How To Enable or Disable Num Lock In Windows 11 & 10 – Full Guide

To enable or disable Num Lock in Windows 11 and Windows 10, press the Num Lock key once to turn the number pad on and press it again to turn it off; on a laptop where the key is shared, hold Fn while you press it. To keep Num Lock on at every startup, set it in your PC’s BIOS or UEFI, or run a small sign-in task, both covered below.

This guide also covers keyboards with no Num Lock key, the On-Screen Keyboard number pad, the registry value many guides use, Fast Startup, all-users setups, and the fixes for a pad that keeps switching itself off or moving the mouse pointer.

Press the Num Lock key to turn the number pad on or off

One key does both jobs. There is no separate key for on and off.

1. Press Num Lock once to enable the number pad. On many keyboards a small light comes on.
2. Type a digit on the pad to confirm it now sends numbers.
3. Press Num Lock again to disable the pad and return it to its navigation keys (Home, End, arrows, Page Up and Page Down).

If nothing changes, the key may be shared with Fn, or the pad may be taken over by Mouse keys. Both cases are covered below.

What is Num Lock on a keyboard

Num Lock is a keyboard state, not an app setting. It decides what the keys in the numeric block send to Windows.

State	What the number pad sends	How to tell
Num Lock on	Digits, plus the keypad add, subtract, multiply and divide keys	A keypad key types a number into Notepad
Num Lock off	Navigation instead of digits	A keypad key moves the cursor instead of typing
Mouse keys turned on	Pointer movement, because Mouse keys lets the numeric keypad control the mouse	The pointer moves when you press a keypad key
Toggle keys turned on	The same keys, plus an audible cue	Windows plays a sound whenever you press Num lock, Caps lock or Scroll lock

Enabling/disabling Numlock at Windows 11 startup

Your situation	Use this	Why
The keyboard has a Num Lock key	Press Num Lock	One key, no settings to open
A laptop with the legend on a shared key	Fn + the Num Lock key	The legend is a secondary function
A keyboard with no Num Lock key	The On-Screen Keyboard numeric keypad	It supplies a number pad the hardware does not have
The pad must be on at the sign-in screen	The BIOS or UEFI setting	It runs before Windows starts
The pad must be on once you are signed in	A logon task or a startup shortcut	It runs for the account that signs in
The pad moves the pointer	Turn off Mouse keys	Mouse keys claims the numeric keypad
You want the pad off and kept off	Firmware setting off, plus no logon task	Nothing is left to switch it back on

Method 1: Function keys

Laptop keyboards often fold the number pad into the letter keys, so the Num Lock key is often shared.

1. Look along the top row and the right of the keyboard for a key labelled Num Lock, NumLk or Num. On many models it shares a key with Insert, Scroll Lock or F11.
2. Press that key on its own if the label is printed in the same colour as the main letters.
3. Hold Fn and press it if the label is printed in the Fn colour.
4. Press a key in the embedded pad (often U, I, O, J, K, L, M) and watch the screen: a digit means the pad is enabled.
5. Repeat the same press to disable it.

If the laptop has an Fn Lock key, it swaps the top row between F1 to F12 and media keys; it is not Num Lock. The trackpad has its own switch too, which works the same way as the touchpad toggle in Windows.

Turn on the number pad with the On-Screen Keyboard

The On-Screen Keyboard carries its own number pad, so it works on a keyboard that has none.

1. Press Windows key + Ctrl + O to turn on the On-Screen Keyboard.
2. Select the Options key on the on-screen keyboard.
3. Tick Turn on numeric keypad and select OK.
4. Select NumLock on the on-screen keyboard to switch the pad between digits and navigation.
5. Press Windows key + Ctrl + O again to close it.

At the sign-in screen the same keyboard is available: select Accessibility in the lower-right corner on Windows 11, or Ease of Access on Windows 10, then select On-Screen Keyboard. More ways to open it are in our page on how to enable the On-Screen Keyboard.

Num Lock settings in Windows 11 and 10

Microsoft renamed the accessibility section between the two versions, so the same switch sits under a different name.

Setting	Windows 11	Windows 10
On-Screen Keyboard	Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then turn on On-Screen Keyboard	Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, then Use the On-Screen Keyboard
Mouse keys	Settings > Accessibility > Mouse	Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse, then Control your mouse with a keypad
Toggle keys sound	Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Toggle keys	Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard > Use Toggle Keys
Advanced startup, for the firmware setting	Settings > System > Recovery	Settings > Update & Security > Recovery

Windows key + U opens the accessibility settings directly. Microsoft also lists two keyboard shortcuts here: Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock turns Mouse keys on or off, and holding Num Lock for five seconds turns Toggle keys on or off.

