Alt key codes in Windows 8

I'm on a new Dell that came with Windows 8 preinstalled, so this isn't an upgrade. I can't use the alt key to get the old symbol/codes. I always have typed 'alt-0176 on the keypad to get the degree symbol - it doesn't work anymore. Can anyone help me figure out what combo works now? When I type alt-0, the minute I hit the 0, there's a big '1' that appears on my monitor and that's it. It's...