right alt triggers left ctrl in windows 11

Dear Youssef, 

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

I understand how frustrating it can be when keyboard keys don’t behave as expected, especially after an update. Let’s try a few steps that might help resolve this: 

1. Reconfigure Keyboard Layout 

• Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region, and check your keyboard layouts. Make sure your preferred layout is set as the default. Sometimes switching between layouts can cause unexpected behavior. 

After making changes, please restart your device and check if the issue persists. 

2. Check for Additional Keyboard

• Shortcuts  If you have custom shortcuts defined, they might be conflicting. Review any configuration you’ve set and try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue. 

Restart your device and verify if the problem continues. 

3. Update Keyboard Drivers 

• Open Device Manager, find your keyboard under Keyboards, right-click, and select Update driver to ensure everything is up to date. 

Restart your device and test the keyboard behavior again. 

4. Verify Ease of Access Settings 

• Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and confirm that no accessibility settings are influencing key behavior. 

Restart your device and check if the issue is resolved. 

5. Try an External Keyboard 

• If you’re using a laptop, connect an external keyboard. If the problem persists, it might be a system-level setting; if it doesn’t, the laptop’s keyboard could be the cause. 

Restart after testing and confirm if the issue remains. 

6. Rollback Recent Update 

• Since this started after the recent update, consider rolling back the update:  Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates. 

Restart your device and see if the behavior returns to normal. 

7. Use Windows Key + Space 

• Try using Windows key + Space to change the keyboard layout instead of Alt + Shift or Ctrl + Shift, which might help avoid the issue. 

Restart and check if this workaround improves the situation. 

I hope these steps help restore the normal behavior of your keyboard and make switching between languages smoother. Please let me know how it goes, I’m here if you need any further guidance or have additional questions. Wishing you a hassle-free typing experience and a smooth workflow! 

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Thanks for reaching out to the community, Youssef. That typing issue sounds frustrating. The Right Alt key in Windows works like AltGr, which the system sees as Ctrl+Alt. After the KB5070311 update, the input method switcher and Arabic IME might misread this, causing Left Ctrl to activate when switching between Arabic and English. Try these fixes:

1. In Settings > Time & language > Typing> Advanced keyboard settings > Input language hot keys, change or disable the Switch input method shortcuts so they don't use Alt or Ctrl. A simple shortcut like Win+Space might work better.
2. In Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, make sure Sticky/Toggle/Filter Keys are turned off.
3. If you have PowerToys, AutoHotkey, or any remapping tools, turn them off temporarily to test.
4. Update the Arabic IME and keyboard drivers, then restart your computer.
5. If the problem started after the KB5070311 update, uninstall it or install a newer update that replaces it.
6. If it still happens, do a clean boot to check for third-party conflicts and test in Notepad to see if the issue is system-wide.

Tell me the exact Arabic and English keyboard layouts you're using, the shortcut you use to switch, and whether the Ctrl problem happens in all programs or just certain ones.

Best,

Rez