What does num lock mean. Num Lock - what is it on the keyboard. Where is the button on the keyboard

Users who have just bought a laptop are not particularly versed in the names and assignments of the keys. Therefore, they are forced to search the Internet for information related to the laptop keyboard. You always need to know what a particular button is for. For out of ignorance, you can do such things that you have to reinstall the operating system. One such insidious key is NumLock on a laptop. It is often very difficult to find this button. Especially if the laptop keyboard is made in some "own" style. Let's try to understand this issue.

What is NumLock?

This "magic" button is used to turn on the numeric keypad. Even if it doesn't even exist. Unclear? We explain. Some keyboards have a specially dedicated numeric keypad that allows you to more comfortably work with numbers. By default, it is usually disabled, and you cannot work with it. However, there is a NumLock key on a laptop that activates the number pad. If you press it, then the buttons with numbers become active. Although ordinary users usually do not like to enter numbers from this panel. Accountants and other specialists of a narrow profile suffer from this.

However, there are also such cases that there is NumLock on the laptop, but there is no digital block. What then? Then the function of the digital block is performed by the first buttons of the keyboard (d, c, y, k, f, s, c, a, and so on). Sometimes the user gets confused when numbers appear instead of letters. And this just indicates the included number pad. Where is NumLock on a laptop and how to turn it off? We'll talk about this.

How to determine that the key is activated?

Most laptops have special indicators that display the transition of the laptop keyboard to one mode or another. So, for example, there is an LED showing the active CapsLock button, which is responsible for writing letters in upper case. The same situation with NumLock on a laptop. Take a look at the indicators. And if anything is lit except for the processor LED, and the letters are of normal size, then this is a 100% guarantee that NumLock is enabled. You just need to turn it off. But first you need to find it. If you have a numeric keypad, then checking the status of NumLock is even easier. The fact is that there is a special button "0" on this panel. It also plays the role of a comma when typing. If it works, then NumLock is enabled.

Where to find NumLock?

The trouble is that in different models NumLock on a laptop can be in a variety of places. Yes, and it can be called differently (for example, NumLKm NmLk and so on).

The first step is to carefully consider the keyboard. If there is a digital block, then the desired key will be located in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe digital panel. If there is no such block, then you need to look for the button simply on the right side of the keyboard. Usually it is at the top.

If there are buttons with similar labels, then you should press them while simultaneously monitoring the status of the indicators. If one of them turned on, then you definitely found the right button. Sometimes you need to hold down a key combination to switch to the numeric keypad (this policy is usually found on Acer laptops). You need to hold down the function key (usually denoted by the letters Fn and located somewhere near the spacebar) and the corresponding button at the top of the keyboard. If this does not help, then you should read the instructions. It should describe all functional buttons.

Conclusion

So, we have sorted out the question of how to find the NumLock key on a laptop. I would like to note that much here depends on the specific manufacturer. Often this button is located in a place that you can’t immediately understand. You need to carefully consider the keyboard and look for something called NumLock or NmLk. You should also pay attention to the indicators when you press a particular button. All these actions will help you find the right key with almost a 100% guarantee.

Few computer or laptop users who have ever looked at the keyboard of their device did not notice the num lock button there. It may also be called num lk. More experienced users probably know what this button is for, but not all beginners.

num lock button

What does the num lock button do?

It is correct to start answering this question by considering the parts of a computer keyboard (the division of groups of keys).

Keyboard button groups

The standard keyboard of a computer or laptop consists of the following groups of keys:

  • Alphanumeric;
  • Service keys;
  • Service keys for editing;
  • Special (service);
  • functional;
  • Cursor keys;
  • Numeric keypad;
  • Auxiliary.

In the context of this article, we are interested in the numeric keypad. This is the right side of the keyboard where the number keys are located.

So the num lock (num lk) button activates (turns on) this very numeric keypad. If the num lock button is not enabled, which should be indicated by the corresponding indicator light (it is often absent on laptops), then the numeric keypad will work in the cursor keys mode.

