Set default keyboard layout in Windows 11

Question

I use two different keyboard layouts but every I boot up my PC I have to change to the second layout.

How do I make it the default one?

Answer 1

In Time & language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings, you can select a keyboard as the default. (tested under Windows 11 Pro 22H2, OS build 22621.1635)

Example showing United States-Dvorak as default keyboard:

Answer 2

This option is well-hidden in Windows 11, so you will have to go into the registry.

• Find your Keyboard identifier in the list and note it down
• Run regedit
• Position to the registry key HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload
• You will see your two keyboard layout listed, where your layout is in the item named 2
• Right-click the item named 1, select "Rename" and change it to 3
• Likewise rename 2 to 1
• Now rename 3 to 2 to swap the order
• Reboot for your change to take effect.

Answer 3

It seems like you need the registry if you want to change the keyboard layout within a language (aka "Language options"):

If you have multi languages installed (like in my example, I am running Windows 11 (Version 21H2 Build 22000.856) with English + German installed), one should be able to change the default keyboard layout without the need to change the registry but by just putting the language in question to the top position:

Settings -> Time & language -> Language & region: move the keyboard layout in question to the top position.

Answer 4

For me, a combination of top two answers resolved the issue (registry + Windows).

My case was a Windows 10 UK installation that had two keyboards (Croatian default and US English as well as UK one). In Windows 10, the Croatian default was working fine, but after upgrading to Windows 11, I could not get the Croatian keyboard layout to be the default.

If I went into Settings → Time & language → Typing → Advanced keyboard settings →, to try to override default input method, only the UK layout would be offered and not a Croatian or even the US one.

However, after going into registry HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload and deleting the UK layout things changed. After a restart, I could now go into Settings → Time & language → Typing → Advanced keyboard settings and Croatian, as well as the US layout was now offered and the override worked.

Answer 5

I tried everything for hours, but nothing helps—Windows 11 24H2 just does what it wants, and not what is in the registry.

I have three keyboard layouts:

1. Swiss German (custom designed with additional symbols)
2. Swiss German (standard)
3. Swiss French (standard)

In the registry, these three layouts are set for .DEFAULT as well as all other users. However, on the logon screen only the two layouts 1 and 3 do appear (layout 2 missing); after logging in, however, four layouts do appear—additionally 4. German.

The only way to delete 4. German is to install the German language pack and immediately deinstall it. The 4th layout disappears for the moment, but it will be resurrected automatically by Windows upon next logon. Note that HKCU\Control Panel\International\User Profile\languages = only de-CH and fr-CH (nowhere de-DE).

Just try editing the registry again and again. If you choose a wrong keyboard layout, Windows will add English, so you could at least log in.