[Jo Jo]

I bought a new laptop a few months ago, and it doesn't have the GBP symbol on it. (It also has the @ symbol in the wrong place, but I've got used to that now.) In Microsoft Word, I can insert the pound sign as a symbol, and set up a shortcut key to insert it quickly, but the shortcut keys don't work outside of word/ office. Does anyone know if there is another way I can access this symbol, for example if I wanted to use it in a post on this forum? (without cutting and pasting it from a Word document)

Cheers

[NZ Hopeful]

Have you tried altering the language settings? My computer in work is automatically set for US and the @ sign is in the wrong place...

If you go into the control panel and then into regional and language there should be an option there to change it.

Hope that helps :)

[Flutterby]

think changing the language setting is the best option, but you can also just cut and paste from another post! and you may even be able to set up a permanent shortcut outside of word but i have not idea how!

[Rocket]

you've got an american keyboard like me it sounds like.

if you change the keyboard settings, it will become a UK keyboard, but the buttons won't match the keys.

there is a short cut you can press for the pound sign. eg. like a function key and a few numbers. i'll research it

[Rocket]

press and hold the Alt key while you type 0163 on the numeric keypad at the right of the keyboard (not the numbers above the letters) and when you release the Alt key you will have a £ sign inserted wherever the cursor is at.

[Rocket]

£ £ £ £ :cheers

[pinkpiggy]

£ £

Yay brilliant - we have the same problem since we got our new lappy a couple of weeks ago. :nice1

[wilson182]

:wah I dont have any numbers to the right of the keyboard (hate my stupid laptop) sulk

Looks like I'll just have to stick to typing GBP in front of everything:laugh

[Jo Jo]

press and hold the Alt key while you type 0163 on the numeric keypad at the right of the keyboard (not the numbers above the letters) and when you release the Alt key you will have a £ sign inserted wherever the cursor is at.

£ £ £

Aha! It works! Thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for.

Though as I don't have a separate numeric keypad, just some of the letters that double as a keypad, I had to do the following:

press Num Lock
Hold down Fn and ALT and type 0163

Maybe that will work for you as well, wilson182?

[willsken]

£ :nice1:nice1 Now my irritation can disappear! Thanks.

[cappuccino]

My laptop doesn't have a £ sign either but I get it by pressing shift and 3 (even though my 3 key has a hash symbol# on the top of it) Found that by pure accident! My @ symbol is actually my apostrophe key and if I press shift and 2 I get the " (although the 2 key has the @ symbol on top). Many of other keys are not what they should be - very confusing!!!

[Jo Jo]

That will be because your keyboard input language is set to UK English. If you change it to US English the symbols will match those printed on your keyboard.

[NZ Hopeful]

My laptop doesn't have a £ sign either but I get it by pressing shift and 3 (even though my 3 key has a hash symbol# on the top of it) Found that by pure accident! My @ symbol is actually my apostrophe key and if I press shift and 2 I get the " (although the 2 key has the @ symbol on top). Many of other keys are not what they should be - very confusing!!!

So it's nice and straightforward then? :eek:

[Familyofmonkeys]

We just use a cheapie wireless keyboard for one of our laptops which doesn't have £ sign.

[wilson182]

♥♥♥☻♦♣♠•◘○☺☻♥♦♣♠•◘○♥♥£

£ £ £ £:clap £

:laugh:laugh Got there in the end - thanks Jo Jo

I had to press Fn and num lock then alt and the 0163 on the keypad rather than the numbers at the top.

[Tiggergirl]

It's a bit long winded but if you haven't got the number keypad on the right, then you could click on start, go to programs, accessories, system tools & click on character map. There you will find any characters you can't find on the keys. You just copy & paste.

It's handy if you need to type things with accents & other letters that are not in the english language.

Tiggergirl

[shakyle2906]

Thanks - we had this problem too with our new computer we bought here!

Sharon
x

[IanW99]

For Windows XP users the best option to achieve this is to go to the control panel, select the "Regional and Language Options". Select the "Languages" tab and press the details button.

This will open the "Text Services and Input Languages" properties where you can 'Add' a new Input language or keyboard. Select English (United Kingom) as your option and then whenever you want English characters you just need to switch to that mode.

If you press the "Key Settings" button you will be able to see the current 'hot keys' to switch input locales and also can define your own.

So for example, by default it is just hold down the left Alt key and Shift key at the same time and then the keyboard will switch to the next input locale e.g. UK.

So if you are using a NZ keyboard and want the £ sign, then you just press the Alt key+shift (to change to the English UK locale) and then shift+3 (or whichever key your # sign is on) and can carry on using English chars until you switch back to a different input locale.

Ian

[Jo Jo]

£#£#

Great, that works in Vista as well. :nice1

[Caroline and Dave]

Ever since I have had this laptop my @ has been where my " should be and vice versa. I have just got used to it and have always used GBP as my £ sign as I have never needed to use the hash above the 3. So I have checked my keyboard language setting and it has always been on UK setting So now that I know I have a £££££££ yehhhhhh.Thanks everyone and especially JO JO for asking the question. I am so used to this now I will keep it here.

[Leccy-Lee]

Just type "GBP" thats all i do, symbols are overated, ask Prince ;)

[Jon&Candy]

I would say that it's best not to mess around with your language settings. It could end up being really confusing.

There is a great keyboard shortcut for getting the £ symbol:

Hold down the left Alt key and type 0163.

It should work with all fonts and all keyboards. If you want more characters, go to:
Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Character Map
Find the character you want, and on the bottom right corner of the window, it displays the keystroke you need to type.

[veronica]

think I will stick to cutting and pasting....

[chocolate cake]

Cutting and pasting here too, as the changed regional settings mentioned above haven't worked :-( that or GBP as Lee says which I've started to do as it's quicker.

[chocolate cake]

whoops tell a lie, that change has worked a delayed effect :nice1

[victoria24]

there isnt a "hash" key on my macbook, any ideas from the NZ helpdesk?

[JandM]

http://www.asciitable.com/

If you scroll to the bottom part of this page, you'll find the codes that will give you letters with accents on, as needed for writing in foreign languages. I often write in French, and I find using Alt and the ASCII code on the number-pad with Num Lock on is the quickest way for me (user-friendly to my brain).

[andrewp]

there isnt a "hash" key on my macbook, any ideas from the NZ helpdesk?

Get a real computer :D:D

or...
option-3 will get you £