Num lock indicator on a laptop

Num lock indicator on computer keyboard

There are keyboards, especially on laptops, in which there is no numeric keypad. But at the same time, the num lock button is still present.

Numeric keypad directly on alphanumeric keys

In this case, the numeric keypad is located directly in the group of alphanumeric buttons. Also activated by pressing num lock. If it is pressed, then numbers are printed, if it is not pressed, then letters.


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Most modern keyboards today come with a dedicated numeric keypad. Numpad. Their location is much more convenient than using the top row of numbers, so even laptop manufacturers, at the expense of device sizes, add a numeric keypad to the standard unit. Often, users who are deprived of this unit even buy it as a separate module and connect it to a computer via a USB interface.
In this article, we will consider how to set the number keys to turn on automatically when the computer starts.

Numeric block and NumLock key

The operation of the digital block on the computer is activated by the key Num Lock, which is usually located above the digital module. On some models of keyboards and laptops, this function is additionally equipped with an indicator, which, when the Num Lock function is active, is illuminated by a diode.

Automatic activation of NumLock when you turn on the computer depends on two things. Firstly, this feature must be enabled in the BIOS of your PC motherboard. Secondly, the NumLock activity depends on the OS distribution build system you use when installing. Exactly setting whether the numeric keypad is enabled on the system we will consider below.

However, even if the system installed on your computer, Num Lock is disabled by default, its automatic launch can be configured independently.

Setting NumLock to turn on automatically

We open Windows Registry Editor:

  • Run the utility Run going to Start - All programs - Standard(in Windows 10 utility Run is in the directory Service), or by pressing the keys on the keyboard Start(on some keyboards it is marked as Win) and R
  • In the window that opens, type in the regedit command

    and press the key Enter

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyyboard

Here we are interested in the parameter InitialKeyboardIndicators . We need to change this value by double-clicking on it with the mouse.
If parameter InitialKeyboardIndicators the desired path is not there, then you just need to add it to the left side of the registry editor window, selecting it when creating String parameter

It is also worth noting that sometimes, for certain reasons, a setting in a branch .DEFAULT may not work. In this case, all manipulations on the parameter InitialKeyboardIndicators should be carried out in a branch:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard

The value assigned will depend on which operating system is installed on our computer.

Automatically enable NumLock in Windows XP

Parameter value InitialKeyboardIndicators in Windows XP it is set according to our desire in accordance with the diagram below:

0 - NumLock disabled at system startup;
2 - NumLock enabled at system startup;
3 - NumLock and CapsLock enabled at system startup;
6 - NumLock and ScrollLock enabled at system startup;
7 - NumLock, CapsLock and ScrollLock enabled at system startup.

For the convenience of making changes to the registry, you can use the reg file attached to the article (how to create such files was described in the publication) or a batch file (more on editing the registry from the command line in the publication)

Auto-enable NumLock in Windows XP:

  • reg file:
  • bat file:

Automatically enable NumLock in Windows 7 (applies to Windows Vista)

For automatic activation of NumLock when you turn on a computer with Windows 7, the value of the parameter InitialKeyboardIndicators needs to be changed to 2147483650 .
Accordingly, if we need to Numpad was inactive when the computer was turned on, we assign the value to the above parameter 2147483658 .

Auto enable NumLock in Windows 7 (Vista):

  • reg file:
  • bat file:

Auto enable NumLock in Windows 10 (applies to Windows 8/8.1)

After installing Windows 10 on your computer, NumLock may also be disabled by default. The same will be observed if you upgraded your system to Windows 10 from previous versions, as described in the article:

To NumLock was automatically enabled on Windows 10 startup, we need to assign the parameter InitialKeyboardIndicators meaning 80000002 .

Auto enable NumLock in Windows 10 (8/8.1):

  • reg file:
  • bat file:

After the settings have been made, close the registry editor window and restart the computer. Function Num Lock will be active immediately after login.

Enabling NumLock with a script in autoload

If for some reason the method with editing the Windows registry did not work or it does not suit you, then you can resort to an alternative option to enable NumLock at system startup.
It's about using Windows vbs scripts. And since the scripting language is common to all operating systems of the Windows family, this method can be used on any version of the OS, be it Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10 or any other product release from Microsoft.