Method 2: BIOS setting

The firmware sets the keyboard state before Windows loads, so this is the route that reaches the sign-in screen and the PIN box.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Recovery on Windows 11, or Settings > Update & Security > Recovery on Windows 10.
2. Select Restart now next to Advanced startup.
3. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings, then Restart.
4. Open the boot or keyboard page and find the entry, usually called Boot Up NumLock State, NumLock or similar. The wording differs by manufacturer.
5. Set it to On or Off, save the change and exit.

UEFI Firmware Settings appears only on devices whose firmware exposes a setup screen. You can also press the maker’s setup key while the PC starts; our guide on how to enter the BIOS lists the usual keys.

Method 3: Registry setting

Most guides set Num Lock at startup with the InitialKeyboardIndicators registry value. Microsoft does not publish a supported description of this value for current Windows, so treat it as a tweak, back up the key first, and prefer the firmware or a sign-in task if it is ignored.

1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit and press Enter, then approve the prompt.
2. Go to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard for the sign-in screen, or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard for your own account.
3. Right-click the Keyboard key and select Export to save a backup.
4. Double-click InitialKeyboardIndicators.
5. Set Value data to 2 to turn Num Lock on, or 0 to turn it off, and select OK.
6. Restart the PC (not Shut down) and check the pad at the sign-in screen.

Some PCs already store a long value such as 2147483648; guides then use 2147483650 for on. Fast Startup can make the change look ignored, which the next section explains.

Fix Windows doesn’t remember the NumLock state

Fast Startup puts the PC into a hibernation state instead of a full shutdown, and it is on by default on any PC that can hibernate. The next start resumes that saved session, so the firmware and registry values are not applied fresh.

The switch is in Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable > Turn on fast startup. A full shutdown gets the same fresh boot without changing the setting.

shutdown /s /t 0

The /s switch shuts the computer down and /t 0 sets no delay, so the next start is a complete boot rather than a resume.

You should see: The PC powers off immediately, and the next start applies the firmware or registry Num Lock setting cleanly.

Restart also gives a full boot, because Fast Startup does not apply to Restart.

Method 4: Startup or logon script

This command checks the current state first, so it never toggles a pad that is already correct. Save it in a .cmd file, for example C:\Scripts\numlock.cmd.

powershell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden -Command "Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms; if (-not [System.Windows.Forms.Control]::IsKeyLocked('NumLock')) { [System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys]::SendWait('{NUMLOCK}') }"

Control.IsKeyLocked reports whether the NUM LOCK key is in effect, and SendKeys.SendWait sends {NUMLOCK}, the documented code for that key, only when the pad is off.

You should see: The number pad types digits, and running the command a second time changes nothing.

To force Num Lock off instead, delete -not from the condition. To run it at sign-in, press Windows key + R, type shell:startup, press Enter, and drop a shortcut to the .cmd file into the folder that opens.

Use Task Scheduler to set Num Lock at sign-in

A scheduled task is easier to audit and remove than a shortcut in a startup folder. Run this from an elevated Command Prompt.

schtasks /create /tn "Num Lock On" /tr "C:\Scripts\numlock.cmd" /sc onlogon

/sc onlogon runs the task whenever a user logs on, /tn names the task, and /tr gives the full path to the file it runs.

You should see: SUCCESS: The scheduled task "Num Lock On" has successfully been created.

Make NumLock turned on by default for new users

1. Press Windows key + R, type shell:common startup and press Enter.
2. Confirm the folder is %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
3. Copy the shortcut to numlock.cmd into it, and approve the administrator prompt.
4. Sign in with a second account and press a keypad key to confirm the state.
5. For the sign-in screen itself, set the firmware entry or the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT registry value above.

Number pad moves the mouse pointer: turn off Mouse keys

Mouse keys lets the numeric keypad drive the mouse pointer, so the pad stops typing digits while it is on.

1. Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock to turn Mouse keys on or off.
2. Or open Settings > Accessibility > Mouse on Windows 11 and turn off Mouse keys.
3. On Windows 10, open Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse and turn off Control your mouse with a keypad.
4. Press a keypad digit and confirm it types a number.

