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Turn your keyboard's Number Lock key on or off permanently
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Number Lock is usually only turned on after you press the NumLock key on your keyboard. This can cause problems if you don't check the status of the NumLock key before typing a password that contains numbers. If you want your Windows PC to start up with NumLock enabled by default, you can easily change your NumLock settings. This guide will teach you how to turn on NumLock by default on Windows 10, 11, and 8.

Enable NumLock by Default with the Registry Editor

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Keyboard. Right-click InitialKeyboardIndicators and select Modify. To enable NumLock permanently, change the value to 2. To turn off NumLock, enter a 0.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Editing the Registry

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  1. You can also search for "Run" in the search bar of the Start menu to open the Run program. Press Enter or click OK to run the Registry Editor.
    • Be very careful when editing the registry, as editing the wrong key or typing the wrong number could damage Windows.
  2. When Registry Editor opens, there's an address bar at the top where you can enter the path to navigate to it quickly.
    • Alternatively, you can click through each directory in the path to find the same "Keyboard" entry.
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  3. A menu appears with more options.
    • You can also double-click the entry to modify it.
  4. To turn on NumLock permanently, type 2 or 2147483648. To turn number lock off, type 0.
  5. When your PC comes back up, your change to NumLock should be complete.
    • On some computers, changes you make to the registry may be overridden by the BIOS. If changing NumLock in the registry didn't work for you, see Changing the Setting in BIOS.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Changing the Setting in BIOS

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  1. Press the setup key on your keyboard as your computer starts up to launch BIOS. This key is sometimes F2, Del, or F9.
  2. The name of this value may vary, but you're looking for a setting that allows you to turn number lock on or off automatically. Highlight this item and change the NumLock setting to what you want (usually by pressing the spacebar).
    • Unless your computer has a modern UEFI, you usually won't be able to use your mouse in the BIOS. Instead, use the arrow and tab keys to navigate. Press Enter to make a selection and press Spacebar to toggle settings.
    • Not all BIOS/UEFI versions have this option.
  3. When you are finished adjusting your settings, you will need to save and exit by using your BIOS' "Save and Exit" key (usually F10) for your changes to take effect. When you save and restart, your NumLock setting will be changed.
    • Check the BIOS key legend to see which key is the "Save and Exit" key.[1] . Some computers save and exit if you just press ESC instead.
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About This Article

Darlene Antonelli, MA
Written by:
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been viewed 346,378 times.
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Co-authors: 22
Updated: November 12, 2024
Views: 346,378
Categories: Computer Keyboards
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