The bottom line is that with the help of scripts vbs can simulate pressing in the system of one or another keypad button. It turns out that if, after turning on the computer, to simulate pressing the NumLock key, then the operation of the digital block will be immediately activated. You just need to set up automatic key simulation.

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell") WshShell.SendKeys "(NUMLOCK)"

This text must be inserted into any text editor (for example, the standard Windows Notepad) and the resulting file should be saved with an arbitrary name and *.vbs extension, something like numlock.vbs .
For convenience, you can download a ready-made script in the archive attached to the article:

If we unzip the file numlock.vbs and run it, we will see how the state of the NumLock switch changes.

That is, if you run the script with NumLock turned off, it will turn on. And vice versa: if the digital block was active when the script was launched, it will turn off. Now it remains only to make sure that this file is launched when the computer is turned on.

The easiest option set the script to run automatically- place it in your user's Startup folder, which is located in the following path:

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

In the Russian version of the system, the folders will have the following names

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

The AppData directory is hidden. Therefore, to detect it, you need to enable the display of hidden files and folders in the file manager (for example, in the standard Windows Explorer).

More details about this method and other ways to add a script to Windows startup have already been discussed in the article.

After adding the script to the system startup, one of the ways you can restart the computer and enjoy the convenience of this small but very useful improvement.

Surely, many users have noticed the “Num Lock” key on their keyboard, when pressed, the LED indicator usually lights up. The functionality of this key remains a mystery to many, it is used quite rarely, and the history of the appearance of this button on computer keyboards generally remains a mystery for most. In this article, I will try to correct the situation a bit and tell you what Num Lock is on the keyboard, describe the history of its appearance, as well as the features of the functionality.

What is Num Lock

So, in order to understand what Num Lock is, you should first decide on the translation of these words. Num Lock (full "Numeric Lock") translated from English means " digital lock" (or " fixing numbers"). When pressed, the numeric keypad is activated on the right (numbers from 0 to 9), when the Num Lock mode is not enabled, then the cursor control system works (including the Home, PgUp, End, PgDn keys).

Accordingly, when the Num Lock mode is on, then the keys indicated on the right allow you to dial numbers (somewhat reminiscent of a calculator), if it is off, the cursor and other view control keys work (allowing you to use various navigation schemes).

Also, using this button allows you to enter characters that are not on the keyboard using their codes. In case you're wondering, in an earlier article I talked about the purpose of the key.

At the same time, we can find out about the status of the Num Lock mode by the glow of the corresponding indicator mounted in the specified key (active mode - on, inactive - off). At the same time, in laptops, this indicator is often located separately from the key itself.

The history of the appearance of the Num Lock key

The story about what Num Lock is would not be complete without a story about the appearance of this button on the keyboard of our computers. The history of this key dates back to 1984, when IBM introduced its 84-key keyboard for the second generation of IBM PC / AT computers. Since computers then cost a lot of money, IBM's policy was aimed at ways to possibly reduce the cost of its components. One of the methods for implementing such a policy was the rejection of separate cursor keys on the computer keyboard. Now the same keys had two modes - digital and cursor, and switching between them was carried out using our "Num Lock" key.

Today, most keyboards have separate cursor and number keys, while the Num Lock key is still sometimes used (especially in laptops, netbooks, etc.). At the same time, sometimes the Num Lock mode is activated using the Fn key, and often the user does not know how to turn it off again (in this case, the Num Lock key can be activated when the computer starts up through the BIOS).

In some keyboards (for example, those made by Apple), this key is not available at all, and has been replaced by the Clear Key key.

Meaning of Num Lock Keys

The story about what Num Lock is would not be complete without an accurate description of the meanings of the keys when the mode is on and off. So:

Num Lock on: Num Lock off:

Conclusion

Thus, we figured out what Num Lock means, what this key is used for and how to use it. In most cases, the use of this button today is rather sporadic, and is an echo of its use in the 84-key keyboard of the IBM PC (Model F). However, working with Num Lock may be relevant when running some utility programs, working with texts, and so on.

