Thursday, May 26, 2005

Setting up your Windows XP computer so that you can input Panjabi characters (or other non Roman character sets)

Hi,

I found out how to set a computer up so that you can input Punjabi straight from the keyboard, without using any clumbersome codes.

Here are the steps required to setup Panjabi as a language on your Windows XP computer.

Step 1

Make sure that you are running Windows XP.

Step 2

Open 'Control Panel'

Step 3

Make sure the view of the control panel is in 'Classic View'.

Step 4

Open 'Regional and Language Settings'

Step 5

Click on the 'Languages' tab at the top of the window.

Step 6

Make sure the checkbox labeled 'Install files for complex scripts...' in the 'Supplment Language support' section is ticked.

Note: You will get a confirmation message after ticking the check box.

Step 7

Click 'Apply' and then 'OK'

Note: You may be asked for the 'Windows XP' CD after clicking 'Apply' depending on your set up

Step 8

Restart you computer

Step 9

Open 'Control Panel'
Make sure the view of the control panel is in 'Classic View'.
Open 'Regional and Language Settings'
Click the 'Languages' tab
Press the 'Details' button
Press the 'Add' button in the 'Installed services' section of the window that appears
Choose 'Punjabi' from the list of languages
Press the 'OK' button

Now you should have support for Punjabi.

If you want to start typing in Punjabi first use the key combination 'Alt + Shift' to set you computer to Punjabi mode (You can tell if you are in Punjabi mode by looking for a 'PA' in the bottom right hand corner of your screen rather than the 'EN' for English) and then just start typing.

For example: ਸੁਖ (Sukh)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi
Could you pls tell me how we can type exactly in punjabi font. I did install in my computer punjabi mode I followed step by step as you write it down , now I can see right hand side bottom on my computers desktop PA there. but when I try to type in Microsoft Word Its Giving me somethingelse e.g if I want to type SUKH I hit the S Key in while i was in punjabi font its not typing sassa in punjabi same thing with the other letters. How I can change my keyboard to punjabi mode. I tried shift + alt. didn't work. pls explain in your blog.I like to type in Punjabi in microsoft word.Pls Comment.
Thanks!

Sony said...

Hello Anon,

Thankyou for you comment.

I think the problem that you are having is that the keyboard isn't mapping the correct letters to correct keys.
For example if I press the key marked 'M' I will get the letter 'ਸ' (sassa) in Panjabi mode.

This is the stardard key mapping from Microsoft.

If you want to change the key mapping then there is a utility from Microsoft called The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

When the program is installed on your system then open the program go to

File -> Load Existing Keyboard -> Choose 'Punjabi'

The key map of 'Panjabi' will be shown

Now you should be able to change the value of each key by right clicking on the key and selecting 'Properties for...'.

Please let me know if this works

Cheers

Sony