Question How Can I type German Umlaut(ä, ö, ü, etc.) without using ALT Code like Microsoft Touch Keyboard

[BaoSumNoi]

In Microsoft TouchKeyboard you can simply hold down the 'u' then get more options for more available varieties of the 'u' alphabets
Is there anyway to make this feature available on my normal keyboard input?

I am not looking to switching to German keyboard input all the time or using ALT code because my keyboard doesn't have keypad.

 

[helpstar]

Umlaut Letters	MS Word Shortcut
ä	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then a
ë	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then e
ï	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then i
ö	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then o
ü	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then u
ÿ	[Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;], then y

 

[helpstar]

You could try the onscreen keyboard of windows as well

 

[Nigel Spike]

You can have several keyboard layouts installed at once, and when needed you change to the one you want. I for example am from Sweden, and have Swedish, Danish and English (USA) layouts installed.
What you call umlauts, are actual letters in the languages that use them, and the keyboards have dedicated keys for those letters, just as the US keyboard has a key for the $ sign or the English UK one has a key for the £ sign.

 

[Alabalcho]

Is there anyway to make this feature available on my normal keyboard input?

You have to sacrifice something... How the Windows will know if you hold 'U' key, whether you want to enter 20 'U's, or to show additional menu...

Many moons ago, Microsoft provided a utility where one can define it's own keyboard layout. You can use this utility to create a new layout, based on your current layout with added Umlauts etc.