Every computer user starts their journey by learning the keyboard. The keyboard is a clear and simple mechanical instrument that is designed to control and enter data.

On the one hand, the keyboard has an understandable alphabetic part and the same understandable numeric keypad, but, on the other hand, there is a set of keys that keep their secrets and for proper and productive use, it is necessary to consider the functionality of each of these keys.

In this article, we will look at key functionality"num lock", which is located on the numeric part of the keyboard in the upper left corner. Translated from English, “num lock” sounds like “fixing numbers” or “digital lock”.

This key has two modes of operation: on and off. Finding out which mode the number pad is in is easy. If the key is illuminated by a special indicator light, it means that the mode is enabled and the panel is operating in the dialing mode.

If there is no backlight, then the mode is disabled, in which case the panel works as arrow navigation. Some keyboards don't have this backlight, so sometimes it's hard to tell if "num lock" is enabled. In this case, you can always switch the "num lock" mode on the keyboard.

For a detailed consideration, we present a table of key assignments in different “num lock” modes.

"num lock" on / "num lock" off:

  • 1 / end
  • 2 / Down arrow (↓)
  • 3/pg dn
  • 4 / Left arrow (←)
  • 5 / –
  • 6 / Right arrow (→)
  • 7 / home
  • 8/Up arrow()
  • 9/pg up
  • 0/ins
  • , /del

The laptop keyboard is simplified, and the digital block in the form in which we are used to seeing it may be absent.

The first thing laptop designers decided to sacrifice on their keyboards was the number pad. But it was completely inexpedient to abandon it, because. digital block is convenient in professional use, because the arrangement of numbers is similar to the standard set of a calculator.

Instead of just removing this part of the laptop keyboard, manufacturers have moved it to the alphabet bar. This combination can be seen on your laptop by looking at keys 7, 8, and 9.

Note that these are also the first three keys on the numeric keypad. When the mode is turned on"num lock" part of the alphabetic keys of the keyboard is rebuilt: the keys "U", "I", "O" are replaced by the numbers "4", "5", "6", the keys "J", "K", "L" - by numbers "1", "2", "3", etc.

Usually, to activate this function on a laptop, you need to use additional key - "fn".

In some devices, the “num lock” key is completely absent, for example, in Apple computers. All functionality is performed by the "num lock" keys is performed by another command - by pressing the "clear key".

The "num lock" key in the on mode makes it possible to work with hot keys. With a constant and consistent set of numbers, the necessary command is fixed, which greatly facilitates the work, for example, for designers or programmers.

In addition to the very obvious advantages of the number pad and the "num lock" key, their functionality can be greatly expanded.

For example, use instead of the mouse. Advanced users can activate the "mouse key" function in the MC Windows system settings. In this case, when you turn on the "num lock" key, the number pad can be used to navigate the operating system, other applications, and programs.

Of course, this navigation does not allow us to move the mouse cursor in the form we are used to, but it allows us to switch from one control element (buttons, checkboxes, links, labels, icons, etc.) to another element and perform “scrolling” (scrolling the page) text documents and web pages.

The main functionality of the "num lock" key was created at a time when the 84-key IBM PC keyboards did not have arrows and were separate from the numeric keypad. That's when "num lock" is used to choose between two functions.

On some portable computers, the "num lock" key is used to convert the main part of the keyboard into a number pad, not in the literal part. Because most modern desktop computers have a full-size keyboard with a number pad and separate arrow keys, the "num lock" key is rarely used for its original purpose and ends up confusing the user.

We analyzed and reviewed the main and secondary functionality of the "num lock" key. Summing up, we can do the following conclusions:

  1. "num lock" exists to make it easier to use the function key to enter consecutive numbers;
  2. "num lock" is used to control and navigate the arrows;
  3. "num lock" can be used to navigate the operating system;
  4. Numeric input "num lock" is often used to enter "hot" keys.