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I'm using Windows 8.1 Pro, with a Microsoft Gaming keyboard. When I'm writing posts on StackOverflow I often need to enclose things in code marks (`). In order to get these, I have to press the ¬ | key on my keyboard 4 times, which produces two of these.

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Why do I need to do this? Why doesn't this key work as others?

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  • Stupid question but have you tried another keyboard? I am using 8.1 with a cheap Dell keyboard and see no problem.
    – rob
    Mar 11, 2015 at 9:58
  • Just plugged in a cheap Dell keyboard (everyone's got one, right?) and had the same issue - 4 key presses required before anything appears
    – roryok
    Mar 11, 2015 at 10:02
  • OK so its software not hardware. Small possibility of virus/malware more likely somehting is trying to "help" you like a manufacture supplied background utility. Try disabling startup tasks and also see if it happens in Safe mode.
    – rob
    Mar 11, 2015 at 10:06
  • 1
    Covers the same ground as superuser.com/questions/288003 and superuser.com/questions/122625 .
    – JdeBP
    Mar 11, 2015 at 14:33

2 Answers 2

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You have an International keyboard layout set for your keyboard (probably United States-International keyboard layout - but there are others).

With this keyboard layout the ` keystroke becomes a modifier to enable entering of special characters.

To get a single ` character you will need to type `+Space.

Alternatively change the keyboard layout to the appropriate non-international version.

See Add a keyboard layout for more information.


Type International and Special Characters using the right Alt key or the following modifier keys: Apostrophe('), Accent Grave(`), Quotation Mark("), Tilde(~), and Circumflex(^). To type just the modifier key by itself, type Space following the modifier key.

Source Help with Microsoft Keyboards US-International | School of Languages, Cultures, and Race | Washington State University

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Those are dead keys used to modify certain letters. You may want to change keyboard layout to get rid of this behavior.


Edit: see post here

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