Hello. I have encountered phantom keyboard layout. In the settings, there is only 3 languages. The English (Malaysia) is using the US layout. However, the taskbar shows a fourth language which is English (UK) with UK layout. This heavily affects me due to the extra language disrupt my Alt+Shift sequence. I have tried a lot of methods to remove it. I tried the followings. Add then remove the language. I added the English (UK) in the language setting then removing it. It temporarily solves the issue. But after a while it returns again. Set the system locale After some research, some suggested to change the locale settings, which I did as follows I also copy the current setting into the welcome screen and new user accounts and then reboot the system. However, it did not permanently resolve the issue. The phantom keyboard layout still returns. Then Copilot suggested to delete the UK layout registry key (00000809) in registry editor. But when I open the regedit. There is no UK layout present in the editor. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload I even checked in HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile But the UK layout is still there in the taskbar. Despite these methods, the phantom English (UK) layout keeps haunting me. Please help.

Hi Jin Huang , please go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Click Remember my preferences > Uncheck "Language preferences" > Sign out and sign back in to apply the change. You can also use command by right-click Start > Windows PowerShell (Admin) and paste the following and press Enter: Set-WinUserLanguageList en-MY -Force

How to remove Phantom Keyboard Layout

Jin Huang 0

Hello.
I have encountered phantom keyboard layout.

In the settings, there is only 3 languages. The English (Malaysia) is using the US layout.

User's image

However, the taskbar shows a fourth language which is English (UK) with UK layout.

User's image

This heavily affects me due to the extra language disrupt my Alt+Shift sequence.

I have tried a lot of methods to remove it. I tried the followings.

Add then remove the language. I added the English (UK) in the language setting then removing it. It temporarily solves the issue. But after a while it returns again.
Set the system locale After some research, some suggested to change the locale settings, which I did as follows I also copy the current setting into the welcome screen and new user accounts and then reboot the system. However, it did not permanently resolve the issue. The phantom keyboard layout still returns.
Then Copilot suggested to delete the UK layout registry key (00000809) in registry editor. But when I open the regedit. There is no UK layout present in the editor. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload I even checked in HKEY_USERS.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile But the UK layout is still there in the taskbar. Despite these methods, the phantom English (UK) layout keeps haunting me. Please help.

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6 answers

Anonymous

2025-09-24T09:39:43.0433333+00:00

Hi Jin Huang, please go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup > Click Remember my preferences > Uncheck "Language preferences" > Sign out and sign back in to apply the change.

You can also use command by right-click Start > Windows PowerShell (Admin) and paste the following and press Enter: Set-WinUserLanguageList en-MY -Force
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Anonymous

2025-09-24T10:23:07.35+00:00

Hi @Jin Huang , if you stuck somewhere, let me know! Thanks.

Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T10:58:15.56+00:00

Hi Harry, I did your method, signed out, signed back in and also restarted the system. So far, the issue hasn't reappeared yet. Will let you know after some times of usage.

Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T16:46:50.9433333+00:00

Hello @Anonymous , unfortunately the issue reappeared again, even after I disabled the language preferences in the windows backup, signed out, signed back and restarted.

I haven't tested the powershell method yet and will try that now.
After pressing Enter, the powershell advised me to signed out and signed back in, which I will do. Hopefully this can remove the phantom layout permanently.

Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T16:52:30.7+00:00

Update:

I did the powershell script and pressed Enter, signed out, and signed in. Now there is only English (Malaysia) in the language setting. I will add on back the Chinese and Japanese language. Hopefully the phantom layout won't reappear. I will update you then.

Jin Huang 0 Reputation points

2025-09-24T17:18:03.4633333+00:00

Update:
Unfortunately, the problem reappears....
So far, I have tried:

Add then remove the language in settings

Set the system locale

Delete Registry (registry is not found though)

Disable Language References in Windows Backup

Powershell script to force the language list

All methods cannot permanently prevent the phantom layout.

The phantom layout will always disappear after restart system, sign out and in, and add then remove the language in settings. And it will always come back.

😢

Alessandro 0 Reputation points

2025-10-24T19:53:43.4933333+00:00

I was struggling for months now with phantom UK keyboard coming out of nowhere with no foreseeable way to remove, tried all possible tips and tricks but no avail. But oh what a miracle the Set-WinUserLanguageList powershell command worked like a charm! Hope this fix lasts.
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How to remove Phantom Keyboard Layout

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