Use the following codes when you need to type German characters such as the eszett and umlauts. Simply hold down the 'alt' button and type in the code.
ß = alt + 0223
ä = alt + 0228
ö = alt + 0246
ü = alt + 0252
Ä = alt + 142
Ö = alt + 153
Ü = alt + 154