selection, which cannot be removed (and is not listed) in the language settings. Clearly a bug in Windows and/or Remote Desktop. There is no way this can be intended behavior.

[Daniel]

Same for me. Problem was solved by closing the Remote Desktop windows!

[Gill-Bates]

After Closing "ngRemote" the issue in my case was solved

[iifast]

The issue happens when you open a RDP connection. Just bring the RDP window in foreground and press Alt + Enter . The issue will disappear on all other windows too. | Source: How to Fix Alt Gr Key Not Working. Additional : superuser.com/questions/1149165/…