Wrong keyboard layout at login screen

[Olaf Thyssen]

Today we had high amount of service desk calls about users cannot login to their device due to "wrong" password.

It turned out that UK keybaord layout has been set somehow and cannot be switched to something else while the users themsleves have en-US layout "inside" the OS which is en-US as well.

Before Logon; en-UK

After Logon; en-US

That cause some trouble with special characters in the password.

The only thing we've seen is that March cumulative update KB5011487 and Update for 21H1 KB4023057 have been installed the day before.

Just taking the opportunity to ask here if something known

[#2]

Do you see these keyboards after login to the Windows?
I advise you to open start and search for feedback and open the Feedback Hub app and report this issue.

[#3]

UK keyboard is not listed at all after login, just the US
I'll go with Feedback Hub

[#4]

That would be great , when you file a report in the Feedback Hub app, the Windows team will be able to investigate and resolve the issue.
Try add the UK keyboard and remove it.

[#5]

We also have similar issues, but until now, on the VMs only.
We have de-CH (default) and en-US keyboard layout active on the logon screen.
After installing KB5011487 on 20H2 it takes two reboots and the de-CH keyboard layout will not be available anymore. Here the chornological summary:
- Install of KB5011487
- Reboot
- de-CH layout still active, but no choise for keyboard layout selection at bottom right of logon screen
- Reboot
- en-US layout only active, no choise for keyboard layout selection at bottom right of logon screen
- no keyboard layout preload keys in registry:  Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload

Trying to put in a registry key within Computer\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload will only work until next login without rebooting. When rebooting, the keyboard layout will be en-US again.
This scenario we were able to reproduce on all VMs with win 10 enterprise 20H2 SAC.

[#6]

Thank you for sharing this.
Make sure share these issues using the Feedback Hub app and report this issue.

[#7]

We now also have physical machines where users report that only en-US is available. We have no Feedback Hub and find this is a good place to find out if any other other customers face the same problems with the monthly update. It is a good channel to communicate with other affected customers, instead of a bilateral channel.

[#8]

Feedback Hub is available in the Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
You may find a device where you have access to the Feedback Hub app and report this issue and then attach log files and screenshots.

[#9]

We are seeing the same issue in our company. Machines are Win 10 using English as core with MUI applied. Multiple countries throughout Europe reverting to EN-US keyboard. Attempted fixes won't stick.

[#10]

Here some updates on this case:
- the user has to set an input language (keyboard layout) for the preferred language in language settings. This setting will then be applied to the logon screen when he logs off, which is weird. Why a standard user can change the keyboard layout for the logon screen..?
- As soon as another user logs on to the machine, he has no keyboard layouts in the preferred languages and if he sets nothing and logs off, no Keyboard layouts are available and en-US is acitive.

It seems with the latest update Windows now takes the settings of current logged on user and applies them to login screen during log off. As long as no other user will log on, these settings will be kept for logon screen... hopefully this is not by design....

[#11]

@Olaf Thyssen 

Hi,

This same has happened to our customer also.
I tried modifying the registry under .DEFAULT with no avail.

The break through was to remove 'en-US' key under 

\HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile System Backup\.

There was 2 keys under User Profile System Backup and the other was our customers preferred language (Finnish).

The root cause for this is not clear yet, but might be related to language pack installation or customizations during the installation process.

[#12]

I advise you to file a bug report in the Feedback Hub app and those who are facing the same issue, make sure report it is using the Feedback Hub app.

[#13]

@Olaf Thyssen 

WORKING SOLUTION 

If the keyboard layout is changed for some reason in the computer (Windows), then 

We can type English with alt key + these numbers

Like alt+65 for A
And for the rest the series 66,67,68...

alt+90=Z

alt+97 for small a
And for the rest the series 98,99,100...

alt+122=z

🙏🏻

[#14]

FIX: I opened a case with MS and it went nowhere. Despite providing proof the cumulative update triggered this bug, they would not acknowledge it and had no fix. It appears to be a bug in the feature that automatically copies the user selected input method to the system account (which the login screen uses). We resolved (worked around) this bug in our company by disabling this feature with a GPO. Once this restriction was enabled, users could switch keyboard mappings once on the logon screen and the setting would no longer revert to English on the next boot.
Setting name: Disallow copying of user input methods to the system account for sign-in
Setting path: Computer/Admin Templates/System/Locale Services

[#15]

@Rrajewalia how to teach that to end users ?

My favorite is @Joe VanHollebeke fix.