Turn NUM LOCK on at start-up

Anonymous

How do you edit InitialKeyboardIndicators in the registry editor so num lock is on at start-up? One instruction I read said to change the value to 2. The number that is already present is 2147483648 which I have no idea what it stands for! Can anyone help me out here? Thanks

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Anonymous

By default the numlock status is the same as it was in when you properly shut down the computer. If it was on when you shut it down it will be on when you again turn the computer on.

Richard Urban

Microsoft MVP

Windows Desktop Experience/Security

"BJ55" wrote in message news:b6f5c70d-a053-431 1-946d-ba9e8879f644...

How do you edit InitialKeyboardIndicators in the registry editor so num lock is on at start-up? One instruction I read said to change the value to 2. The number that is already present is 2147483648 which I have no idea what it stands for! Can anyone help me out here? Thanks

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Anonymous

I haven't read through every reply, but just in case there has not been an answer for this, here is what you do.

By default, NumLock, CapsLock, and ScrollLock are set to off on power up in WindowsXP. If you want to modify this to allow one or all of them to be on by default at power up, follow the below instructions.

Click Start
Click Run
Type RegEdit
Expand to HKEY_Users
Expand .Default
Expand Control Panel
Expand Keyboard
Find sting value InitialKeyboadIndicators. (By default this will be set to '0' which means Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and Caps Lock are all turned off.)
Double click the "InitialKeyboardIndicators" string value and make the following changes.

0 - Turns off Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock
1 - Turns on Caps Lock
2 - Turns on Num Lock
3 - Turns on Caps Lock and Num Lock
4 - Turns on Scroll Lock
5 - Turns on Caps Lock and Scroll Lock
6 - Turns on Num Lock and Scroll Lock
7 - Turns on Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock

Exit the Registry. When you restart, the new setting will take effect

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137 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-07-26T15:53:02+00:00

I have had the same issue as the users reported, which seems that the so called "MVP"'s have completely failed to truly answer. But, here is something I found in another blog that I believe truly does explain the string and answers the question:

>> Thanks for the advice but within the Initialkeyboardindicators i expected

>> a 0 but the is a number 2147483648 mentioned.

>> What is the meaning of it, can i just overwrite it with a 2

>> Further i suppose i have to put "2" (a two between quotes"

>>

>> Please your final advice before i do the change.[/color]

>

> The number "2147483648" is the decimal equivalent of 0x80000000. Why MS

> uses a RegSZ (text string) to hold a number which needs to be translated

> to a binary value is a mystery.

>

> A bit of experimentation shows that you can turn on the NumLock latch

> during login by changing the setting of InitialKeyboardIndicators from

> 2147483648 to 2147483650 (which is 0x80000002) in the HKU.Default\Control

> Panel\Keyboard key. (Just edit the final "48" to "50".)

>

> I don't know the significance of the leading one-bit so I suggest not

> disturbing it.
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Anonymous

2010-08-03T02:31:07+00:00

here is some help from a 70 year old: HKEY-USERS

                                                             DEFAULT

                                                                     CONTROL PANEL

                                                                              KEYBOARD

                                                                                 INITIAL KEYBOARD INDICATORS (SET TO 2)

                                                        HKEY_CURRENT_USER

                                                              CONTROL PANEL

                                                                    KEYBOARD

                                                                        INITIAL KEYBOARD INDICATORS   (SET TO 2)

SET BOTH KEY TO THEIR RESPECTIVE VALUE.

This procedure has worked for me for 14 years.
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Anonymous

2011-01-09T19:40:07+00:00

Yes, I was having the same problem. Changing the last two numbers from 48 to 50 corrected it. Thanks!
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