Keyboard has no Num Lock key: how to turn on the number pad

Keyboard	Do this	Why
Compact desktop keyboard with no numeric block	Use the On-Screen Keyboard with Turn on numeric keypad	It supplies a number pad the hardware does not have
Laptop with an embedded pad under the letter keys	Hold Fn and press the key with the Num Lock label	The label is a secondary function on those models
Laptop with no label anywhere	Check the manufacturer’s manual for that model	Key assignments differ between models from the same maker
External USB number pad	Press the Num Lock key on the pad itself	The pad carries its own key
Sign-in screen, before any key works	Select Accessibility, then On-Screen Keyboard	It types the PIN without the hardware pad

How to check Num Lock is on

1. Look for the Num Lock light on the keyboard, if it has one.
2. Open Notepad and press 4, 5 and 6 on the number pad. Digits mean Num Lock is on.
3. Turn on Toggle keys to hear a sound each time the state changes, useful on keyboards without a light.
4. Sign out and back in to confirm a logon task still applies the state, and restart to confirm a firmware or registry change.

How to turn off Num Lock at startup

1. Delete the scheduled task with schtasks /delete /tn "Num Lock On" /f from an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Delete the numlock.cmd shortcut from shell:startup and shell:common startup.
3. Import the registry backup you exported, or set InitialKeyboardIndicators back to its old value.
4. Return the firmware Num Lock entry to its original value.

Num Lock not working in Windows 11 or 10: fixes

Num Lock turns off after the PC wakes from sleep or restarts

A wake from sleep does not run sign-in tasks, and Fast Startup can skip fresh startup settings.

1. Press Num Lock once to set the pad for the current session.
2. Set the firmware Num Lock entry so the state is applied at every power-on.
3. Test with shutdown /s /t 0 or Restart, then check the pad at the sign-in screen.

Enable NumLock on login screen

Startup shortcuts and logon tasks run after sign-in, so they cannot affect the PIN screen.

1. Set the Num Lock entry in the firmware, or the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT registry value.
2. Use the sign-in Accessibility button and On-Screen Keyboard to enter the PIN until the change takes effect.

The keypad types arrows instead of numbers

Num Lock is off, so the block sends its navigation functions.

1. Press Num Lock once, or Fn + Num Lock on a laptop.
2. Type a digit in Notepad to confirm.

Num Lock keeps turning itself back on

Something is setting the state: a firmware entry, a registry value, a startup shortcut or a scheduled task.

1. Set the firmware entry to off.
2. Set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 0.
3. Delete any Num Lock shortcut or logon task.

Pressing a keypad key moves the mouse pointer

Mouse keys is on.

1. Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock, or turn off Mouse keys in Settings.

The Num Lock key does nothing at all

The key is shared with another function, or the keyboard has a fault.

1. Hold Fn and press the key with the Num Lock label.
2. Use the On-Screen Keyboard’s NumLock key to see whether the state changes.
3. Plug in a second keyboard to rule out a hardware fault, and update or reinstall the keyboard driver in Device Manager.

Num Lock FAQ

How do you enable Num Lock?

Press the Num Lock key once. On a laptop where the label shares a key with another function, hold Fn and press it. Type a digit on the number pad to confirm it now sends numbers.

How do you disable Num Lock?

Press the same Num Lock key again. The numeric block then sends its navigation functions instead of digits. If it keeps switching back on, check the firmware setting, the registry value and any startup task.

How do you keep Num Lock on permanently in Windows 11?

Set the Num Lock entry in BIOS or UEFI to On so it applies at every power-on. If the firmware has no such entry, set InitialKeyboardIndicators to 2 in the registry or add a logon task.

How do you turn on the numpad when the keyboard has no Num Lock key?

Press Windows key + Ctrl + O to open the On-Screen Keyboard, select Options, tick Turn on numeric keypad, then select NumLock on the on-screen keyboard.

Why does the number pad move the mouse pointer?

Mouse keys is on. That feature lets the numeric keypad control the mouse. Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock, or turn off Mouse keys in the accessibility settings.

Does turning Num Lock on in BIOS affect the sign-in screen?

Yes. The firmware applies the state before Windows loads, so it reaches the screen that asks for a PIN or password. Startup shortcuts and scheduled tasks run only after an account signs in.

Why does Num Lock behave differently after shutting down than after restarting?

Fast Startup saves a hibernated session on shutdown, and it does not apply to Restart. Use shutdown /s /t 0 or Restart when testing a change.

Always enable NumLock on startup

Press the Num Lock key for a one-off change, and set the firmware entry when the pad must be on at every sign-in. The key works on every desktop keyboard, while the firmware setting runs before Windows loads and so covers the sign-in screen. Use the registry value or a logon task only when the firmware has no Num Lock entry.