Missing accents and Alt / Option key functions in Monterey 12.7.6

Eriahmoir wrote: See screengrab of current input sources

Do you actually use Unicode Hex? It is for typing characters by holdiing down option and then the 4 digit hex code. With that keyboard it is possible that press and hold and various other things using option will not work as normal. It's not hard to wind up using it by mistake, so if not really necessary you may want to remove it.

Irish Extended also does not do the Press and Hold accent menu I think.

Re alt/option: is system preferences / keyboard / modifier keys set correctly for option?

What is on your list at system preferences / keyboard / input sources?

Re press and hold, see if this note is of any help

MacOS Accent Menu Has Disappeared - Apple Community

Also check to make sure nothing under Accessibility is turned on.

Eriahmoir wrote: See screengrab of current input sources

To avoid any possible confusion about active input sources, could you verify that you still have accent menu and option key problems when Irish is shown in the input menu at the top right of the screen, as shown here:

Could you also verify that when US International PC is shown there, you can type é via ' and then e, etc.?

Eriahmoir wrote:

I type daily in a language using the diacritics áéíóúÁÉÍÓÚ and occasionally with other diacritics from European languages.

Try adding the input source “US International PC”. This lets you type accents via the keys for ‘ “ ^ ` ~. Does that work?

In dealing with your last paragraph, I have selected a number of European languages, from which to choose to select in the top right hand side set of tools. In your native language, usually shown by the flag of whichever language you use, go to System Preferences and select 'Langue and Region', and in the left side you can scroll through a large selection of languages. Tap on or select all the languages you would use,on my iMac and MacBook, I have these;

Select any of the language you would use, then click on 'Show Keyboard viewer'. This will show you how the keyboard is arranged to show you which keys to press for a particular accent, etc. There are only 3 vowels in the German language that are altered:: a, o, and u. Z and Y are on opposite keyboard rows. And the character that looks like a B is actually a German replacement for SS, e.g.Viel Spass

Hoping that helps.

Same problem as OP, and same remedies tried minus adding a different keyboard language. I should add that I am using US input. I tried one more remedy as well: I saw a post recommending to go into preferences and reset the keyboard to default settings and restart. It worked... until the computer went to sleep. When I reactivated it the no-accents-menu problem had returned and restarting did not fix it. Same thing when entering the 'defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true' command in Terminal and restarting; it worked until reactivating after a sleep and, again, restarting did not make it return. What's frustrating is that it has worked flawlessly for years and just recently stopped. I am living in Portugal right now and really need the accented letters. I've taken to leaving open a window with all the accented letters and doing copy-and-paste followed by reformatting if needed. This is definitely an inferior approach compared to having the press-and-hold accents menu. I am open to the possibility that I have done something to bring this on myself, but what and how do I fix it? I hope the part about reactivating after sleep mode provides a useful clue.

tlpresnell wrote:

Yes, macOS 12.7.6.

I if I can get my menu back I would prefer that. It served me for years.

Understood! I gather you're unable to update the OS any further?

Have you tried a safe boot

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support (NZ)

and checked the other possible fixes in

MacOS Accent Menu Has Disappeared - Apple Community

Eriahmoir wrote:

Within Keyboard, under Input Sources, I was presented with a list; there's no indication there of which Keyboard has precedence. However, there's a tick beside my preferred Irish keyboard in the drop-down menu leading from that icon you identified. This could be the answer for other folks too?

The input sources list in system preferences does not have any effect on which keyboard is currently active. Only the drop down in the menu bar can do that. Very few people use Unicode Hex, so for most them the cause of a missing accent menu or option key function is elsewhere (and harder to fix).

Great to hear your own problem is solved!

tlpresnell wrote:

Same problem as OP, I am living in Portugal right now and really need the accented letters. I've taken to leaving open a window with all the accented letters and doing copy-and-paste followed by reformatting if needed. This is definitely an inferior approach compared to having the press-and-hold accents menu. I

Are you also using MacOS 12? Current is macOS 15.

Can you use the standard option key shortcuts for accents? Much better than cut/paste pending a fix to the accent menu,

https://sites.psu.edu/symbolcodes/mac/codemac/

Yes, macOS 12.7.6.

I can use the option key shortcuts; I used them years ago but have since forgotten them. This means printing out a sheet with the ones I need on it and keeping it on display until I have re-memorized them. Definitely a 1st-world problem, I know, but if I can get my menu back I would prefer that. It served me for years.