one possiblility: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-other_settings/how-do-i-get-accented-characters-in-windows-10/39ddbef2-e67f-40ad-ae19-091858ce5a8b

Thank you nyc10036.

The features suggested in those comments back in 2015 (like the US-International layout) do not exist on the Inspiron 13 and, after much feedback from Dell Community, I am apparently stuck using the Character Map. A pain in the neck when doing long documents with different accented letters, but... The simple Alt-Shift-+-4-digit code would have apparently worked with a 'chicklet' keyboard, whatever that is, but that is not what the Inspiron 13 comes with.

It depends upon what you want to do. If, like the OP, you often need to work in another language, then add another keyboard language. Then you can switch between US English and the other keyboard language(s) by clicking the icon on the Taskbar (or via a keyboard shortcut, which at the moment I forget).

In my Windows 10 Home, the sequence is:

Settings | Time & Language | Add a Language | French

I currently have this problem, which I did not have before when I bought the computer Inspiron 14-5000 series in 2019. Back then I just type, eg 'a or `a for the accented a; 'e or `e for accented e etc. But suddenly, in the last two weeks my keyboard has stopped converting into French characters automatically. I am thinking of going back several weeks on my computer to see if it works. If you managed to find a solution I would be grateful. Best

Thanks 3 Zinc. I have added another language French, but the problem gets ,ore co,plicqted: It bqsicqlly qlters the keyboqrd to French zhich is not zhqt i zqnt: As you can notice from the characters preceding this sentence here. The problem used to be solved simply with english international. Automatically changed the characters to accent by adding the necessary punctuations symbols on the same keyboard. 

Thanks filbert. I am actually not the only person with this problem on dell inspiron and other laptops. They ought to do something about it.

Is it a Dell problem? This may have been a change in Windows.

There's a Canadian Multilingual Standard keyboard language that sounds like what you describe.

Hi

This is a problem peculiar to DELL laptops then, because HP, Lenovo etc all seem to work well.

ALT + 0200    È

It only works with the NUMpad not the top line of number keys.

IF you create another USER and make their profile suit your needs, it maybe easier to switch user than keyboards, assuming you dont plug in a French style USB keyboard.

LibreOffice     CELL  A1

=CHAR(ROW())     OR    =CHAR(ROW()+32)

Drag down to 255   OR   223

and you will have all the characters displayed.

IF you drag across several columns, all the way to Z for instance

then change the FONT in each column you get to see all the options.