The easiest way I know of to write in Spanish with Windows XP

  1. Install a "Spanish(traditional)" Input Locale with a "US-International English" keyboard (see below).
  2. When you want to write in Spanish, press LEFT_ALT-SHIFT (press down the ALT key on the left of the spacebar and the SHIFT key at the same time) to switch to the "US-International English" keyboard, then type: 
       á = 'a (single quote, then a vowel; same works for é í ó ú Á É Í Ó Ú)
   ü = "u (double quote, then a vowel; same for ö Ü Ö Ä etc.)
   ñ = ~n (tilde, then the letter n)
   ¡ = RIGHT_ALT-1 (This is the ! key, but with RIGHT_ALT instead of SHIFT)
   ¿ = RIGHT_ALT-/ (This is the ? key, but with RIGHT_ALT instead of SHIFT)

   There are more key combinations. See http://www.starr.net/is/type/intlchart.html.
  3. When you are done writing in Spanish, press LEFT_ALT-SHIFT to switch back to the standard keyboard.

Windows XP INSTALLATION

Start...
Open the control panel...
Open the keyboard control...
This is the picture you want to have in the end. If you don't have the Spanish Input Locale with the United States-International keyboard, then you need to click "Add..."
Find the Spanish (Traditional Sort) input locale and the United States-International keyboard. (If that isn't there, I don't know what to do.)
That's all there is to it. For more information, see also: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/keyboards/winkey.html.

Bob Hanson (hansonr@stolaf.edu) more Spanish