KDWin

If you happen to write texts in different languages and, most of all, using different alphabets on a regular basis, KDWin can help you switch between keyboard layouts in the simplest and most convenient way.

This tiny free tool offers you two shortcuts to change your standard layout to any two of the 24 virtual keyboards available for a wide range of languages.

Armenian, Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Russian are but a few of the languages and alphabets supported. You won’t need to install any Windows language package to be able to use the different alphabets and layouts that KDWin provides. Switching from one to another is as easy as configuring the two key combinations provided (Alt [Left Alt] + Shift or Alt Gr [Right Alt] + Shift) and assign to them the keyboard layouts that you use more often. There are limitations, though. These key combinations cannot be changed – the only thing you can do with them is swapping their assigned language combinations using Alt + Shift + Ctrl. Besides, if you write in more than three languages regularly, you’ll need to change the selected keyboards in the program’s settings.

The great thing about KDWin is that it allows you to modify the layout of any of the keyboards. If you need to have quick access to specific symbols in any of the alphabets supported, you can re-assign the values of any of the less used keys using the map provided. Another great addition is Text Convert, a nifty tool to convert between ANSI, UNICODE, and OEM text codes in a snap.

KDWin hasn’t been touched since 2014, and it does show in its outdated interface design. Windows also lets you switch between languages and keyboard layouts using key combinations, though you will need to have the corresponding language package installed on your system. KDWin offers you a similarly efficient solution without the hassle of having to download and install a number of language packs.