Removing Lingering Keyboard Layouts in Windows

Problem Overview

Sometimes, a keyboard layout you’ve removed (e.g., Italian, Portuguese, or any other language) reappears in the taskbar of your Softdrive virtual machine (VM), even though it no longer shows up in the language settings. This lingering keyboard layout can cause typing issues or confusion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Identify the Lingering Keyboard Layout:

• In your Softdrive virtual machine, check the taskbar to find the keyboard layout causing the problem.

2. Reinstall the Language for the Keyboard Layout:

1. Open Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
2. Click Add a language and reinstall the language that matches the lingering keyboard layout.

3. Remove the Language to Clear the Layout:

1. Go back to Language & Region in Settings.
2. Find the language you just added, select it, and click Remove.

4. Confirm the Issue is Resolved:

• Check the taskbar in your virtual machine to ensure the lingering keyboard layout is no longer visible.

If You Want to Keep the Language:

If you want to keep the language but remove only the unwanted keyboard layout:

• After reinstalling the language, in the virtual machine:
  1. Open Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region.
  2. Select the language, click on Language Options, and under the "Keyboards" section, remove the unwanted layout while keeping the others.

Important Note:

Ensure that you perform all these steps inside your virtual machine and not on your local computer. The issue is specific to the virtual machine environment, and changes made locally will not resolve the problem in the VM.