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Q153123: How to Enable Eastern Europe Keyboards for MS-DOS Applications

Article: Q153123
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb3rdparty
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

Windows NT includes support for most Eastern European countries. Windows NT does
not include keyboard support under the MS-DOS-based environment for the
following countries:

  Albania
  Ukrainia
  Belarussia
  Slovenia
  Estonia
  Latvia
  Lithuania
  Serbia (Cyrillic)
  Polish (Regular keyboard)

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows NT only supports the Polish Programmers keyboard in MS-DOS emulation
mode. This section describes how to set this up using existing driver files from
MS-DOS. The Estonian keyboard is used as an example.

Before you perform the steps below you must obtain a keyboard description file
(Keyboard.sys replacement) and a full-screen font file (Ega.cpi replacement) for
your country. For Estonia, the keyboard description file can be retrieved from
the following ftp site:

  ftp://ftp.itedu.ee/microsoft/windows9x/windows_95/updates/addest11.exe

The third-party contact information included in this article is provided to help
you find the technical support you need. This contact information is subject to
change without notice. Microsoft in no way guarantees the accuracy of this
third-party contact information.

The full-screen font file you need for Estonia is Ega3.cpi and is available with
the Pan European version of Windows 95. The following table gives you the font
file names for other countries:

  Country            Font File   File Name
  ------------------------------------------
  Albania            Ega.cpi     Third-party
  Ukrainia           Ega3.cpi    Keybrd3.sys
  Belarussia         Ega3.cpi    Keybrd3.sys
  Slovenia           Ega.cpi     Keybrd2.sys
  Estonia            Ega3.cpi    See ftp site above
  Latvia             Ega3.cpi    Third-party
  Lithuania          Ega3.cpi    Third-party
  Serbia (Cyrillic)  Ega3.cpi    Keybrd2.sys
  Polish (Regular)   Ega.cpi     Keyboard.sys

Perform the following steps to install the keyboard support:

1. Go to the following registry key to obtain the number for the keyboard
  layout:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layouts

  The value for the Estonian keyboard is 00000425.

2. Find the value from step 1 above in the following registry key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Keyboard
  Layout\DosKeybCodes

  and then replace "us" with the two-letter code for your keyboard. This code
  should be defined in the documentation for the keyboard description. The
  value for Estonia is "ee" (without the quotation marks).

3. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click
  Regional Settings.

4. Click the Regional Settings tab and make sure your country is set as the
  system default locale. If you click Set As System Default Locale and then
  click OK, do not restart your computer at this point.

5. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double- click
  Keyboard.

6. Click the General tab and make sure your local keyboard is selected as the
  default keyboard.

7. Rename the current Keyboard.sys file in the %systemroot%\system32 folder and
  copy the new keyboard description file in its place.

8. Use Mv.exe from the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit to rename the current Ega.cpi
  file. To do this, type the following command:

  "MV /x /d EGA.CPI EGA.CPI.SAVE" (without the quotation marks)

  NOTE: You cannot use the copy or rename commands because the file is locked by
  the system.

9. Use the following command to place the new CPI file in the
  %systemroot%\system32 folder. After the file is copied, restart your
  computer.

  MV /x /d EGA3.CPI EGA.CPI

NOTE: You can skip steps 8 and 9 if you do not need to run MS-DOS-based
applications in full-screen mode on Intel platforms.

When you work with MS-DOS applications, make sure you select a True Type font for
display. The bitmap font available with Windows NT does not have the characters
needed.

Additional query words: prodnt

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Keywords          : kb3rdparty 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0

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