I can't use less than and greater than sign

[Xatone]

Hello, I bought this computer three months ago from the HP Store in Spain. It uses a QWERTY keyboard layout. You can see it in the attached photo.

I'm only able to type the < symbol using Fn + L, but I can't access the other character on that key.

Could you please help me with this?

[NonSequitur777]

@Xatone,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

It looks like the problem is more likely to be a keyboard layout or mapping issue rather than a defective keyboard, since you can type < with Fn + L but not the other character on that key.

Here are some things you can try:

1. Check your Windows keyboard layout.

   • Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language (or Region & language) → Keyboards / Input methods.

   • Make sure the selected layout matches the physical keyboard you actually have. For example, if it's a Spanish-market laptop with a QWERTY layout, you may need to select Spanish (QWERTY) or the correct regional variant. If Windows is using a mismatched layout, some keys won’t produce the expected characters.

2. Use the On-Screen Keyboard.

   • Open the On-Screen Keyboard (type “On-Screen Keyboard” in Windows search).

   • Press the same combinations there (Fn + L, Shift + L, etc.) and see if the missing character appears.

   • If it does, that suggests a hardware problem with the physical key. If it doesn't, then the issue is in the keyboard mapping.

3. Try all modifier combinations.

   • Test Shift + L, Fn + L, AltGr + L, and Ctrl + Alt + L. On some layouts, the second symbol on that key is accessed with AltGr instead of Shift or Fn.

4. Check if AltGr is working.

   • Try using AltGr with other keys (for example AltGr + 2, AltGr + E, etc.). If those don’t work, then your AltGr key may not be functioning or the layout doesn't use it.

5. Update drivers and BIOS.

   • Make sure Windows is fully updated, and also check HP Support for the latest BIOS and firmware updates for the OmniBook X Flip 16. Occasionally, keyboard firmware fixes odd behavior.

6. If all else fails, consider hardware.

   • If none of the above works, the key might be defective. Since the laptop is only three months old and purchased from HP Spain, it’s still under warranty. In that case, you can contact HP Spain Support for a repair or replacement: https://support.hp.com/es-es.

Most often this type of issue turns out to be a layout mismatch rather than a dead key, so it's worth checking the Windows input settings carefully first.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Xatone · Accepted solution]

Ok, that was strange. So I first need to press this key combination in order to do it: >

Left Shift(1) + FN(2) + L(3)

If I vary the order, the "greater than" key doesn't work. So it seems like a rare combination key for this laptop.

[NonSequitur777]

@Xatone,

Strange indeed, but at least you're able to access the ">" sign!

Another option to try: to type the greater than (>) sign using an Alt code, you'll need to press and hold the Alt key, type 0155 on the numeric keypad (with Num Lock on), and then release the Alt key. This method is for use on a Windows PC with a dedicated numeric keypad, as the keyboard number keys will not work for Alt codes.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777