Keymaps do not handled correctly on Windows when using AltGr

[jusqua]

Summary

Keymaps don't works when using AltGr.
In my keyboard layout I need to press AltGr + q to produce / and AltGr + w to produce ?, but, on Windows, AltGr also produces Ctrl + Alt and conflicts with the existing keymaps.

An example is the / to search in vim mode the keymap produces Ctrl + Alt + / and I cannot use the search.
Also for Assistant Panel (The default is Ctrl + ?), I need to press Ctrl + AltGr + q, but returns Ctrl + Alt + /.

Some apps make workarounds to handle the AltGr key on windows to "correctly" key handling, generally the AltGr is the Right Alt key.
Some discussion: crossterm-rs/crossterm#820

Steps to trigger the problem:

1. On Windows, using a keyboard with AltGr capability, e.g. Portuguese (Brazil ABNT2)
2. Press AltGr + key
3. Recieve "wrong" keys

Actual Behavior:

2025-03-20.13-26-25.mp4

Expected Behavior:

Produce the keymap correctly and use zed default keymaps without mapping to anything else.

Zed Version and System Specs

Zed: v0.178.5 (Zed)
OS: Windows 10.0.26100
Memory: 15.7 GiB
Architecture: x86_64
GPU: Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics || Intel Corporation || Intel driver

[JunkuiZhang]

Hello @jusqua , and thank you very much for your feedback!

Zed was originally developed on macOS, and since macOS and Windows handle key inputs quite differently, really sorry for the suboptimal experience this has caused.

If you're open to it, you might want to try this PR: #26788. Its goal is to address issues similar to the one you're encountering. That said, we are still actively discussing how to reconcile the fundamentally different key handling systems of macOS and Windows, so the PR might not be merged in recent weeks.

[jusqua]

Hi @JunkuiZhang, thanks for the response.
I've tested this PR and I think this is not the desirable behavior.
When using:

• AltGr + q produces Ctrl + Alt + q and process Search;
• Ctrl + AltGr + w produces Ctrl + Alt + w and also process Search;

The external keyboard / key stoped working, maybe don't have a virtual key for it?

2025-03-21.11-16-29.mp4

[JunkuiZhang]

I think this is the normal behavior in the Windows world. On your keyboard, Right Alt is mapped as AltGr, but in Windows, there isn't a distinct AltGr key. Zed won't receive notifications for the AltGr key, but only for ctrl-alt. Please refer to [this link](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20040329-00/?p=40003) for more information.

So, if you set Ctrl + AltGr + w, it's actually an invalid shortcut combination. Also, AltGr + q produces Ctrl + Alt + q is the expected behavior.

[magikmw]

I'd just like to add many european languages use right alt (AltGr) for additional letters, like polish ż (AltGr + z).
I'm testing out zed with MSYS2 currently, and that's all the letters I can't type in polish right now:
AltGR + z => ż
AltGR + s => ś
AltGR + o => ó

I haven't noticed this behaviour in my daily Linux build.

[JunkuiZhang]

I'd just like to add many european languages use right alt (AltGr) for additional letters, like polish ż (AltGr + z). I'm testing out zed with MSYS2 currently, and that's all the letters I can't type in polish right now: AltGR + z => ż AltGR + s => ś AltGR + o => ó

I haven't noticed this behaviour in my daily Linux build.

On Windows, AltGr is interpreted as Ctrl+Alt, so pressing something like Ctrl+Alt+S ends up triggering Zed’s Save All shortcut instead of sending the actual input.

In #29144, we’re addressing this by avoiding Ctrl+Alt+* style keybindings altogether.

[JunkuiZhang]

Can you still reproduce this issue? We’ve recently rolled out a bunch of fixes for keymaps and keystrokes on Windows.

[jusqua]

Hi, @JunkuiZhang.
Looks like the major problems are solved by changing the default keymaps for Windows, and since approximately version 200, I cannot reproduce them anymore.

[JunkuiZhang]

Thanks for confirming, I'm gonna close this, feel free to reopen this or ping me if you have some other issues :)

[jusqua]

Hello again, @JunkuiZhang.
Just commenting in this issue 'cause is the same problem, something changed today and keymaps with AltGr not working anymore, but using Ctrl + Alt works.

Can you open the issue again?

Same keymaps on issue description.

Zed settings

{
  "ssh_connections": [
    // hidden
  ],
  "wsl_connections": [
    // hidden
  ],
  "auto_update": true,
  "edit_predictions": {
    "mode": "subtle",
    "copilot": {
      "proxy": null,
      "proxy_no_verify": null,
      "enterprise_uri": null
    },
    "enabled_in_text_threads": false
  },
  "features": {
    "edit_prediction_provider": "copilot"
  },
  "agent": {
    "default_profile": "ask",
    "default_model": {
      "provider": "copilot_chat",
      "model": "gpt-5"
    }
  },
  "git": {
    "inline_blame": {
      "enabled": false
    }
  },
  "languages": {
    "PHP": {
      "language_servers": ["phptools", "!..."],
      "formatter": "language_server",
      "prettier": {
        "allowed": false
      }
    },
    "LaTeX": {
      "soft_wrap": "bounded",
      "preferred_line_length": 80
    }
  },
  "tab_bar": {
    "show_nav_history_buttons": false
  },
  "tabs": {
    "git_status": true,
    "file_icons": true
  },
  "vim_mode": true,
  "ui_font_size": 14,
  "buffer_font_size": 14,
  "buffer_line_height": "standard",
  "ui_font_family": "IBM Plex Sans",
  "buffer_font_family": "IBM Plex Mono",
  "terminal": {
    "font_family": "IBM Plex Mono",
    "line_height": "standard"
  },
  "theme": {
    "mode": "system",
    "light": "One Light",
    "dark": "One Dark"
  }
}

Recording.8.mp4

Zed Version and System Specs

Zed: v0.209.0 (Zed Nightly 75067c9)
OS: Windows 10.0.26100
Memory: 15.7 GiB
Architecture: x86_64
GPU: Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics || Intel Corporation || 31.0.101.4953