How to Type Special Characters on Windows: Alt Codes and Beyond

Windows offers more methods for typing special characters than most users realize. From the decades-old Alt code system inherited from DOS to the modern Win+. emoji panel, Windows has grown a layered toolkit for reaching characters that aren't on your keyboard. Knowing which tool to use in which situation saves real time.

Method 1: Alt Codes

Alt codes are the oldest and most widely known method for typing special characters on Windows. They work by holding Alt, typing a numeric code on the numpad, then releasing Alt.

The Two Alt Code Ranges

Windows has two distinct Alt code systems that are often confused:

Alt+[1–255] (the original): Uses the OEM code page (typically CP437 or CP850), dating back to IBM PC DOS. These produce characters from the legacy code page, not always matching Unicode expectations.

Alt+[0128–0255] (with leading zero): Uses Windows-1252 (Windows Western European encoding). The leading zero signals to Windows to use this encoding instead of CP437.

For most modern use, the Alt+0xxx form with a leading zero is more predictable:

Requirements for Alt Codes

Alt codes have strict requirements that catch many users off guard:

1. You must use the numeric keypad (Numpad), not the number row at the top of the keyboard
2. Num Lock must be ON — press Num Lock if the numbers aren't working
3. Hold Alt the entire time you type the digits
4. Release Alt to produce the character

On laptops without a dedicated numpad, look for the embedded numpad (usually accessed via Fn+key). Some laptops label these keys with small numbers in a different color. If your laptop has no numpad at all, use one of the other methods below.

Legacy CP437 Alt Codes (No Leading Zero)

The original Alt codes without a leading zero access different characters — many are box-drawing characters used in old DOS interfaces:

Method 2: Win+. Emoji Panel

Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in emoji panel that's far faster than hunting through Character Map. It includes not just emoji but also kaomoji, symbols, and GIFs.

Opening the Emoji Panel

Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ; (semicolon). The panel opens near your cursor.

Navigating the Panel

The emoji panel has four tabs at the top: - Emoji — full emoji library, searchable - Kaomoji — text-art faces like (◕‿◕) and ¯_(ツ)_/¯ - Symbols — punctuation, currency, math, and more - GIFs — animated GIFs (requires internet)

Symbols Tab

The Symbols tab in the emoji panel covers many special characters without requiring you to remember codes:

• Punctuation: em dash, en dash, ellipsis, guillemets, curly quotes
• Currency: €, £, ¥, ₿, ₹, ₩
• Latin: accented characters
• Math: ±, ×, ÷, √, π, ∑, ∞
• Arrows: →, ←, ↑, ↓, ↔

Click any character to insert it at the cursor. The panel remembers recently used characters at the top.

Searching

Type in the search bar to find emoji by description. "coffee," "fire," "check mark" all work. The search also covers symbol names in the Symbols tab.

Method 3: Character Map (charmap.exe)

Character Map is the built-in Windows utility for browsing and copying any Unicode character. It's been part of Windows since Windows 3.1, though the interface hasn't changed much.

Opening Character Map

• Press Win+R, type charmap, press Enter
• Or search "Character Map" in the Start menu

Using Character Map

1. Select a font from the dropdown (most Unicode characters are in fonts like Segoe UI, Arial Unicode MS, or Code2000)
2. Browse the grid or use the search box at the bottom ("Search for:")
3. Double-click a character to add it to the "Characters to copy" box
4. Click Copy, then paste into your document

Advanced View

Check the "Advanced view" checkbox at the bottom to unlock: - Character set: Unicode, Windows, DOS/OEM - Group by: Unicode subrange (Latin, Greek, Arrows, etc.) or Unicode block - Search for: type a character name to jump to it (e.g., "em dash") - Go to Unicode: type a code point hex value (e.g., 2014) to jump directly

Finding the Keystroke

When you click a character in Character Map, the status bar at the bottom shows its keystroke if it has one. For common characters it also shows the Alt code. This is a useful way to learn shortcuts you didn't know about.

Method 4: Unicode Hex Input via Registry

Windows supports typing Unicode characters by hex code point in some applications, but it requires a registry modification to enable.

Enabling Unicode Hex Input

1. Open Registry Editor (Win+R, type regedit)
2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method
3. Right-click the right pane, choose New > String Value
4. Name it EnableHexNumpad
5. Set its value to 1
6. Restart Windows

Using Unicode Hex Input

After enabling and restarting: 1. Hold Alt 2. Press + on the numpad (this activates Unicode mode) 3. Type the hex code point (e.g., 2014 for em dash) 4. Release Alt

This works in many applications including Notepad, WordPad, and Microsoft Office. It does not work in all apps — browser text fields, for example, may not support it.

Comparison with Alt Codes

Find any character's hex code with our Unicode Lookup tool.

Method 5: Alt+X in Microsoft Office

Microsoft Word and WordPad support a special shortcut: type a Unicode code point in hex, then press Alt+X to convert it to the character in place.

How Alt+X Works

1. Type the hex code point directly in your document (e.g., 2014)
2. Immediately press Alt+X
3. The 2014 is replaced by — (em dash)

You can also reverse the process: place your cursor after any character and press Alt+X to see its code point.

This only works in Word, WordPad, and a handful of other Microsoft applications. It doesn't work in browsers, Notepad, or most third-party apps.

Common Alt+X Codes

Method 6: WinCompose (Third-Party)

WinCompose brings the Linux Compose key concept to Windows, letting you type special characters with intuitive multi-key sequences. It's free, open source, and doesn't require administrator access.

Installing WinCompose

Download from github.com/samhocevar/wincompose or install via winget install wincompose.

Using WinCompose

After installation, WinCompose runs in the system tray. You configure a Compose key (by default, right Alt). Then:

• Compose, -, - → — (em dash)
• Compose, <, < → « (left guillemet)
• Compose, >, > → » (right guillemet)
• Compose, o, c → © (copyright)
• Compose, o, r → ® (registered)
• Compose, t, m → ™ (trademark)
• Compose, 1, 2 → ½ (one half)
• Compose, e, ' → é (e-acute)
• Compose, n, ~ → ñ (n-tilde)
• Compose, u, :: → ü (u-umlaut)
• Compose, +, - → ± (plus-minus)
• Compose, =, = → ≡ (identical to)

WinCompose uses the same .XCompose file format as Linux, so you can import or share configurations across platforms.

Choosing the Right Method

Troubleshooting Alt Codes

Number row not working: Must use numpad, not the top row numbers.

Num Lock warning: If Alt codes produce movement (cursor moving instead of numbers), Num Lock is off. Press Num Lock and try again.

Getting wrong character: Check whether you're using a leading zero (Alt+0xxx uses Windows-1252; without the zero uses CP437). The results are completely different.

Laptop without numpad: Use Character Map, Win+. emoji panel, or install WinCompose. Many laptop keyboards have a hidden numpad accessed via a Fn key — look for small numbers printed on letter keys (often J=1, K=2, L=3, etc.).

Character appears as a box: The current font doesn't include that character. Switch to a Unicode-rich font like Segoe UI, Arial Unicode MS, or Noto Sans.

Next in Series: Linux users have arguably the most powerful built-in system of all — the Compose key and Ctrl+Shift+U Unicode input. Read How to Type Special Characters on Linux to see how it works.