PowerToys sends a grave accent "`" before the first thing I type

[cln-b]

ℹ Computer information

• PowerToys version: v0.25.0
• Running PowerToys as Admin: Yes
• Windows build number: 20H2 (19042.630)

📝 Provide detailed reproduction steps (if any)

1. Use United Kingdom Extended keyboard layout
2. Set PowerToys as a start-up program
3. Reboot
4. Type some text

✔️ Expected result

Whatever I type shouldn't have a grave accent on it, or before the first letter.

❌ Actual result

Whenever PowerToys is running, typing into a text field inserts a grave accent before the first letter.
For example "chrome" or "youtube" becomes "`chrome" or "ỳoutube"

📷 Screenshots

[ghost]

I guess you typed youtube in chrome. How's that to do with PowerToys?

[cln-b]

This only happens when PowerToys is running, I should've explained it better

[ghost]

That's strange.

[ghost]

/cc @enricogior

[cln-b]

I just found someone else with this issue, but it's solved. #3714

[crutkas]

going to go through a few permutations here so please deal with us so we can see what could be the offending module.

1. What modules do you have enabled
2. Does it happen with Keyboard manager disabled?
3. Do you have any type of additional software that could be running that could intercept low level keyhooks like AutoHotKey?

[cln-b]

1. `File Explorer, Power Rename, PowerToys Run, Shortcut Guide
2. Keyboard Manager isn't enabled
3. Not that I know of, this only started happening when I installed PowerToys today

[crutkas]

notes: i tried this with a UK keyboard installed and couldn't repo the issue. BUT i failed at reading the repo steps E2E, i also didn't reboot.

[crutkas]

even with a reboot, i can't reproduce this.

1. confirmed KBM is turned off
2. Using English (UK) - UK keyboard.
3. My OS is EN-US set however.

@cillbill74 can you take a screenshot of your language setting page?

Here is mine:

Would love to hook a conference call / debugger into this to maybe dive in why if you'd be up for that.

[crutkas]

Also here was my keyboard settings:

[fsktom]

This may not help, but I think I also have the same problem

[crutkas]

I need a way to repro the issue. More you can tell me about your set up or have a teams call with me, better chance of seeing the root cause.

[cln-b]

I just tested and I do not have this problem with the "United Kingdom" keyboard layout, only with "United Kingdom Extended". Probably because the standard UK layout doesn't use "`" as a modifier.

Here's my language settings:

[cln-b]

Just found something. If I try to map the grave key on the UK layout it says I'm pressing "`", but on the Extended layout it says I'm pressing "VK 223"? It seems like PowerToys has trouble with modifier keys as someone else had this problem with the "US International" layout's apostrophe modifier key. #3714

Edit: I disabled "VK 223" in Keyboard Manager but I still have this problem so scrap that idea

[crutkas]

Ok, have to see why I can't see the extended keyboard then for the UK.

[Jay-o-Way]

A single keystroke of the grave accent would never result in a character being displayed, it always remains 'silent' until the next keystroke.

Yeah, not really. I set my keyboard layout.language to "English / US" because I was really fed up with these "dead keys", so now I don't have 'em any more.

[edo2313]

I still have the problem

[crutkas]

@Jay-o-Way, still possible to repro.

[markvvaals]

As was noted by Davide above, I report and describe this issue in ticket 19014.

Please read the comment I just posted on that, as I have found the culprit and am able to reproduce 100% of the time following the steps described.

Note: I use United States-International keyboard layout in Windows, but this issue should be the same for all layouts that use/feature "dead keys".

[Jay-o-Way]

@SeraphimaZykova any clue?

[markvvaals]

Any news?
This has been bugging me for over a year.

Since I found how to reproduce the bug, shared detailed explanation of the bug and steps to reproduce as well as a video of it. Can you guys now find the issue with the code and solve it?
That would be greatly appreciated.

I'm happy to assist if necessary, let me know if you need anything else. Thanks!

[Jay-o-Way]

I tried and took a look at the code and searched for the decimal, hexadecimal and vk values, but didn't find the cause. But then I'm not the one who built FancyZones, Seraphima is. Confirming this is still happening in v0.60 and that it's the activation of FancyZones.

[markvvaals]

Confirming this is still happening in v0.60 and that it's the activation of FancyZones.

Not sure if this was the confirmation or a question, but I can confirm this is still happening in v0.60 upon activation of FancyZones.

[jaimecbernardo]

Can repro as in #19014 with a US-International layout!

[jaimecbernardo]

I've hunted this down to the use of ToUnicodeEx when reading the vk code from settings:

PowerToys/src/common/SettingsAPI/settings_objects.h

Line 220 in fa3a5f8

auto output_bytes = ToUnicodeEx(key_code, scan_code, key_states.data(), output.data(), (int)output.size() - 1, 0, layout);

This is pretty weird, so this function can change the state of the keyboard. Let's see what we can do here.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-tounicodeex#remarks

As ToUnicodeEx translates the virtual-key code, it also changes the state of the kernel-mode keyboard buffer. This state-change affects dead keys, ligatures, alt+numpad key entry, and so on. It might also cause undesired side-effects if used in conjunction with TranslateMessage (which also changes the state of the kernel-mode keyboard buffer).

[jaimecbernardo]

What a weird detail. Anyway, it looks like sending the bit 2 of wFlags on seems to have fixed it. This is a recently introduced detail, but good thing it was added.

[in] wFlags
Type: UINT
The behavior of the function.
If bit 0 is set, a menu is active.
If bit 2 is set, keyboard state is not changed (Windows 10, version 1607 and newer)
All other bits (through 31) are reserved.

[jaimecbernardo]

Committing a fix soon.

[jaimecbernardo]

@markvvaals , thanks a lot for the investigation, we've been able to reproduce it consistently and hunt down this weird bug thanks to you.

[markvvaals]

@jaimecbernardo you're welcome, glad to be of help.
Thank you very much for hunting down the culprit code and finding a fix for this small but quite annoying bug for those of us using a keyboard layout with dead keys.