I'm sorry but at this point I'm not sure what Microsoft can do to make me switch from 7 to 8. Anyway, that's off-topic, sorry.

Will you all please upvote this question? Hopefully someone from Microsoft will answer (though I fear they just haven't finished the keyboard-layout tooling yet and we're out of luck). How to add/build custom keyboard layouts (e.g. Colemak) in Windows 8 CP?

Guys check this topic out :)

https://forum.colemak.com/viewtopic.php?id=1378

Colemak should be the primairy input language after this :)

Been running Windows 8 pro 9200, and the Evaluation version.

As a Dvorak user (probably meaningless for Colemakians), I have managed to add Dvorak as an input method.  And it works much better for me.

The layout switcher, now additionally uses the keyboard shortcut Super + Space, like on OSX.  (Note this shows in the new UI, but there is no trace of the setting in the control panel from what I can work out.)

Finding where to configure input layouts is a bit of a dark art, you can't seem to do this in the New UI under PC Settings, but you can do through Control Panel (If you can find it...) Control Panel -> Clock, Language and Region.  Shortcut there that reads Change input methods.  @dreymar is right to flag this as a change of terminology.

I've set up two users, each with two different  input methods.  Users can  switch between them.  At the login screen: clicking on the user account allows you to then switch between the selected user's own layout. Which is a welcome change.  Especially as it seems that GDM 3 and KDM have regressed so that you can't switch layouts at login.  However, the change doesn't carry through to the desktop - which is a bit odd,  I have to  change again - or set some default (somewhere under advanced settings.)

It seems to me that your layout, might have a loose tie to your language and location.  In Xfce (4.8) (under Debian Linux) I go to Settings->Keyboards->Layouts to add a layout. Then select my language, then the variant.   I THINK that Gnome 2 had the config in a similar place, but in Gnome 3 that's moved to Control Centre->Region and Language->Layouts.  Which doesn't make that much sense to me either.  I'm not sure who's copying who at this point with the UI.

I'd personally like to see a setting under input devices or something.  Devices->Input Devices->Keyboard->Layouts.  Although Input devices is a bit ambiguous.  Perhaps it should be under Text Input->Keyboard->Layouts!   I might have two keyboards and want two different layouts.  Not sure if that is currently doable?  {I'd actually like to group input devices and associate them with different user sessions.  I'm sure there is an esoteric setting and config somewhere to do this in Xorg (again not Windows) - but I've never quite worked it out, but I digress.}   The point being that it would be better to at least have something more intuitive, where I could configure these things.

{My feeling is that Windows 8, is just a little too much of a weird hybrid at the moment, with a lot of the legacy cruft still in there.  An example being that you go to add a user account in the control panel, and you get thrown into the new UI. It's all over the place.  And that's in the official release.  I really hope they change it.   I'd read that multi monitor support was much better, but it's still buggy for me.  I'm not that impressed.  I tuned back into Gnome 3 yesterday, and it felt quite pleasant by comparison.  Having said that, I have issues with that.  I'm just sour that the best version of Windows since 3.1 is still lacking in some really obvious places.  I expect a far more polished product.  Windows 8 still feels like a  Beta release at this point.}

May I ask what OS do you primarily use? It makes sense to choose Dvorak since it comes built into every OS these days. I still don't see why Microsoft can't make the right choice and make Colemak standard as well. Everyone else has...

That is why I like the fact that Mac OS has Colemak & Dvorak built in. Makes switching layouts so easy.

@knightjp, which is fine for you!  But what of others that don't choose to use those layouts?  What if you later want a variant of Colemak?  You'll then be realiant upon hacks.  Colemak has only recently made it's entry into OSX.  I'm rather puzzled as to why Colemak is there under Linux.  I guess it's a case of throwing dirt at the wall and seeing what sticks.

@pafkata - that does not work in Windows 8!  Or at least I can't get it to work.  Or maybe it's because I tried with a laptop without a number pad.  Windows 8 just makes a noise everytime I hit Alt.

Pinkyache: Careful with your metaphors, please. Otherwise it could get dirty... ;)

@knightjp - try not to sway too much from the original topic.  There ain't no such thing as a 'proper' distro.  Good name for one though, I might have to steal that.

My comment was tongue in cheek about the inclusion of Colemak into GNU Linux.   It's a bazaar model after all!  The point I was really getting at, is what warrants a layouts inclusion?  And why should those with exotic layouts suffer?  Can't we increase accessibility for all rather than having to wait years for XYZ's layout to be included?

@Dreymar mentions how MS selects layouts for their OS, which is rather bizarre and troublesome in itself.  At least there is method in their madness.  Apple are probably just being crowd pleasers.  Woz is meant to be a Dvorak user, so perhaps they are a little more receptive to alternatives in their camp.

MS's initial announcement really excited me, in that they were going to have a rummage and a sort out.  At least they were making the right noises.  Great to see them have a stab at a practical solution to layout selection at login.  That makes it far easier for me to use a shared PC. (Using Dvorak that is.)